Estate and letting agents are being urged to review how they manage staff driving credentials and vehicle records ahead of a series of DVLA and DVSA rule changes rolling into 2026.
Vehicle data specialists at My Car Reg Check say the shift towards digital-first licensing and automated compliance checks means businesses relying on staff who drive for work – including agents attending viewings, valuations and inspections – face increased exposure if records are not kept up to date.
Under the changes, drivers will increasingly be expected to manage licence details online, with digital licences becoming more widely used alongside physical cards.
Failure to update address details, medical information or entitlements could trigger enforcement action, with fines starting at £100.
PENALTY RISKS
For agents operating company cars or pool vehicles, enforcement around MOT and vehicle tax is also tightening.
Automated ANPR systems and roadside checks are now far more likely to identify untaxed or unroadworthy vehicles without the need for physical stops, raising the risk of penalties of up to £1,000.
Electric vehicles, which are becoming more common in agency fleets, also present a new compliance risk.
EVs are no longer exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty, meaning firms that assume vehicles remain “tax-free” could inadvertently fall foul of the rules.
Meanwhile, drivers booking or rescheduling driving tests must now give 10 working days’ notice or lose the test fee – a change that could affect trainees or junior staff joining agency teams.
INVALIDATED INSURANCE
My Car Reg Check says the most common issues likely to catch drivers out in 2026 include expired MOTs, untaxed vehicles, outdated licence details and incorrect vehicle records, all of which can result in fines or invalidate insurance.
Marketing Executive Sarah Jenkins reckons many penalties are entirely avoidable but are becoming more common as enforcement becomes automated.
She says: “We’re seeing more drivers caught out not because they’re intentionally breaking the law, but because systems are less forgiving. For businesses, that risk multiplies when staff drive regularly for work.”
She adds that agencies should encourage regular checks of MOT and tax status, ensure licence details are kept current, confirm vehicle records after purchases or modifications and verify EV tax obligations rather than relying on outdated assumptions.
With compliance checks increasingly digital and automatic, agents are being warned that gaps in vehicle or licence management could quickly translate into fines, downtime and reputational risk in 2026.
