Remember to notify the Traffic of relevant convictions

Reporting Convictions and Penalties to the Licensing Authority

A key obligation for any operator applying for, or holding, an operator’s licence is the duty to inform the Traffic Commissioner of all notifiable convictions and penalties relating to themselves, their employees, or their agents.

The Traffic Commissioner must be assured that the applicant—whether an individual or a company—is a fit and proper person. As part of this assessment, the Commissioner considers specified convictions and accepted fixed penalties, including those of company directors, within the preceding five years, particularly in relation to the operation of goods vehicles.

Detailed guidance on which convictions and penalties must be declared is available in the DVSA’s Goods Vehicle Operator Licensing Guide for Operators.

Since March 2009, it has also been a requirement to report Graduated Fixed Penalties to the Traffic Commissioner. When a driver accepts a Graduated Fixed Penalty, they must inform the operator, who is then responsible for submitting a full list of relevant individuals and offences to the Commissioner.

To support this process, the operator (i.e., the person or company using the vehicle under the licence at the time of the offence) will receive an Operator Notification Letter. This letter, sent to the correspondence address listed on the licence, outlines all pertinent details of the offence and is typically issued within a few days of the incident.

When notifying the Traffic Commissioner, it is essential to include a description of the steps taken to prevent a recurrence of the offence.