If you are a vehicle operator, your drivers might be stopped at the roadside by the police or the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for vehicle inspections.
DVSA use the Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) system to decide which vehicles should be inspected.
OCRS is used to calculate the risk of an operator not following the rules on roadworthiness (the condition of its vehicles) and traffic, for example drivers’ hours or weighing checks.
It is more likely that your vehicles will be inspected if your OCRS is high.
How you will be scored
The Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) system is based on data collected by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) over a 3-year rolling period.
Data is taken from:
You will get 3 scores in your report:
| Category | What the score is based on |
| Roadworthiness | Vehicle tests (first test and MOTs), roadside inspections, site visits and desk-based assessments |
| Traffic | Roadside inspections and prosecutions (for example, for drivers’ hours and tachograph offences, weighing checks), site visits and desk-based assessments |
You will get points for breaking the rules or not meeting requirements in the areas you are scored on. The number of points is determined by how serious the offence is.
Band ratings
You will be given one of the following band ratings for each category, based on your score:
If you meet vehicle and road safety standards and continuously monitor your standards, you can apply to be a DVSA recognised operator. If you join this scheme, you will receive a blue band for all the categories in your report.
You might have no score if DVSA does not have any data for you from the past 3 years.
You can check your OCRS score, view test histories and roadside check reports online.
Data protection
Scores are not given to a driver during roadside inspections unless they can prove that they are either:
When you will not have an OCRS
You will not have an OCRS if you either:
If you’re a vehicle operator from Northern Ireland
You will have a reduced report.
Your report will be based on data that DVSA examiners have collected at the roadside within England, Wales and Scotland. It will not include data that the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has collected.
How your score can change
Because your Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) is calculated over a 3-year rolling period, it can change after inspections, tests or prosecutions against you.
DVSA calls these ‘events’. Your score could change if you:
If you pass an inspection without any issues, this will be recorded as a ‘clear event’ and can have a positive impact on your score.
If you are prosecuted by DVSA, you will get points from the date of prosecution, not the date of the offence. If you are not prosecuted, you will get points from the date of the offence.
The OCRS process runs every morning. This means new events and vehicles are included in your report daily.
The lower your OCRS is the better.
Old encounters
Your score also changes as old encounters that previously counted towards your score no longer count once they are not in the OCRS calculation period.
If you had clear encounters included in your score and these are now outside the calculation period, this might mean your score goes up. However, if you had negative encounters included and these no longer count, your score might go down.
Year weightings
The impact of an offence or defect decreases over the 3-year time period.
For the first 12 months after the offence or defect, its score stays the same. After 12 months it falls by a quarter and then it’s halved in the final 12 months.
Other changes
There are different factors that affect your OCRS. These include:
DVSA sets these and can change them at any time.
What to do if you think your score is incorrect
If you think your score is incorrect, you should:
How to appeal or complain
If you think, DVSA has made a mistake you can appeal their decision or make a complaint.
When you send your appeal or complaint, you need to include:
DVSA can only speak to a person named on the vehicle operator licensing system for your company (for example, a transport manager or director).
What happens next?
If your appeal is successful DVSA will remove the event from your OCRS and re-run your score.
Changes to your score will not show until there is an update.
If you still think there is a mistake after your appeal or complaint has been resolved, you can email top.registrations@dvsa.go.uk.
Source – DVSA
