Before you start

Your vehicles need to be in the asset register and correctly identified as vehicles. If they're not there yet, ask your account administrator to add them. You also need permission to create inspections — if you can't see the option, see How to Manage User Permissions.

Civic.ly includes three vehicle inspection checklists, each designed for a different purpose:

  • Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection — a quick daily check before taking a vehicle out. Covers essentials like brakes, controls, and lights. This is the one your team will use most often.
  • Vehicle Operational Inspection — a more detailed check, typically done monthly. Covers the vehicle's overall operational condition.
  • Vehicle Annual Compliance — a thorough yearly review for compliance and audit purposes.

The steps below walk you through creating and completing a Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection from the mobile app — the most common workflow. The process is the same for all three checklists; just pick a different one at step 5.

The mobile app showing the plus button menu with options for Asset, Inspection, Job, and Defect
Tap the + button to see your options — select Inspection

Step-by-Step

  1. Open the Civic.ly app on your phone and make sure you're on the Tasks view.

  2. Tap the big + button in the bottom right corner. You'll see four options: Asset, Inspection, Job, and Defect.

  3. Tap Inspection.

  4. You'll see a grid of assets. The app shows the nearest assets to your current location first, so if your vehicles are mapped to the depot and you're standing there, they should appear right at the top. If not, scroll down to find the vehicle you need.

  5. Tap the vehicle you want to inspect. On the next screen, tap Add Checklist and select Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection from the list (or Vehicle Operational Inspection or Vehicle Annual Compliance if you're doing one of those instead).

  6. The title fills in automatically. You can optionally add a Description with extra notes. Check the Assigned to field shows the right person, then tap Create Inspection.

  7. The inspection now appears in your task list with a To Do status and today's date. Tap on it to open it.

  8. Work through the checklist. The Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection covers key safety areas like Braking Systems, Controls & Safety, and Lighting Systems. For each item, tap the response that matches the condition — for example, Effective or Low Fluid for braking. If something is wrong, you can raise a defect straight from the checklist.

  9. Once you've completed all the items, tap Save. The results sync to the web app automatically, giving your office team a full audit trail.

The Create Inspection screen showing a grid of nearby assets with the utility vehicle highlighted
The app shows your nearest assets first — tap the vehicle you want to inspect
Tips
  • Make it part of the morning routine. The fastest workflow is: arrive at the depot, open the app, tap + → Inspection → pick the vehicle → complete the checklist. It takes a couple of minutes once you're used to it.
  • Each driver does their own check. Because the inspection is assigned to whoever creates it, you get a clear record of who checked which vehicle and when.
  • Raise defects on the spot. If you find a problem during the checklist — dodgy brakes, a bulb out — you can raise a defect directly from the inspection. This flags it to your office team straight away.
The checklist selection screen showing Vehicle Annual Compliance, Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection, and Vehicle Operational Inspection options
Choose the checklist that matches the type of inspection you're doing
The completed inspection form showing Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection selected, assigned to a user, with the Create Inspection button
Check the details and tap Create Inspection
The mobile app task list showing the new vehicle inspection with a To Do status and Today label
The inspection appears in your task list, ready to complete
The vehicle pre-use checklist showing Safety section with Braking Systems, Controls and Safety, and Lighting Systems items
Work through the checklist — tap the response that matches the condition of each item

Common Questions

The Vehicle Pre-Use Inspection is a quick daily check covering the essentials — brakes, controls, lights — before anyone takes the vehicle out. The Vehicle Operational Inspection is more thorough, typically done monthly, covering the vehicle's overall condition. The Vehicle Annual Compliance is a comprehensive yearly review for audit and compliance purposes. Most teams use the pre-use checklist daily and schedule the other two at the appropriate intervals.

The app shows assets nearest to your current location first. If the vehicle isn't mapped near where you are, scroll down to find it further in the list. If you still can't see it, check that the vehicle has been added to the asset register — ask your account administrator to confirm.

This can happen for two reasons. First, check you've tapped on the right asset — if you accidentally select a nearby park or building instead of the vehicle, you'll see that asset's checklists instead. Second, if you are selecting the vehicle but still seeing the wrong checklist, the vehicle may not be assigned the correct asset type. Checklists are linked to asset types, so if your vehicle is categorised as something other than a vehicle, it won't show the vehicle checklists. Ask your account administrator to check the asset type in the web app and update it if needed.

Yes — that's exactly what this workflow is for. Each team member creates their own inspection directly from the app using the + button. There's no need for the office to pre-schedule daily pre-use checks. The results sync back automatically so you still have a complete audit trail.

This means your account doesn't have permission to create inspections. Ask your account administrator to check your permissions in Manage Accounts — they need to make sure Inspections has Create and Edit ticked. See How to Manage User Permissions for the full steps.