How to Apply for Digital Tachograph Cards: Drivers and Operators Guide

A digital tachograph card is your key to staying compliant with drivers’ hours rules while optimising your daily operations. If you operate HGVs within the transport and delivery industry, understanding how to apply for and manage tachograph cards is essential.

What Is a Digital Tachograph Card?

A digital tachograph card is a personal card used by drivers to record their work activities, including driving time, speed, and rest periods. It ensures compliance with legal requirements and helps maintain safety standards on the road. Any professional driver operating vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or carrying more than nine passengers must use one.

For fleet managers and operations management, ensuring your drivers have the correct tachograph cards is vital for keeping operations running smoothly and avoiding regulatory issues.

What Do Drivers and Operators Need?

For Drivers

Thos driving a vehicle for commercial purposes and meet the weight or passenger thresholds (9 or more), are legally required to use a digital tachograph card. This card records your driving activities and ensures compliance with drivers’ hours regulations. Drivers need:

• A GB driver digital tachograph card for their personal use.
• To follow proper application, renewal, and replacement procedures to avoid disruptions in their work.

For Companies

Fleet operators require company tachograph cards to manage data from their vehicles’ digital tachographs. These cards allow companies to:

• Download and control data related to drivers and vehicles.
• Manage operations across multiple depots or fleets using a unique company identifier.

The unique company identifier ensures efficient data management and compliance while simplifying renewals.

How to Apply for a Driver Digital Tachograph Card

Here’s how drivers can apply, renew, or replace a tachograph card:

Apply Online

You can apply online for:

• Your first GB driver digital tachograph card (for residents in England, Scotland, or Wales).
• Renewing a card that’s expiring within the next 90 days.
• Replacing a lost or stolen card.

You’ll need:

• A GB photocard driving licence.
• Your driving licence number.
• A credit or debit card for payment.

Your tachograph card will be sent to the address on your driving licence, so make sure your address is up to date before applying.

Apply by Post

You’ll need to apply by post in these situations:

• To replace a damaged or faulty card.
• To change the name or address on your card.
• To apply for your first GB driver card if you live outside Great Britain.
• To convert an EU, EEA, or Northern Ireland tachograph card to a GB card (you must have lived in the UK for at least six months in the past year).

To apply by post, download and complete form ‘D777B/DL’ or call DVLA to request the form. Send the completed form to the address provided on the application.

Fees

• First GB driver digital tachograph card: £32
• Renewing an expired card: £19
• Replacing a lost or stolen card: £19
• Converting an EU, EEA, or Northern Ireland tachograph card to a GB card: £32

How to Apply for a Company Tachograph Card

Operators need a company tachograph card to download and manage data from their vehicles. The card contains a unique company identifier, which simplifies managing multiple depots or fleets. All cards issued to a company share the same expiry date, streamlining renewal processes.

Company Cards Explained

When a company registers for tachograph cards, they are issued a unique company identifier. This identifier is printed on all company cards and is essential for managing driver and vehicle data effectively. Companies are advised to:

• Use one name and address for all cards, regardless of the number of depots or regional offices.
• Benefit from having a single record that controls all company cards.
• Easily control data relating to drivers and vehicles.
• Simplify data downloads.
• Align all cards with the same expiry date for easier renewals.

Did you know? If a company chooses to issue cards with different identifiers for regional or subsidiary offices, these cards cannot be used interchangeably. This may lead to data management challenges.

Renewal and Expiry

Renew your company tachograph card at least 15 working days before expiry to avoid disruptions. Expired cards cannot be used to download or lock in data, so timely renewal is critical.

Why It Matters

Understanding how to apply for and manage tachograph cards ensures compliance, avoids costly penalties, and keeps your operations running smoothly. While Quartix focuses on providing vehicle tracking solutions, having the right tachograph processes in place complements efficient fleet management.

If you need further support you can contact the DVLA here.