Driver Eligibility Policy
Zelfi Ltd (trading as Zelf) Effective date: 30/06/2026
This Policy forms part of the Agreement between You and Us. It sets out who can hold an Account and make Bookings with Zelf. You must meet and continue to meet these requirements at all times. If You no longer meet them, You must tell Us immediately.
1. Who can hold an Account
To hold an Account with Zelf You must:
- be aged 21 to 79 inclusive at the time of each Booking;
- hold a valid driving licence accepted under Section 3 of this Policy;
- have held a driving licence for at least 2 years;
- meet the driving record requirements under Section 2 of this Policy;
- have passed identity and address verification through Our App; and
- have a valid debit or credit card registered to Your Account.
You must meet all of these requirements at the time of each Booking, not just at the time You register. Holding an Account does not guarantee You the right to make a Booking or Hire a Vehicle if Your circumstances mean You do not meet the eligibility requirements of this Policy.
2. Driving record requirements
| Category | You CAN hire if | You CANNOT hire automatically if |
|---|---|---|
| Standard points | You have no more than three convictions, each carrying no more than 3 points (up to 9 points in total), with no major conviction code involved | You have any other combination of points totalling more than 9, or any combination not described here |
| Single 4-point conviction | You have a single conviction carrying 4 points and no other points on Your licence | — |
| Single 6-point conviction | You have a single MS90, CU80, IN10, SP30 or SP50 conviction (6 points) and no other points on Your licence | You have an MS90, CU80, IN10, SP30 or SP50 conviction together with any further points, however few |
| Other conviction codes | Not applicable | You have a BA, DD or UT conviction code |
| Licence suspensions or bans | Your licence has not been suspended or subject to a ban or disqualification at any point in the last 3 years | Your licence was suspended or subject to a ban or disqualification at any point in the last 3 years |
| Accident history | You have had no more than one fault accident or claim in the last 3 years | You have had two or more fault accidents or claims in the last 3 years |
If You fall into a “cannot hire automatically” category for points, or for a licence suspension or ban — this does not mean an automatic refusal. Contact Us before making a Booking and We will review Your circumstances with Our insurer.
If You fall into a “cannot hire automatically” category for any other reason — a BA, DD or UT conviction, or two or more fault accidents within the last 3 years — We are unable to offer You a Booking. This reflects a fixed rule in Our insurance policy that applies regardless of individual circumstances, so a review will not change the outcome unless the information We hold about You is incorrect. If You believe that’s the case, or You’d like a member of Our team to confirm the decision and explain it, You can contact Us at any time.
Honesty. You must disclose Your driving record accurately when registering and when asked. Providing false information is a breach of the Conditions of Use and may result in loss of Zero Liability under Schedule B, termination of Your Account, and referral to the police or Our insurers.
3. Licence types and accepted countries
All of the licence types listed below are accepted as standard, with no individual insurer referral required. The age and experience requirements in Section 1 apply equally to all licence types.
| Licence type | How We verify it |
|---|---|
| Great Britain (GB) | Online DVLA licence check |
| Northern Ireland | Standard App process — We do not run a separate DVA check |
| EU / EEA | Standard App process |
| Canada | Physical licence copy — designated country for DVLA licence-exchange purposes, see residency note below |
| Australia | Physical licence copy — designated country for DVLA licence-exchange purposes, see residency note below |
| New Zealand | Physical licence copy — designated country for DVLA licence-exchange purposes, see residency note below |
| USA | Physical licence copy — not a designated country for DVLA licence-exchange purposes, see residency note below |
Non-UK/EU licences — verification. If You hold a licence from Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the USA, the standard hirer checks apply in the same way as for UK licence holders, except that We verify Your licence from a physical copy rather than through the online DVLA check. You will be asked to provide this as part of Your App registration.
Driving-record referrals. Some driving-record combinations under Section 2 above require a referral to Our insurer before We can offer You a Booking — this applies equally to all licence types, including UK licences, and is a separate process from the standard verification described above.
All accepted licences require a minimum of 2 years’ driving experience, regardless of the issuing country.
Your entitlement to drive in Great Britain. Holding a licence from an accepted country does not automatically mean You are currently entitled to drive in Great Britain on that licence — this depends on whether You are a GB visitor or a GB resident, and how long You have held that status:
- Visitors to Great Britain may generally drive on a non-GB licence for up to 12 months from the date You last entered Great Britain.
- EU/EEA residents may generally continue to drive on an EU/EEA licence for longer than 12 months as a GB resident, without needing to exchange it.
- Residents from a designated country (Canada, Australia and New Zealand) may drive on that licence for up to 12 months as a GB resident before needing to exchange it for a GB licence.
- The USA is not a designated country. US residents in Great Britain should check current GOV.UK guidance on driving on a non-GB licence, as the position may differ from designated countries.
