Roadside compliance

Key areas of enforcement officers' work

Enforcement officers' work involves enforcing compliance rules and they can issue fixed penalties if you fail to meet rules for:

•    drive'rs hours – making sure you follow driving time rules
•    vehicle weights – checking your vehicle isn’t overloaded
•    vehicle roadworthiness – ensuring your vehicle is safe and meets legal standards
•    licensing – confirming vehicles, drivers, and operators are properly licensed

Enforcement officers may check vehicles for exhaust emissions and control systems at the roadside.

Enforcement officers also have the powers to check your tachograph and drivers' hours records when they carry out a roadside check. They may also ask you to send records to DVA where you are not carrying them. You are required by law to have a tachograph vehicle unit installed and used where the use of your vehicle falls within the assimilated EU Drivers Hours rules.

They also have the power to issue fixed penalties for a range of other offences. These include (but are not limited to) offences about goods and passenger vehicle operator licensing, driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), driver licensing , taxi offences, vehicle condition and the enforcement of vehicle excise duty.

• NI Direct Graduated Fixed Penalty and Deposit page 

Other enforcement work

•    investigate complaints about illegal vehicle use
•    give advice on compliance rules
•    check operators’ premises to make sure they meet licensing requirements
•    enforce driver licensing and insurance laws

Bus and taxi checks

Officers check buses and taxis at the roadside .

The checks include:

• making sure you have the proper driving licence for the vehicle you are driving
• making sure your vehicle is mechanically safe
• seat belts
• taxi plates
• roof signs
• accessibility features
• making sure that a tachograph is fitted and is being used in buses (where required)
• the fitment and use of illuminated signs and warning lights on school buses
• making sure vehicles, drivers, and operators are appropriately licenced and insured

Enforcement of special types vehicles (abnormal loads)

If you drive a special types vehicle or vehicle carrying an abnormal load you may be stopped by an enforcement officer who will carry out checks to make sure that:

• adequate marking of your vehicle or load is clearly visible
• the right procedures have been adhered to

For more information see:

• Abnormal loads and special types vehicles

Enforcement officer powers

DVA enforcement officers have other powers to take action designed to deter non-compliance or illegal operations and protect road safety. 

These include:

• seizure of vehicles suspected of illegal taxiing
• detention of goods vehicles suspected of being operated illegally
• issue prohibitions – which prevent further use of a vehicle until a defect or non-compliance has been remedied
• issue defect notices – which require a vehicle to be repaired and presented to a test centre within 14 days

Contact DVA enforcement

Illegal and non-compliant goods vehicles, buses, taxis, operators and drivers present a serious risk to all road users and undermine fair competition.

If you have information which would assist in the detection of non-compliant goods vehicles, buses, taxis, operators and drivers, you can contact the DVA enforcement team via email or telephone using the contact details at the link below.

• DVA – enforcement and compliance contact page

All information will be treated as strictly confidential.

More useful links

• Tachograph and drivers' hours
• Graduated fixed penalty and deposit scheme
• Motor insurance
• Buses and lorries you can drive and minimum ages
• Roadside worthiness checks