Did you know?
If your organisation operates a minibus under a Section 19 Permit, you are required by the DVSA to carry Minibus inspections every 6 or 10 weeks (depending on the age of your vehicle)
Whether you are a Castle customer or not, you can give us a call and we can demonstrate how easy it is to get your minibuses inspected and meet your legal obligations as a Section 19 Permit holder.
Minibus Safety Inspections with Castle Minibus
Minibus safety checks and safety inspections – they are not the same thing
Minibus safety inspections are legally required inspections that need to be completed by qualified engineers every 10 weeks (6 weeks for vehicles of 12 years and over)
Minibus checks are those completed by school staff or drivers before the vehicle is used – this might be every day. (Please click here to see our free app)
For more information please see our post What is the difference between Minibus Safety Inspections and Minibus Checks
Who needs DVSA minibus safety inspections?
Minibus Safety Inspections are required if you are operating your minibuses under a Section 19 Permit or a PSV Operator’s Licence. The frequency of inspections changes dependent on the types of vehicles you are driving and the licence or permit you’re operating under.
Minibus Safety inspections are not an advisory, they are a legal requirement, in addition to services and MOTs.
The government’s guide to roadworthiness states:
Operational needs must not override safety considerations. Safety inspections should, where it is practicable, be programmed to follow a time-based pattern. The frequency at which inspections are undertaken should be determined by assessing the level of mechanical degradation likely to be incurred over a period as a result of the vehicle’s usage. This will depend on such factors as:
- the age and type of vehicle operated
- the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer
- the nature of its load, the equipment and fittings it carries or supports
- the type and range of operations on which it is likely to be engaged
- the type of terrain and the nature of the environment in which it operates or is likely to operate
- the distance and speeds at which it travels and the journey times.
Assessing the above factors for each vehicle will, in the majority of cases, enable a time-based programme of inspections to be formulated. Some operations, however, are subject to continuous change, or vehicles can frequently be reassigned to alternative tasks or routes, making the adoption of a strictly time-based inspection programme impracticable. Mileage-based inspection programmes may be more suitable for some operators but will need to be linked to time. (Source. 4.2 Safety inspection intervals DVSA Guide to Roadworthiness)
Why are minibus safety inspections every 10 weeks?
The Government’s Section 19 and 22 Permit recommendations for vehicles under 10 years of age state;
‘bearing in mind that passengers are to be carried on your vehicle, and possibly a number of different drivers used, you should carry out more frequent safety checks. DVSA recommend that inspections are carried out at least every 10 weeks.’
Read the full government advice here in Section 11.3
Safety Inspection details on the Section 19 Permit application
From May 2021 the application form for the Section 19 Permit requires you to evidence your minibus safety inspections and provide deals of who is carrying out the maintenance on your vehicles. You are required to submit supporting evidence that you are having this maintenance carried out.
Castle Minibus is the UK’s leading provider of minibus safety inspections for schools. We work with two national fleets of mobile engineers who will complete the inspections on your premises. For more information on Section 19 Permit and safety inspections visit the gov website or give our compliance team a call on 01869 253744 who will help you.

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Castle Minibus completed over 10,000 minibus safety inspections in 2021. Why not contact us today to find out how convenient our service is for making sure you get your legally required minibus inspections.
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