SERMI Compliance in Garage Hive

SERMI Compliance in Garage Hive

The SERMI compliance feature in Garage Hive helps your garage collect, store, and retrieve all the data required by the SERMI scheme — without adding complexity to your daily workflow. This article explains what SERMI is, what it requires from your garage, and how to use the Garage Hive features to stay compliant.
Note: This feature is part of the  Garage Link Advanced⁠  module of Garage Hive. There is no additional charge for the SERMI feature within your existing subscription. If you are unsure about your subscription level, please contact Garage Hive support.



What is SERMI?

SERMI (Security-related Repair and Maintenance Information) is a security accreditation scheme for independent garages. It provides a single, standardised way for garages to access security-related functions on vehicles — such as key programming, ECU replacement, and immobiliser code purchases — across multiple manufacturers.
Before SERMI, you had to complete a separate security accreditation with each manufacturer individually (e.g. a security application with Ford, another with Mercedes, and so on). With SERMI, you complete one accreditation and gain security access across all participating manufacturers.
Important: SERMI only covers the security layer. You still need individual manufacturer portal accounts (e.g. Ford, Mercedes, Peugeot) for general diagnostic and repair work. SERMI adds security access on top of those existing accounts.
How SERMI Works in Practice:
When you log into a manufacturer's portal and request a security-related function — for example, purchasing an immobiliser pin code — the portal presents you with a QR code. You scan this QR code using the Digidentity app on your phone, which holds your SERMI certificate. After entering your PIN and confirming the login, the portal grants you access to complete the security operation.

What Does SERMI Require from Your Garage?

As part of the SERMI scheme, you agree to collect and store specific data for every security-related job. This data must be retained for five years and produced within six days if requested during an audit. The RMI (The organisation that administers the SERMI scheme in the UK) will carry out unannounced spot checks.
For each SERMI job, you must collect:
    Proof of ownership — The vehicle's V5C (Vehicle Registration Certificate).
    Proof of identification — The customer's driving licence or passport. This does not need to match the name on the V5 — it simply needs to identify the person dropping off the vehicle.
    Customer authorisation — Written consent from the customer authorising your garage to carry out security-related modifications to the vehicle.
    Technician vehicle verification — The technician working on the vehicle must physically confirm the VIN number, make, and model of the vehicle to ensure they are working on the correct car.
Warning: Failure to produce this data within six days of an audit request puts your SERMI licence at risk.

Activating SERMI in Your System

Before you can use the SERMI feature, you must activate it in your system settings.
    In the top-right corner, choose the search icon, enter Service Mgt. Setup GH and select the related link.
    Scroll down to find the SERMI Active slider and turn it on.
Once activated, the SERMI fields and actions will become available on your Jobsheets, Posted Jobsheets, and related list pages.

Enabling SERMI on a Jobsheet and Sending the Pre-Check-In

Garage Hive has built SERMI compliance into the existing Pre-Check-In feature, making it straightforward to collect, store, and retrieve all required data without adding complexity to your daily workflow.
    The SERMI compliance feature has two parts:
  • Customer consent collection — Integrated into the Pre-Check-In process. The customer receives an SMS or email with a link where they can upload their V5, driving licence, and provide authorisation — all before they arrive at the garage.
  • Technician vehicle verification — When the technician has the vehicle in the workshop, they confirm the VIN and vehicle details via the tablet view, ensuring the correct vehicle is matched to the correct jobsheet.
    Not every job requires SERMI. The service advisor decides on a per-job basis whether SERMI compliance is needed. To enable SERMI on a Jobsheet, open the relevant customer's Jobsheet.
    On the jobsheet, locate the SERMI Required slider and turn it on.
    You will receive a prompt to confirm if you want to send the pre-check-in notification immediately - Yes, or send later - No.
    When this slider is enabled, the Pre-Check-In process will include the additional SERMI steps (document upload and authorisation consent). If the slider is off, the customer receives the standard Pre-Check-In without any SERMI questions.
    If you selected No from the prompt, you can send the Pre-Check-In later by selecting Print/Send from the menu bar, then choose Send Pre Check-In.
    The customer will receive an SMS or email (depending on your notification setup) containing a link to complete the Pre-Check-In.
Note: Sometimes a job that initially did not require SERMI turns out to need security work after a diagnostic assessment. The customer can still complete the SERMI steps (document upload and authorisation) even if already at the garage — the process is quick. A second Pre-Check-In can be sent, and SERMI consent data will be captured and stored as normal.
For guidance on setting up Pre-Check-In notifications, refer to the  Using the Pre Check-in Feature⁠  documentation.
Tip: Because SERMI is new, it is a good idea to phone the customer before sending the Pre-Check-In link to explain why they are being asked for their V5 and identification. This avoids confusion and ensures they have the documents ready.

