Overview

To be a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), bus or coach driver, you usually need a professional driving qualification called the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

In 2023, the government consulted on making changes to Driver CPC.

Driver CPC is not being scrapped, but there will be changes to make it more flexible for people who only drive in the UK.

The first changes will affect:

• how you can stay qualified
• how you can return to professional driving

1. Staying qualified

Subject to Parliamentary approval, later in 2024, you will be able to choose to stay qualified using either:

• International Driver CPC
• National Driver CPC

1.1 International Driver CPC

International Driver CPC will be the new name for how Driver CPC currently works.

You will need to take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training every 5 years to be allowed to drive in the EU and the UK.

The will be no changes to how it works. This means that:

• courses must be at least 7 hours long
• if a course is split over a day, it has to be completed on 2 consecutive days
• e-learning in a trainer-led course is limited to 2 hours
• you’re allowed to do a total of 12 hours e-learning towards your overall 35 hours of training

1.2 National Driver CPC

National Driver CPC will be a more flexible version of the existing Driver CPC.

If you only want to drive in the UK, you’ll be able to take either:

• 35 hours of National Driver CPC training every 5 years
• a combination of 35 hours of National Driver CPC and International Driver CPC training every 5 years

The new flexibility means that with National Driver CPC courses:

• the courses must be at least 3 hours 30 minutes long – training providers will still be able to offer longer courses if they want to
• split courses will not need to be completed on 2 consecutive days – course providers will be free to set their own time limits
• you will be able to take e-learning only courses – for example, you could take an approved 3 hours 30 minutes long e-learning course at your workplace or home
• you’ll be allowed to do a total of 12 hours e-learning towards your overall 35 hours of training

1.3 Summary of options to stay qualified

Subject to Parliamentary approval, later in 2024, you will have 2 options to stay qualified:

1. Take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training every 5 years to be able to drive in the UK and EU.
2. Take 35 hours of National Driver CPC (or a combination of 35 hours of National and International CPC training) every 5 years to be able to drive in the UK.

2. Getting qualified

When you pass the qualifying tests, you will automatically have International Driver CPC for the first 5 years.

This means you will be able to drive in the UK and the EU.

The type of periodic training you then take to stay qualified will then affect which type of Driver CPC you have from that point on.

3. Returning to professional driving

At the moment, if your Driver CPC has expired and you want to return to driving, you always need to take 35 hours of training before you’re allowed to start driving again.

This is set to change.

3.1 If your International or National Driver CPC expired up to 2 years ago

Subject to Parliamentary approval, from 2025, if your International or National Driver CPC has been expired between 60 days and 2 years, you will have 3 options.

Option 1: International Driver CPC training

The first option is the current process that’s available.

1. Take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK and EU.

Option 2: International Driver CPC training with a ‘return to driving’ module

1. Take a new 7-hour ‘return to driving’ training module.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK.
3. Take 28 hours of other International Driver CPC training within 12 months of finishing the ‘return to driving’ module.
4. Start driving professionally again in the EU.

Option 3: National Driver CPC training with a ‘return to driving’ module

1. Take a new 7-hour ‘return to driving’ training module.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK.
3. Take a further 28 hours of National Driver CPC or International Driver CPC training within 12 months of finishing the ‘return to driving’ module.

After you’ve requalified

You’ll need to stay qualified using the options available at the time.

3.2 If your International or National Driver CPC expired more than 2 years ago

The changes in 2025 will not affect what you need to do if your International or National Driver CPC expired more than 2 years ago.

This means you will still need to either:

• take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training before you can drive again in the UK and EU
• take 35 hours of National Driver CPC (or a combination of 35 hours of National and International CPC training) before you can drive again in the UK

4. Consultation on further changes to add more flexibility

The government intends to consult on plans to introduce a new National Driver CPC periodic theory test.

The consultation will consider allowing the options of passing this test:

• every 5 years instead of doing 35 hours of National Driver CPC training
• to requalify after a period of your Driver CPC being expired

The consultation will consider:

• how long the test is
• what the test will include
• if you would need to pass 2 separate tests if you drive both HGVs and buses