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How much training you need to do.

You must do 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) to drive a lorry, bus or coach.

• You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without Driver CPC.

You only need to complete one set of training every 5 years, if you drive both lorries and buses professionally.

You must do the training in the country where you work or normally live.

When to take training.

Your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) qualification lasts for 5 years. To keep your Driver CPC, you need to do 35 hours of training before your 5-year deadline.

The deadline to do your training is shown on your card.

If you have two deadlines on your Driver CPC card.

If your card has two deadlines (one for lorries, one for buses), complete your training by the earliest deadline.

The next card you get will have the same deadline for both.

If you miss your training deadline.

It is illegal to drive professionally if your training is not complete by your deadline.

• You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without Driver CPC.

Drivers with ‘acquired rights’.

Having ‘acquired rights’ means that you did not have to take the Driver CPC initial qualification because of your existing driving experience.

You have acquired rights if you got your vocational licence before the dates shown in the table.

Training deadlines for drivers with acquired rights.

You still need to take periodic training, but there are set deadlines.

If you did not do your first block of training.

You can finish your training or take extra tests if you have acquired rights, and your first block of training is not complete by your deadline.

Finding training courses.

All approved Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) courses count towards periodic training. Different courses cover different parts of the Driver CPC syllabus.

The minimum length of a training course is 7 hours. It can be taken over two consecutive days and can include up to 2 hours of online training before you start.

Taking a non-Driver CPC course.

Some non-Driver CPC courses for transport-related EU Directives count towards your 35 hours.

For example, you can take:

• up to 14 hours of training for transporting dangerous goods (ADR)
• up to 7 hours of training for other courses such as the Transport Manager CPC(except refresher training)

Contact DVSA if you want to check whether a course counts towards your training.

DVSA Driver CPC
cpcre@dvsa.gov.uk

Taking the same course more than once.

You can only take the same course more than once in each 5-year period if you have a good reason to repeat it – for example, maintaining a dangerous goods qualification.

If you do not have a good reason, DVSA can cancel the hours you got from the course. You might lose your Driver CPC card if cancelling the hours takes your total back under 35 hours.

Repeating a non-Driver CPC course.

You cannot repeat non-Driver CPC courses during your training period.

The only exception is training in ADR. You can take 2 7-hour ADR courses during the 5-year training period. If you do this, you cannot count any other non-Driver CPC courses towards your training.

Getting your Driver CPC card.

You will get your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card when you have done 35 hours of periodic training. The card is sometimes called a ‘driver qualification card’ or ‘DQC’.

You must carry this card while driving a lorry, bus or coach professionally.

• You can get a £50 fixed penalty for driving professionally without your card.

 You must replace your card if it is lost or stolen.

When you will be sent your card.

You will get your new Driver CPC card straight away if you complete your training in the 12 months before your deadline.

If you complete your training more than a year early, you will not get your new Driver CPC card until nearer the time your current card expires.

You can check when you’ll get your new card.

How the card is sent to you.

Your Driver CPC card will be sent automatically to the address on your driving licence. You need to change this address first if it is wrong.

You only need to apply for your card if you did some of your periodic training in an EU country.

The Driver CPC card does not have your address on it, so you do not have to get a new one if your address changes.

The photo and signature on your photocard driving licence will be used on your Driver CPC card.

Waiting for your card.

You can still drive professionally while waiting for your card if both of the following apply:

• you have done your periodic training.
• your training provider has recorded the training (they must do this within five working days of the training ending)

If your card does not arrive.

Contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you do not receive your new card within 20 days of the date you are due to get it.

Check when you will get your new card.

Driver CPC card replacements
cpcre@dvsa.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 123 7721
Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

You will have to pay £25 if:

• you take longer than 3 months to tell DVSAit has not arrived.
• it is sent to an old address because you have not updated your licence.

If you miss your training deadline.

If you miss your deadline, you cannot drive professionally until you have finished your training.

• You can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without Driver CPC.

 Your next deadline will be set for 5 years after the date you finish your training.

 How long training counts for.

Any training you have already done counts for 5 years from the date you took the course. You do not lose it because you have passed your deadline.

The training will not count towards the 35 hours total if you took it more than 5 years ago.

If you have a licence from another country.

If you have a licence from another country, there are two ways to get a Great Britain (GB) Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card. You should either:

• complete your periodic training in England, Scotland or Wales
• exchange your driver’s licence for a GBlicence – you must have a code 95 entitlement on your non-GB licence to do this.

Complete your training in England, Scotland or Wales.

You can get a GB Driver CPC card if you have done the final 7 hours of your periodic training in England, Scotland or Wales.

You must also live or work in England, Scotland or Wales and have a driving licence from any of these countries:

• an EU country
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• Iceland
• Isle of Man
• Jersey
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland

To apply for a GB Driver CPC card, send an email to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) asking for form DQC1.

DVSA Driver CPC enquiries
cpcre@dvsa.gov.uk

If you live in Northern Ireland, contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

Exchange your driving licence for a GB licence.

If you have a code 95 entitlement on your licence, you can get a GB Driver CPC card by exchanging your licence for a GB licence.

Your Driver CPC qualification will still last until the date it was due to run out when you first got it.

When you exchange your licence, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will tell DVSA for you.

If you already have an EU Driver CPC card.

You will need to send your EU Driver CPC card to DVSA if you want to exchange it for a GB Driver CPC card. Send it with a short letter which includes your:

• driving licence number
• name and address
• phone number

Driver CPC
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
PO Box 349
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE12 2GN

DVSA will send you a new Driver CPC card with the same number as your driving licence.

From then on, after doing 35 hours of periodic training in England, Scotland or Wales, you will get your Driver CPC qualification for 5 years.