Fleet compliance deadlines: the full list for 2026

Running a handful of vans means running a quiet second calendar. Some dates are legal, some are contractual, and some are only best practice until an insurer asks you to prove it. This is the full list in one place.

Or skip the working-out. The Beige Fleet & Driver Compliance Tracker holds every date below and emails you sixty days before each falls due. The rest of this page is the detail.

The vehicle dates

• MOT, every 12 months. First test is due three years after first registration, then annually. See van MOT rules for which class your van needs.
• Vehicle tax (VED), every 12 months. Or monthly and six-monthly by direct debit, which just means more dates to miss.
• Insurance renewal, every 12 months. Check the cover actually matches how the van is used, particularly hire and reward.
• Servicing, usually every 12 months or by mileage. Whichever comes first, which is the bit people forget.
• Safety inspections, often every 6 to 13 weeks. Not a legal requirement under 3.5 tonnes, but expected good practice and the first thing an insurer or investigator asks about.
• Tail lift thorough examination, every 12 months. Under LOLER, if it lifts goods. Every 6 months if it lifts people.
• Tachograph calibration, every 24 months where one is fitted. See do I need a tachograph in my van.
• Breakdown cover and lease or contract end. Not legal duties, but expensive surprises when they lapse unnoticed.

The driver dates

This is the half most fleet spreadsheets ignore, and it is where the liability actually sits.

• Driving licence expiry, every 10 years. The photocard runs out even when the entitlement does not.
• DVLA licence checks, at least twice a year. There is no legal interval. Best practice and insurer expectation is at least every six months, more often for higher risk drivers. See how often to check drivers' licences.
• Eyesight declarations, every 12 months as part of a normal driver review.
• Driver CPC, 35 hours every 5 years. Only for drivers who need a category C or D licence, so most small van fleets are outside this.
• Grey fleet checks, every 12 months. If staff drive their own cars for work you need their MOT, their licence and proof their insurance covers business use. See grey fleet rules.

What it costs to miss them

• No MOT: a fine of up to £1,000, or up to £2,500 and points if the vehicle is in a dangerous condition.
• No insurance: a £300 fixed penalty and 6 points, and the vehicle can be seized. In court it is an unlimited fine and possible disqualification.
• Untaxed vehicle: an £80 late licensing penalty, and enforcement action if it is used on the road.
• No evidence of licence checks: no direct fine, but an insurer can reduce or refuse a claim, which is usually the bigger number.

The duty sitting behind all of it

Employers owe a duty of care to anyone driving for work, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Road Traffic Act 1988. If a driver causes an accident while not properly licensed or in an unroadworthy vehicle, the employer can be held responsible even if it did not know. Knowing is the job. That is what the dates are for.

Let the Beige Fleet & Driver Compliance Tracker keep these dates for you, or read the individual guides above.

Last reviewed: July 2026. General information, not legal advice.