Digital tachographs

All new lorries registered on or after 1 May 2006 were installed with digital tachograph Vehicle Units (VUs). These vehicles may only be used along with a personal digital tachograph driver card, enabling driving data to be stored and accessed more conveniently and safely.

Aim of digital tachograph cards

The mandatory use of personal digital tachograph cards in all vehicles fitted with a digital VU, is aimed at creating a new system less vulnerable to illegal acts by users to distort tachograph data.

The biggest difference between the analogue tachograph and the digital tachograph is the use of a smart card instead of the record sheets (often called charts, discs, tachos) used in analogue tachographs.

There are four cards (collectively known as digital tachograph cards) that are used by the digital tachograph system:

  • Driver card - used by drivers
  • Company card - for use by the operator
  • Workshop card - available only to approved calibration centres
  • Control card - available only to DVA enforcement officers and Police for carrying out checks

How to apply for a digital tachograph driver card

The driver card is a plastic card similar in size to a photocard driving licence, with a microchip in it. As a LGV or bus driver, if you think you will need to drive a vehicle fitted with a VU, you will need to apply for a digital tachograph driver card, which are valid for a period of five years from issue.

In order to apply for one you’ll need to:

  • complete a D777(NI) digital tachograph driver card form, which may be obtained from MOT test centres or by emailing dva@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
  • submit a fee of £32.00, payable by cheque or postal order
  • include one colour passport-sized photograph
  • send all to
DVA
Digital Tachographs
Driver Licensing
Castlerock Road
Waterside
Coleraine
BT51 3TD

Further information on digital tachograph driver card applications is available below:

Photograph information

Digital tachograph cards have the same photograph criteria as driving licences, details can be found at the link below:

If your name or address has changed, you will also need to submit your licence together with your digital tachograph driver card application at the same time. A change of name requires a DL1 and ID. The link below contains further information on how to change your name or address:

Please note: you should not drive a bus or lorry fitted with a VU without first obtaining a digital tachograph driver card.

Company cards

The company card is a plastic card similar in size to a photocard driving licence, with a microchip in it. Like the driver card it is valid for a period of five years, but rather than being used for driver activities, the company card is solely for the control and monitoring of digital tachograph information stored within the digital VUs.

Further information on digital tachograph company card applications is available below:

Workshop cards

The workshop card is a plastic card similar in size to a photocard driving licence, with a microchip in it. The workshop card is only issued to individually nominated technicians based at a particular approved tachograph centre. This card is used to activate, install, calibrate and carry out inspections of digital tachographs and the workshop card is valid for a period of one year.

In order to apply for a workshop card you’ll need to:

  • complete a D778(NI) digital tachograph workshop card form, which can only be obtained by calling 028 90254 177 or 028 90254 118
  • complete the form including your workshop address and centre seal number
  • send all to:
DVA
Driver & Vehicle Agency
Enforcement Administration Section
148-158 Corporation Street
Belfast
BT1 3DH

More in this section

Share this page


 

What do you want to do?
What is your question about?
Do you want a reply?
Your email address
To reply to you, we need your email address
Your feedback

We will not reply to your feedback.  Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

This feedback form is for issues with the nidirect website only.

You can use it to report a problem or suggest an improvement to a webpage.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly as we don’t have access to information about you held by government departments.

You must be aged 13 years or older - if you’re younger, ask someone with parental responsibility to send the feedback for you.

The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

Plain text only, 750 characters maximum.
Plain text only, 750 characters maximum.

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

What to do next

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

What to do next

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

What to do next

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

What to do next

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

What to do next

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries about:

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

What to do next

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

What to do next

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.