Digital DVLA access for drive-offs is a powerful weapon in the forecourt sector’s fight against fuel theft. Here’s how to harness the new tools to make recovery quicker, more robust and super efficient.
Every forecourt trader faces the nightmare of drive-offs. And one of the biggest headaches is just how hard it can be to get driver details from the DVLA. Just one drive-off can result in staff needing to fill out multiple forms before making a request by post to the DVLA to track down the perpetrator. This usually involves paying admin costs by cheque.
The system works. But for many busy forecourts experiencing multiple drive-offs a week, gathering evidence and making a request can be extremely time-consuming. Even once you have a driver’s details, recovering the debt becomes another big challenge.
That’s why the DVLA’s digital request service specifically for drive-offs, Keeper at Date of Event (KADOE), is such big news for the forecourt sector. Digital access means letters land on the doorsteps of people that have committed a drive-off in a matter of days after an incident’s reported. This means forecourt operators can get the money they’re owed much more quickly.
Accredited to combat drive-offs
Currently, the DVLA is unlikely to open up KADOE access to forecourt operators. Instead it assigns access through Police Crime Prevention Initiatives to approved forecourt protection specialists. This involves a lengthy accreditation and vetting process to ensure that requests for access to personally identifiable information are only made when valid and accurate.
Going through this process as an individual forecourt operator could be just as time-consuming as the old paper system. Which is why a growing number of forecourts instead rely on debt recovery specialists to access records on their behalf and also recover the costs associated with drive-off and ‘no means of payment’ incidents.
During Autumn 2025 VARS Technology gained accreditation for digital access to DVLA records, specifically for drive-offs, becoming the first forecourt Automatic Number Plate Recognition protection provider to be accredited.
A similar system is already in place for parking enforcement. However, accreditation is awarded through approved membership of one of the two major parking associations in the UK: the British Parking Association and the International Parking Community. Without membership of either of these groups, parking on site cannot be enforced through digital access to the DVLA.
Protecting your revenue and reputation
Data protection and information security is at the heart of the new scheme, protecting people’s personal data including name, address and contact details. Even minor mistakes when completing a digital DVLA request risk major General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) breaches – and the substantial penalties handed out by the Information Commissioner’s Office as a result.
Information security should be a priority for any business. And it becomes increasingly vital when that organisation is accessing personally identifiable information. The best way to be sure of good information security fundamentals is to work with a partner that holds ISO 27001 accreditation. It’s an international standard that sets out the premier level for information security throughout an organisation – including everything from physical access controls on their premises to extensive training for staff.
All these controls (97 in total) are geared around enforcing the core principles of information security:
• Confidentiality: Ensuring information is accessible only to authorised individuals
• Integrity: Maintaining the accuracy and completeness of information and protecting it from unauthorised modification
• Availability: Ensuring information is available to authorised users when they need it
Working with a forecourt security partner that holds ISO accreditation doesn’t just mean fuel enforcement notices are issued correctly – protecting your business’s reputation. It also means you’re protected from the risk of GDPR or information security breaches. VARS Technology holds full ISO 27001 accreditation in our own right, having gone through the lengthy accreditation and auditing process during 2025.
When looking at the accreditations of your forecourt security partner, the official police security initiative Secured by Design is another one to look out for. Secured by Design recognises security systems that have a proven track record for actively reducing crime. It is the only way for products to receive official police accreditation in the UK.
Research by Secured by Design found that developments built to Secured by Design standards are overall 63% less likely to experience crime. Accreditation is only awarded after products have achieved the required standard for both physical and cyber security attributes and achieved relevant IoT standard
VARS Technology is currently the only UK ANPR forecourt protection provider to hold all three of these accreditations, ensuring your forecourt benefits from faster, more accurate debt recovery as well as robust information security from a police-accredited security system. To find out more go to www.varstechnology.co.uk or email enquiries@varstechnology.co.uk
