Action Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) traffic examiners take to deal with offences, including warnings, prohibition notices, and fixed penalties.
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Details
The policy sets out what action DVSA traffic examiners will take when dealing with most offences that they find when they carry out roadside checks.
It’s used to make sure that DVSA takes consistent action when carrying out checks.
You cannot buy printed copies of this document from DVSA, but you’re allowed to print your own copies.
Updated enforcement sanctions policy.
Updated section 1 defects and dimensions, updates include:
- updated further guidance for offence 1-47
- updated further guidance for offence 1-48
- updated further guidance for offence 1-48A
- updated further guidance for offence 1-50
Updated section 2 driving licence, updated PLS codes for some offences.
Updated section 14 carriage of dangerous goods, updates include:
- updated further guidance and action for offence 11-2
- updated action for offence 14-26
12 April 2024
Updated enforcement sanctions policy.
Updates include:
- section 9 was previously called 'Certificate of Initial Fitness' and has been renamed to 'PSV testing and certification'
- section 11 - Kent traffic order offences have been removed
1 October 2023
Updated enforcement sanctions policy.
Updates include:
- section 12 (goods vehicle miscellaneous offences) - new offence for posting
- description of offence 4-26a changed
15 December 2022
Updated enforcement sanctions policy. Updates include offence notes added to section 14 (carriage of dangerous goods).
1 May 2022
Updated enforcement sanctions policy. Removed any reference to the load security matrix in line with the categorisation of vehicle defects document, and added two new offences for seat belts.
1 February 2022
Updated enforcement sanctions policy. Updated Section 3 (vehicle Excise, registration number and trade plates), added new number plate offences.
17 December 2021
Updated enforcement sanctions policy. General instructions updated and MOT offences have been added.
1 February 2021
Updated enforcement sanctions policy. Updates include adding offences for tyres aged over 10 years old and a new offence for the Kent traffic order.
31 December 2020
Updated to latest version of DVSA enforcement sanctions policy. Updates include changes to Kent traffic order offences and PSV documentation.
20 July 2020
The 'DVSA enforcement sanctions policy' has been updated to include a temporary change to the weighing enforcement policy in regard to overweight vehicles of 30% or more on page 2 of the document.
5 February 2020
Updated the enforcement sanctions policy with extra offence numbers for annex 1C / smart tachograph. Kent traffic order offences have also been added. The tachograph section has been split between EU and International Road Transport (AETR) rules.
12 April 2019
Updated the enforcement sanctions policy following the introduction of offences for trailer registration.
20 May 2018
Updated enforcement sanctions policy following changes being introduced as part of EU Directive 2014/45, which came into force on 20 May 2018.
5 March 2018
Updated the guidance as DVSA traffic examiners can now issue on-the-spot fines for any drivers’ hours offences committed in the last 28 days, and a new offence (1-48B) has been added for exceeding 16.65m in length.
1 November 2017
Updated the document with a new 'false instrument' offence and increased enforcement powers for the offence of 'conditions of regular weekly rest not met’.
17 March 2017
A new version of the Enforcement Sanctions Policy has now been published. The option of cabotage has been added to 'Drives a vehicle in contravention of a prohibition (GV170 or GV171)'.
2 March 2016
New EC legislation has been introduced which replaces the previous legislation. The Enforcement Sanctions Policy has been updated to remove the references to the old legislation and replace it with the new legislative references. There are no practical implications for drivers and operators resulting from the change of regulation.
8 September 2015
A new version of the Enforcement Sanctions Policy has now been published. A new offence - 12-10
FAIL TO COMPLY WITH A LONDON TRAFFIC ORDER - appears on page 292.
19 June 2014
An updated version of the guide containing new driving licence offences has been added.
11 March 2014
The latest version of the Enforcement Sanctions Policy contains new offences.
8 November 2013
The new version of the PDF contains an amendment to one of the thresholds VOSA apply when dealing with insecure loads.It also has details of a new offence code to be used in relation to brake offences.
20 August 2013
Minor, but important, changes to the advice on insecure loads which might affect the action taken by examiners.
16 August 2013
Document updated with new Fixed Penalty Notice figures.