It’s your responsibility to replace a lost, stolen or faulty Digi card!

Take a look through the following Q&As to help you to stay within the law and maintain compliance with drivers’ hours and working time regulations.

1. Can you drive without your Digi card?

Yes, but there are a few conditions.

• Your card must be reported as lost or stolen within 7 days to the DVLA, this then begins the process of you receiving your new card.
• Whilst waiting for the replacement card you can drive for up to 15 days, but the card must be reported missing before this is allowed.
• Warning: You cannot drive a Digital vehicle if you have never owned a Digital drivers card to begin with, or are waiting to receive your first card.

2. Can you still record your activities?

Obviously, you are left with no card to record your activities upon, so this falls to the vehicle head unit itself. The information is still recorded as you drive and you can still change the mode as usual to record breaks and other work. The only real difference is that there is no name assigned to the data being recorded.

3. Can you prove the data / information belongs to you?

Yes, this is rectified by you doing a 24 hour printout from the head unit before you start your duty, and then a second printout immediately after the same duty. Be sure to add your start / finish times, dates, license number and signature to both printouts to show this information belongs to you.

4. How long should you keep your records?

It is important that you carry this information with you for no less than 28 days from its creation, and then a minimum of 12 months on file after that. Exactly the same as a traditional tachograph chart.

5. What happens when your Digi card is faulty?

The above points also apply if you have a faulty Digital card and have similarly informed the DVLA. The difference between a faulty card and a misplaced card is the cost.

6. What are the cost implications?

Where a card is faulty there are no fees for its replacement, whereas if you lose your card you must pay £19.