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What happens if you're stopped by the police while driving - breath tests, motoring offences, faults with your vehicle, seizing your vehicle

• Overview

  The police can stop a vehicle for any reason. If they ask you to stop, you…

• Breath tests

  The police can stop you at any time and ask you to take a breath test…

• Minor motoring offences

  The police can give you a ‘fixed penalty notice’ for less serious traffic…

• Faults with your vehicle

  If your vehicle has something wrong with it, for example a broken brake…

• When the police can seize your vehicle

  The police can seize a vehicle if they think it’s being used in a way that…

Being stopped by the police or DVSA - fixed penalties, roadside prohibitions, driving without an operator's licence, immobilisation and impounding.

• Checks on your vehicle

  As a commercial driver, you might be asked to stop by the police or a…

• Making sure your vehicle is roadworthy

  You’re responsible for maintaining the roadworthiness of your vehicle.…

• Roadside prohibitions

  A prohibition can prevent you from driving until you get a problem with…

• Driving without a valid operator's licence

  You need a valid operator’s licence if you drive the following for any…

• Fines, penalty points and other sanctions

  If you get a fine from a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA)…

• What happens if your vehicle is immobilised

  Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) officers and police officers…

What you need to do before you can drive a car or ride a motorcycle - driving licence, registering your vehicle, insurance, vehicle tax, MOT

We are tackling the real problems that drivers face by lifting miles of roadworks and cracking down on disruptive streetworks. 

• Updated: 16 April 2025

When you can be suspended as a driving instructor and compensation you can claim if you are not removed from the register

Advice for medical professionals to follow when assessing drivers with neurological disorders.

• Updated: 27 August 2024

You could get penalty points (endorsements) on your driving record if you're convicted of a motoring offence

EU and GB domestic rules for drivers of goods vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles

Information about becoming a goods vehicle operator, getting a goods vehicle licence and complying with regulations

When to book your car driving test, what to take with you, what happens during the test, major and minor faults, and what happens if your test is cancelled.