Police and law enforcement access to driver data held by the DVLA

The government is consulting to ensure that the legal basis for access to driver data is clear and fit for purpose, reflecting policing practice, technological change and public expectations around transparency, safeguards, and accountability.

The government recognises that driver data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) includes sensitive personal information and that its use must always be lawful, necessary, and proportionate.

At present, automated access to DVLA driver data is largely limited to road traffic enforcement purposes, with other policing uses reliant on manual, case by case access.

Policing and law enforcement bodies have argued that this framework can result in delay, inconsistency, and uncertainty, particularly in urgent situations such as safeguarding and serious crime investigations.

The main purpose of this consultation is to test whether the current framework remains appropriate and to assess the potential impacts on equalities and human rights of different policy options.

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