Catalogue description Records of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) was established as an executive agency of the Department of Transport on 2 April 1990. It was previously known as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre (DVLC). Since 2002 the DVLA has been an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT) and is directly responsible to the Minister of State.

The DVLA is the organisation responsible for maintaining a database of drivers and a database of vehicles in Great Britain (in Northern Ireland the same role is carried out by the Driver & Vehicle Agency: DVA). The DVLA is responsible for the registration and licensing of drivers in Great Britain, the registration and licensing of vehicles, together with the collection and enforcement of vehicle excise duty in the UK. The DVLA also maintains records of all of those who are entitled to drive various types of vehicle, all vehicles entitled to travel on public roads, and drivers’ endorsements, disqualifications and medical conditions.