Driving licence guides

The 16-character UK driving licence number decoded: surname, date of birth, the +50 rule for women, initials and check digits — with a worked example.

Every UK driving licence category from AM to D1E: what each lets you drive, common category codes on fleet licences, and how to read entitlements.

UK driving licence codes decoded: what 01, 78, 101 and 107 mean, which conditions limit the work you can give a driver, and the law behind driving outside one.

What a provisional licence lets someone drive, how it differs from a full licence, and what employers must check before putting a driver in a vehicle.

Photocard driving licences expire every 10 years even though the entitlement to drive may not. What expiry does and doesn't mean, and the fines involved.

UK endorsement codes and penalty points: what SP30, IN10, DR10 and the rest mean, how long they stay on a licence, and when points add up to a ban.

What each DVLA licence status actually means, why a revoked licence can still read as valid, and what employers should do on each status.

How the DVLA licence check code works, how a driver generates one on GOV.UK, why codes expire in 21 days, and the alternatives for employers.

There is no single legal interval — but there is a defensible one. Risk-based checking frequencies for fleets, and why annual checks are rarely enough.

The legal duty of care for anyone who drives for work: the legislation behind it, what courts expect employers to have checked, and how to evidence it.

Driver CPC, the DQC and tachograph driver cards: who needs them, the 35-hours-in-5-years rule, the exemptions, and what expiry means for your fleet.