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Safety inspection (PMI) records
The periodic maintenance inspection sheet for each vehicle and trailer.
This is general information for UK goods-vehicle operators. It is not legal advice. Use the official source on this page, and your operator licence conditions, before you rely on it.
What it is
Safety inspections are the planned mechanical inspections of vehicles and trailers, separate from the driver’s daily walkaround and from the annual test. You choose the interval from the work the vehicle does and you declare it. There is no single gap in the law that applies to every lorry. The inspection has to cover at least the items checked at annual test, be done by someone competent, and record the result and any work carried out.
Who holds it
The operator holds the record for every inspection, including vehicles that are hired, leased or borrowed while they are in your possession. If a contractor does the inspection, you still keep the record.
At a visit
A maintenance investigation compares the interval you declared with the dates on the sheets. Missing inspections, late inspections, and sheets that do not match the vehicle are scored as failures of the system.
How long to keep it
The Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness says records of safety inspections must be kept for at least 15 months for all vehicles, including vehicles removed from the operator licence or sold. GOV.UK’s operator guidance states the same 15-month minimum for safety inspections and maintenance.