Driver CPC training for qualified drivers

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1. 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 can check how many hours of training you’ve done in the current 5-year period.

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

There’s a different process if you live in Northern Ireland.

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

2. 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 2 deadlines on your Driver CPC card

If your card has 2 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’s 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.

Vehicle categories included When you got your vocational licence
Lorry C, C1, C+E and C1+E Before 10 September 2009
Bus or coach D, D1, D+E, D1+E Before 10 September 2008
Bus or coach (not for hire or reward) D(101) After 1991
Minibus (not for hire or reward) D1(101) Before 1997

Training deadlines for drivers with acquired rights

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

Lorry driver Bus or coach driver Dual-category driver (lorry, bus and coach)
First block of training 9 September 2014 9 September 2013 9 September 2013
Second block of training 9 September 2019 9 September 2018 9 September 2019
Third block of training 9 September 2024 9 September 2023 9 September 2024

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.

3. 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.

Find CPC courses to attend.

The minimum length of a training course is 7 hours. It can be taken over 2 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:

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.

Driver CPC course costs

Training providers set their own prices for courses - there’s no maximum price.

4. Taking a training course

You must take one of these to your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training course:

  • a photocard driving licence
  • a valid passport
  • a digital tachograph card
  • a Driver CPC card

You’re required to attend courses, but there are no tests or exams to pass at the end of them. Instead, you’ll get a certificate of attendance. It belongs to you - your employer is not allowed to keep it.

Your Driver CPC training record

The training centre will put your training on your Driver CPC training record.

Contact the centre where you did your training if it is not showing on your record 5 days after the course.

If you took a non-Driver CPC course

If you took a non-Driver CPC course, the provider will not upload your records. Email DVSA with the details. Include:

  • your name
  • your driving licence number
  • your date of birth
  • your address
  • the date you completed the training
  • proof you completed the training - for example, a copy of a training certificate

DVSA Driver CPC
cpcre@dvsa.gov.uk

Problems with a training course

You can email the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you think the training provided was not to the right standard, for example the course did not last as long as it should have.

DVSA Driver CPC complaints
dcpc_cc@dvsa.gov.uk

5. Getting your Driver CPC card

You’ll get your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card when you’ve 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’s lost or stolen.

When you’ll be sent your card

You’ll 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’s 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’ve done your periodic training
  • your training provider has recorded the training (they must do this within 5 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’re due to get it.

Check when you’ll 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’ll have to pay £25 if:

  • you take longer than 3 months to tell DVSA it has not arrived
  • it’s sent to an old address because you have not updated your licence

6. If you miss your training deadline

If you miss your deadline, you cannot drive professionally until you’ve 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’ve already done counts for 5 years from the date you took the course. You do not lose it because you’ve 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 acquired rights

If you have acquired rights you can either:

You can only choose the test option once. After that, you must take periodic training to keep your qualification in the future.

Booking the tests

You have to book the tests by phone - you cannot book online.

DVSA test booking
Telephone: 0300 200 1122
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (Driver CPC part 2 - choose option 01)
Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm (Driver CPC part 4 - choose option 02)
Find out about call charges

7. Training in EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein

You need to apply for your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) card in writing if you:

  • have a UK or Great Britain (GB) driving licence
  • took some of your periodic training in an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • did the final 7 hours of your periodic training in England, Scotland or Wales

What you need to send

You need to include:

  • your driving licence number
  • your name and address
  • your phone number
  • your training certificates from an EU country, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a £25 fee to add training taken abroad to your Driver CPC card

You must include the original documents - photocopies are not accepted.

Where to send the documents

Send all the documents to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you live in England, Scotland or Wales.

DVSA Finance
PO Box 716
Swansea
SA1 9QR

There’s a different process if you live in Northern Ireland.

Documents that are not in English

You need to send documents with an English translation on headed paper from an educational organisation or embassy.

How to pay your fee

You can either:

  • pay over the phone using a credit or debit card - DVSA will phone you to take the payment
  • pay by cheque or postal order - send your payment to DVSA with your documents

Contact DVSA

If you have not had a response from DVSA within 4 weeks of sending your documents, email register.appeals@dvsa.gov.uk.

DVSA will tell you if your documents have been accepted. You cannot appeal this decision.

8. If you have a licence from another country

If you have a licence from another country, there are 2 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 GB licence - 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’ve 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’ll 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’ll get your Driver CPC qualification for 5 years.

If you live in Northern Ireland, contact DVA.