The FORS Standard version 7.1

Requirement

To verify that all drivers hold a valid licence for the category and type of vehicle they are tasked to drive and manage any risks associated with endorsements or restrictions.

Purpose

To ensure that drivers are licensed to operate vehicles on the public highway and any risks that have been identified are monitored and managed.

Demonstration

FORS Operators shall have a procedure to check and verify all driver licences, categories, expiry dates, endorsements and restrictions.

For drivers licensed in Great Britain, checks shall be conducted through a service that directly accesses current Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data.

For drivers who are not licensed in Great Britain, checks shall be conducted through the equivalent licensing authority where such a service is available.

Where a licensing check service is unavailable, driving licence checks shall be conducted by a person or agent with competence to interpret driving licence:

• Entitlement categories
• Category and photocard expiry dates
• Endorsements, penalty points and their meaning
• Restriction codes, their meaning and the conditions needed to be able to drive

Driving licence checks shall be conducted at least every six months. This frequency of checks shall be increased for higher risk drivers using an approved risk scale.

A typical approved risk scale is:

• 0 – 5 penalty points on the driving licence – six monthly checks
• 6 – 8 penalty points on the driving licence – quarterly checks
• 9 or more penalty points on the driving licence – monthly checks.

For HGV and PCV drivers, licence checks should be conducted at least every three months.

Where relevant, the procedure shall include checks on the following:

• Digital tachograph driver cards
• Driver Qualification Cards (DQC) for Driver Certificate of Professional Competence

A procedure shall be in place for drivers to make an annual declaration of their responsibility to report any licence
endorsements, driving infringements and restrictions to the responsible person, whether incurred on or off duty.