You must self-certify that You hold a current, genuine entitlement to drive in Great Britain at the time of each Booking. If this is incorrect, You lose Zero Liability under Schedule B, B2(c), and may be liable for any resulting costs, regardless of whether the inaccuracy was deliberate.
4. Identity and address verification
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Identity verification | Completed through Sumsub as part of Your App registration |
| Driving licence | A valid photo card licence, verified through Sumsub |
| Proof of address | One proof of address, dated within the last 90 days (an annual Council Tax bill is accepted regardless of date) |
| Name and address match | The name and address on Your proof of address must match Your driving licence |
| National Insurance number | Used as a second form of identity verification, checked against Your other details |
| Payment method | A valid debit or credit card registered to Your Account, in Your own name |
Accepted proof of address documents:
- Utility bill (electricity, water or gas)
- Broadband or landline bill
- Council tax bill
- TV licence
- Bank or credit card statement
- Mortgage statement
- Polling card
- HMRC self-assessment or tax credit notification
- Payslip
- Mobile phone bill
- Pension letter
- Car finance or loan statement
- Property deed
Documents relating to insurance, and any document not on this list, are not accepted as proof of address.
If Your licence has expired and is being renewed, or if Your licence contains out-of-date information, contact Us before making a Booking — additional documentation may be required, and We will tell You what’s needed.
5. Licence checks
By registering for an Account, You consent to Us checking Your driving licence — both when You register and before each Booking. This allows Us to confirm Your licence remains valid and that We can continue to offer You cover under this Policy.
6. Additional Drivers
This section applies to Additional Drivers on individual Bookings. If You hold a Business Account, Nominated Drivers are managed under Main Agreement Clause 1A instead — Nominated Drivers are pre-approved to a pool and can be attached to any Booking under that Business Account without per-Booking re-approval.
If You want another person to drive the Vehicle during Your Booking, they must be added as an Additional Driver before they drive.
| Step | Detail |
|---|---|
| Their own Account | The Additional Driver must register their own separate Account and complete Our standard App verification — the same checks any Driver completes, including identity, licence, proof of address and driving record |
| Requesting approval | You must request, through the App or by contacting Us, that the Additional Driver be added to Your specific Booking |
| Our approval | Our support team will review the Additional Driver’s verification and attach them to Your Booking if approved. This is done per Booking — being approved as an Additional Driver on one Booking does not carry over to any other Booking |
| Before they drive | The Additional Driver must not drive the Vehicle until We have confirmed they are attached to Your Booking |
An Additional Driver who has been approved and attached to Your Booking becomes an Authorised Driver for that Booking, with the same responsibilities under this Agreement, Schedule B and Schedule C as the Driver.
Starting and ending the Booking. Only the Driver can start and end a Booking through the App. An Additional Driver may drive the Vehicle once attached to the Booking, but cannot start, end, extend or otherwise manage the Booking themselves.
Driver responsibility for Additional Drivers. As the Driver, You remain responsible to Us for all charges, fines, fees and other amounts arising from Your Booking, including anything caused by an Additional Driver You have added — whether or not the Additional Driver was at fault. We will recover these amounts from You in the first instance, in accordance with Schedule A, B and C. This does not prevent You from separately recovering any amount from the Additional Driver yourself.
Keeping records of who was driving. Where Your Booking includes one or more Additional Drivers, You are responsible for keeping a record of who was driving the Vehicle at any given time during the Booking. If a speeding fine, penalty charge notice or similar notice is issued in relation to Your Booking, We will send it to You as the Driver. It is then Your responsibility to identify the actual driver at the relevant time and make representations to the issuing authority accordingly, within any time limit the authority sets. We are not responsible for identifying which Authorised Driver was driving at any particular time.
If an unapproved person drives the Vehicle, You lose Zero Liability under Schedule B, B2(b).
7. If You stop being eligible mid-Booking or mid-Account
During a Booking. If We become aware during Your Booking that You no longer meet the eligibility requirements of this Policy — for example, a licence check reveals a disqualification, or You no longer hold a current entitlement to drive in Great Britain — We may end Your Booking immediately and remotely, and We will contact You as soon as possible afterwards to explain why.
If Your Booking is ended under this section because You did not meet the eligibility requirements of this Policy, You are not entitled to a refund of any part of Your Booking.
On Your Account. If We become aware at any time that You no longer meet the eligibility requirements of this Policy, We may suspend or terminate Your Account. We will tell You why, and what (if anything) You can do to resolve it.
Honesty. If You knew, or ought reasonably to have known, that You did not meet the eligibility requirements of this Policy at the time You made a Booking, You lose Zero Liability under Schedule B, B2(o), in addition to anything else in this section.
8. How this Policy is updated
We may update this Policy from time to time, including to reflect changes required by Our insurer. The version of this Policy in force at the time You make a Booking applies to that Booking, even if We update this Policy afterwards.
We will tell You about material changes to this Policy in advance where reasonably possible.