Compliance guide

DVSA Daily Walkaround Check: The Complete UK Guide (2026)

Q: How often must a DVSA walkaround check be done?

A walkaround check must be carried out before the vehicle is first used on the road each day, and at least once in every 24-hour period the vehicle is in service. If a different driver takes the same vehicle over on the same day, they must carry out their own check before driving.

Q: How long does a daily walkaround check take?

A thorough HGV daily walkaround check typically takes around 15 minutes. Rushing it is one of the most common reasons defects are missed and prohibitions are issued at the roadside.

Q: How long must walkaround and defect records be kept?

Driver walkaround check and defect records must be kept for at least 15 months and be readily available for inspection by DVSA. This applies to both paper and digital records.

Q: Are digital or app-based walkaround checks DVSA compliant?

Yes. DVSA accepts digital, app-based walkaround and defect reporting provided it meets the same evidential standard as paper: a dated, signed record of the check, any defects found, and their rectification, retained for 15 months and available for inspection.

Q: What is a nil defect report?

A nil defect report is a signed record confirming the driver carried out the walkaround check and found no defects. DVSA expects a record for every check, including checks where nothing was wrong — 'no record' is treated as 'no check done'.

Updated August 2026 · ~7 min read

Every HGV and LGV driver in the UK must complete a daily walkaround check before using the vehicle. Get it wrong and you risk a roadside prohibition, points on your operator's compliance score, and — in serious cases — your O-licence. This guide explains exactly what the law requires, what to inspect, and how to keep records that stand up to a DVSA audit.

In short: A daily walkaround check is a legally required safety inspection carried out before the vehicle is first used and at least once every 24 hours. It covers safety-critical items (lights, tyres, brakes, mirrors, glass, fluids, leaks). Any defect must be reported and fixed or signed off before driving. Records — including nil defect records — must be kept for 15 months. Digital app-based checks are fully DVSA-acceptable if they meet the same evidential standard as paper.

What is a DVSA daily walkaround check?

A daily walkaround check (sometimes called a "daily defect check" or "first-use check") is a systematic visual and functional inspection of a commercial vehicle carried out by the driver at the start of the working day. Its purpose is simple: make sure the vehicle is roadworthy before it goes out, not after something goes wrong.

It is a legal requirement under the driver's and operator's duties, and it sits at the heart of the DVSA's "Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness". DVSA officers routinely ask to see walkaround records during roadside encounters and operator visits.

How often is a walkaround check legally required?

The check must be done:

Before the vehicle is first used on the road that day, and
At least once in every 24-hour period the vehicle is in service.

Crucially, if a different driver takes over the same vehicle on the same day, that driver must carry out their own walkaround check before driving. The responsibility travels with whoever is about to drive — you cannot rely on someone else's earlier check.

How long should a walkaround check take?

A thorough HGV walkaround check typically takes around 15 minutes. Checks completed in two or three minutes are a red flag to DVSA — they suggest items were skipped. Rushing the check is one of the most common reasons defects are missed and prohibitions are issued at the roadside.

What do you check in a daily walkaround?

The exact list depends on the vehicle (rigid, tractor unit, trailer), but a compliant HGV walkaround covers, as a minimum:

Lights, indicators, reflectors and number plate
Tyres and wheel fixings (condition, pressure, security)
Brakes and brake lines (including trailer coupling and air lines)
Mirrors, glass and visibility, wipers and washers
Steering and horn
Fluid levels and any leaks (oil, fuel, AdBlue, coolant)
Bodywork, security of load and load-restraint equipment
Trailer coupling, landing legs and electrical/air connections (where applicable)
Warning lamps and gauges on start-up

Tipper and tarmac operators should pay particular attention to the tipping body, safety props and sheeting systems, which carry their own risks.

Reporting defects (and the "nil defect" rule)

Finding a defect is not a failure — not recording it is. If you find a defect:

Record it, with detail (and ideally a photo).
Report it to the operator/workshop before driving.
The defect must be rectified, or the vehicle formally signed off as safe to drive, before it leaves.

If you find nothing wrong, you still record a nil defect report — a signed record confirming the check was done and no defects were found. DVSA treats "no record" as "no check". A missing record is as serious as a missed check.

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How long must you keep walkaround and defect records?

Driver walkaround check records, defect reports and their rectification must be kept for at least 15 months and be readily available for inspection. This applies whether your records are on paper or in a digital system. A shoebox of paper tickets technically complies — until the day you can't find the one DVSA asks for.

Paper vs digital: are walkaround apps DVSA compliant?

Yes — digital, app-based walkaround and defect reporting is fully acceptable to DVSA, and increasingly expected. The rule is about the evidential standard, not the medium. A digital record must still be:

Dated and attributed to the driver who carried out the check
A complete record of the items checked, defects found and their rectification
Retained for 15 months and available for inspection on request

Done well, digital is stronger than paper: it timestamps every check (so a two-minute check is visible), stores photos of defects, and makes the one record DVSA wants findable in seconds rather than lost in a folder.

Common walkaround mistakes DVSA penalises

No nil-defect records — only recording checks when something is wrong.
Checks that are too fast to be genuine (visible in digital timestamps).
Driving on a known defect before it's rectified or signed off.
Records you can't produce when asked at the roadside or on an operator visit.
The same driver "checking" vehicles they didn't take out.

Frequently asked questions

How often must a DVSA walkaround check be done?

Before the vehicle is first used on the road each day, and at least once in every 24-hour period it's in service. A new driver taking the same vehicle on the same day must do their own check.

How long does a daily walkaround check take?

Around 15 minutes for a thorough HGV check. Very fast checks are a red flag to DVSA that items were skipped.

How long must walkaround and defect records be kept?

At least 15 months, readily available for inspection — for both paper and digital records.

Are digital or app-based walkaround checks DVSA compliant?

Yes, provided they meet the same evidential standard as paper: dated, signed, complete, retained 15 months and available for inspection.

What is a nil defect report?

A signed record confirming the check was done and no defects were found. DVSA expects a record for every check — "no record" is treated as "no check".

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always refer to the current DVSA "Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness" for the definitive requirements.

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