DVSA earned recognition: join the scheme
How the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) earned recognition scheme works, how to apply, and what happens when you've joined.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
What is DVSA earned recognition
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) earned recognition scheme is a way to prove you meet driver and vehicle standards.
This means that you’re:
- continuously monitoring your own compliance
- using monitoring systems
- compliant with vehicle and road safety standards
It’s a voluntary scheme that’s designed to work for operators of all sizes.
How it works
You need to have a DVSA-validated IT system for vehicle maintenance and drivers’ hours. This will monitor whether you’re meeting a set of key performance indicators (KPIs).
Every 4 weeks, your system will tell DVSA if you’ve missed any of the KPIs by a set amount. If this happens, DVSA will work with you to fix any problems.
DVSA will not have direct access to any of your data or systems.
Monitoring systems you can use from 1 April 2022
From 1 April 2022, you can use one of these options for your vehicle maintenance monitoring systems:
- fully digital electronic reporting systems for maintenance and vehicle KPIs, approved by DVSA
- a mixture of manual maintenance and vehicle systems or a mixture of digital maintenance systems (both internal systems and external programmes), alongside digital reporting, all validated by DVSA
- manually send maintenance and vehicle reporting information to DVSA
What are the benefits
As a DVSA earned recognition operator you’ll:
- be an exemplary operator, and be able to prove this when you bid for contracts
- be less likely to have your vehicles stopped at the roadside for inspections
- be less likely to have DVSA enforcement staff visit your premises
- be able to use the DVSA earned recognition logo on your website and other publicity materials (but not on your vehicles)
- be recognised as a DVSA-accredited operator on GOV.UK
- have direct access to a dedicated earned recognition team in DVSA
Eligibility
Before you apply you need to make sure that you meet the following criteria:
- you’ve had a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) or public service vehicle (PSV) operator licence for at least 2 years
- the Traffic Commissioner hasn’t taken any regulatory action (other than a formal warning) on any of your operator licences in the last 2 years
- you have management systems for vehicle maintenance and digital management systems for drivers’ hours, which you can use to track the KPIs and report if they’re missed
- you meet the earned recognition audit standards
If you have multiple operator licences
The application can only be made for the whole business - not individual licences. You must report the data for all your operator licences.
If your organisation contains multiple legal entities operating under one group - using the same management systems - you can make a single group application.
The audit standards and key performance indicators would apply and be measured over the group as a whole.
An individual legal entity cannot be removed from the group accreditation unless it changes ownership or no longer exists.
Extra modules
You can apply for accreditation for extra modules that show you meet the requirements to work on certain projects. These are optional and require you to meet additional audit standards or to provide extra information to DVSA.
An application for any of the extra modules can be for the whole entity or at least one operator’s licence with all its operating centres.
You might have to share information related to the extra module – such as KPIs – with a third party.
HGV operators can apply for extra modules on:
PSV operators can apply for extra modules on:
How much it costs
There’s no application fee to join the scheme.
Audits
Your systems and processes must be audited by a DVSA-authorised audit provider:
- once your application has been reviewed
- every 2 years after you’ve joined the scheme
You might need to pay for this, depending on the provider you choose. The providers set their own fees.
You need to tell your audit provider if you’re applying for extra modules.
Extra modules are audited every year.
IT systems
You may need to pay to update your IT systems if they cannot measure and report on the KPIs.
The system suppliers set their own fees.
Earned recognition terms and conditions
As an operator, you need to meet and agree the DVSA earned recognition terms and conditions.
Apply to join the scheme
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Read the
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Check if your IT system provider (if you are using one) and audit provider have registered with DVSA. If they have not, tell them to email dvsaer@dvsa.gov.uk to get the documents they need.
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Fill in the DVSA earned recognition application form if you meet the eligibility criteria.
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DVSA will check your application and get back to you.
Apply for extra modules
Existing scheme members
If you’re an existing earned recognition scheme member, you can apply for extra modules at any time.
You’ll need to fill in one copy of the application form for each module you apply for and say what operator licences you want to include on the extra modules.
The audit can be completed either before or after the application has been submitted.
Non-scheme members
Before you can be considered for the extra modules, the entity or group you’re applying for must pass all relevant sections of the audit standards.
You can:
- apply for extra modules at the same time as you submit your application for the earned recognition scheme
- have the audit for the extra modules conducted with your main audit
You need to send an application form for each extra module with the main application form.
Arrange an audit
You can have an audit up to 3 months before or 3 months after DVSA receives your application.
Update history
2023-09-01 14:21
Arrange an audit – updated the section on audit sampling to say that the auditor check should include a minimum of 3 month’s operator analysis and subsequent actions.Keeping your earned recognition operator status – removed the requirement to have a partial audit every year if you have a concession.Audit outcome – updated the wording from ‘standards met’ to ‘standards fully met’.
2023-07-07 13:14
Added Concrete operations to list of extra modules.
2022-11-01 08:30
Added The Guild of British Coach Operators to list of extra modules.
2022-10-24 15:20
Added TfL Contractual Requirements to list of extra modules.
2022-06-23 11:00
Audits – removed out of date information about concessions.What the audit involves – updated audit standards sections list.Audit outcome – added ‘Standards part met’ section.