What the Customer Sees

When the customer opens the Pre-Check-In link, they are guided through the following steps:
    Welcome Screen — Your garage's introduction text and logo.
    Planned Work Confirmation — The customer reviews and confirms the planned work and total cost.
    Proof of Ownership, Personal Identification and Authorisation — The customer is asked to upload a photo or scan of their V5C (Vehicle Registration Certificate), a photo of their driving licence or passport, and then the customer enables a slider to give consent for your garage to carry out security-related modifications to their vehicle's systems.
    Terms and conditions — The customer agrees to your garage's general terms and conditions (payment terms, warranty, etc.).

Reviewing SERMI Status and Viewing Submitted Data on the Jobsheet

After the customer completes the Pre-Check-In, the SERMI data is submitted back to the Jobsheet. Two authorisation sliders on the Jobsheet indicate the status of each submission:
  • SERMI Owner/Presenter Authorised — This slider activates automatically when the customer (owner or presenter of the vehicle) has completed the Pre-Check-In and submitted their proof of ownership, identification, and consent.
  • SERMI Technician Authorised — This slider activates automatically when the technician has completed the vehicle verification process (confirming the VIN, make, and model from the workshop).
These sliders are read-only indicators — they reflect the status of each submission and cannot be toggled manually.
To view the full SERMI data that was submitted through the Pre-Check-In (uploaded documents, consent details, and verification records):
    Open the relevant customer's Jobsheet, select Home from the menu bar and choose Show SERMI Data.
    This displays all SERMI submissions for the jobsheet, including proof of ownership images, identification documents, consent timestamps, and technician verification details. To open the images or the consent, click on the link in the specific field.
    For a quick overview of SERMI status across all your jobs, the Jobsheet List includes two SERMI columns:
  • SERMI Required — Shows a tick for any jobsheet where the SERMI Required slider is enabled.
  • SERMI Owner/Presenter Authorised — Shows a tick for any jobsheet where the customer has completed the SERMI Pre-Check-In and submitted their documents and consent.

Technician Vehicle Verification

The second part of SERMI compliance takes place in the workshop. The technician must confirm that the vehicle in front of them matches the jobsheet before carrying out any security work.
    The technician opens the jobsheet from Easy Clocking.
    They select the three-dot menu and choose Show SERMI Data to view the consent status and uploaded documents.
    To verify the vehicle, the technician has to enter the VIN number in the SERMI verified VIN field. This requires them to physically check the vehicle's VIN plate.
    After entering the VIN, the technician is supposed to confirm via the SERMI Technician Authorised tick box that they are working on the correct vehicle and that the customer's SERMI consent has been collected. If an incorrect VIN is entered, the technician will get an error.
    If the VIN Number is correct, the system prompts the technician to confirm the consent before performing the work on the vehicle.
This verification is saved against the jobsheet and is available for audit purposes, just like the customer consent.
Note: The technician's personal SERMI licence is at stake. If they carry out security work on a vehicle without proper consent and verification, both their individual licence and the garage's licence are at risk. The VIN check also prevents errors with similar vehicles — for example, two identical fleet cars that differ by only one digit on the registration plate.


After Posting: SERMI Data on Posted Jobsheets

When you post the jobsheet, all SERMI data — the V5, identification documents, customer consent, and technician verification — is automatically archived alongside the posted document. To review the SERMI data on a posted jobsheet:
    Open the Posted Jobsheet from the Posted Jobsheets list (under Posted & Archived Documents).
    Scroll down to the SERMI FastTab. Here you can view all submitted SERMI details.
    The Posted Jobsheets list also includes a SERMI Required column, allowing you to quickly identify which posted jobs involved SERMI compliance work.
    This data is retained and accessible for the required five-year period. If the RMI carries out a spot check, you can retrieve the information directly from the posted jobsheet.

Clearing or Replacing SERMI Data

    There are two ways to clear or update the customer's SERMI data on a Jobsheet:
  • To clear all SERMI data: Turn off the SERMI Required slider on the Jobsheet. This removes all submitted SERMI data (proof of ownership, identification, consent, and technician verification) from the jobsheet.
  • To replace existing data: Send a new Pre-Check-In to the customer. When the customer completes the new Pre-Check-In, the newly submitted data will replace the existing SERMI data on the Jobsheet.
Warning: Turning off the SERMI Required slider permanently removes the submitted data from the Jobsheet. Only do this if the job no longer requires SERMI compliance.
    To clear the technician's consent, select Home, then Show SERMI Data, and disable the SERMI Technician Authorised slider.


Globe with Meridians English (UK, IE, IM and IZ). To find documentation in other regions where Garage Hive operates, click  here.