What to Do If You Lose Your Tachograph Card
Losing your tachograph card is a stressful experience, but it is a situation that can be resolved quickly if you know the correct steps to take. This guide explains what to do immediately after losing your card, how to apply for a replacement, what records you need to keep in the meantime, and how to avoid common mistakes that could lead to prosecution.
What Is a Tachograph Card?
A tachograph card (also called a driver card) is a smart card issued by the DVLA that stores your driving time, rest periods, and speed data when inserted into a digital tachograph. All professional HGV and PCV drivers must use a digital tachograph card when driving a vehicle that requires a tachograph. Driving without a valid card is a serious offence.
Step 1: Report the Loss Immediately
As soon as you discover your card is lost or stolen, report it to the DVLA. You can do this online via the DVLA's tachograph card application service (gov.uk/apply-tachograph-card). Reporting the loss promptly is important because a lost card can potentially be misused by another driver.
If your card was stolen, also report the theft to the police and obtain a crime reference number. You may need this for your replacement application.
Step 2: Apply for a Replacement Card
Apply for a replacement driver card through the DVLA's online service. The current fee for a replacement card is £32. You will need your driving licence number and National Insurance number. The DVLA typically processes replacement card applications within 5–7 working days, though it can take up to 15 working days during busy periods.
Step 3: Driving While Waiting for Your Replacement
You can continue to drive while waiting for your replacement card, but you must follow strict rules. For each day you drive without a card, you must create a manual record (a printout from the tachograph or a manual entry form) showing your driving time, rest periods, and the reason you are driving without a card. You must carry:
- A printout from the tachograph at the start of the shift, showing your name and the date
- A written statement explaining that your card is lost/stolen and that you have applied for a replacement
- Evidence of your replacement card application (e.g., DVLA confirmation email or reference number)
This manual record must be kept for 28 days and must be available for inspection by DVSA enforcement officers.
Step 4: Inform Your Employer
Inform your employer as soon as possible. Your employer is responsible for ensuring that tachograph records are kept correctly, and they need to know that you are driving without a card so they can make the appropriate arrangements for manual record-keeping.
What If You Find the Card After Reporting It Lost?
If you find your original card after reporting it lost and applying for a replacement, do not use the original card. Once a card has been reported lost and a replacement has been issued, the original card is invalidated. Using an invalidated card is an offence. Destroy the original card safely.
Penalties for Driving Without a Tachograph Card
Driving without a valid tachograph card (and without the correct manual records) can result in a fixed penalty of up to £300 per offence, or a court summons for more serious or repeated offences. Employers can also be prosecuted if they knowingly allow drivers to operate without valid cards.
For more on tachograph rules, see our guide on tachograph rules for HGV drivers.
