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You need a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence if your business uses goods vehicles above a certain weight.

There are 3 different types of licence - what you need depends on the work you do.

You must also make sure that any drivers you use or employ have the correct licence and training. All vehicles that you use should be correctly taxed and kept safe and in good condition at all times.

Check if you need a licence

Whether you need a licence depends on:

• the weight of your vehicle or your vehicle and trailer together
• whether you are carrying goods for hire or reward in Europe

Motor vehicles

You need a licence to carry goods in a lorry, van or other vehicle with either:

• a gross plated weight (the maximum weight that the vehicle can have at any one time) of over 3,500 kilograms (kg)
• an unladen weight of more than 1,525 kg (where there is no plated weight)

Motor vehicles and trailers

You need a licence for a motor vehicle and trailer combination if:

• the motor vehicle and the trailer(s) are plated and the total of their gross plated weights is more than 3,500 kg
• the total unladen weight of the vehicle and trailer combination is more than 1,525 kg

You do not need an operator鈥檚 licence if your trailer鈥檚 unladen weight is less than 1,020 kg and you only carry your own goods.

Vehicles carrying goods for hire or reward in Europe

You鈥檒l need a standard international licence if you鈥檙e carrying other people鈥檚 goods for hire or reward (such as working as a courier or freight transport business) in Europe when using:

• vehicles that meet the weight limits for motor vehicles or motor vehicle and trailer combinations
• vans with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) over 2,500 kg
• vans towing a trailer with a gross train weight (GTW) over 2,500 kg
• cars towing a trailer with a GTW over 2,500 kg

This applies in:

• the EU
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland

Find out more about the rules for transporting goods in Europe using cars or vans and trailers, and check if they affect you.

There are 3 different types of operator鈥檚 licence for goods vehicles. The licence you need depends on where you transport goods to and from, and who you do it for.

Standard national licence

This licence means you can carry:

• your own goods in the UK and internationally
• other people鈥檚 goods in the UK

You can also take loaded trailers to or from ports within the UK as part of an international journey, as long as your vehicles do not leave the country.

Standard international licence

This licence means you can carry your own goods, and other people鈥檚 goods, both in the UK and on international journeys.

After you get a standard international licence, you can also request the issue of a UK Licence for the Community. A UK Licence for the Community allows:

• trips between all EU member countries
• transit traffic through EU member countries
• cabotage (a journey entirely within one EU country)

Restricted licence

This licence allows you to carry your own goods, but not other people鈥檚 goods.

Your licence will continue to be valid as long as you pay your continuation fee every 5 years and operate within the terms of your licence. You鈥檒l be contacted every 5 years to make sure that your licence shows the correct information.

Contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) if you have any questions about vehicle licences.

Transport outside the EU

Contact the DVSA International Road Haulage Permits Office for help with applications for transport outside certain EU countries.

The goods vehicle operator licensing scheme is administered by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) on behalf of the traffic commissioners.

How to apply for a licence

You can apply for a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence online.

You鈥檒l also need to:

• advertise your application for a licence
• advertise your proposed operating centre(s)
• nominate a transport manager if you鈥檙e applying for a standard licence
• provide information about your financial situation
• draw up a maintenance contract with a garage or agent to do safety inspections and repair vehicles if you do not do this yourself

You鈥檒l have to pay a fee to apply for a licence.

You鈥檒l usually get a decision on your application within 7 weeks. It can take longer - for example, if you do not provide all the required documents when you apply online.

Apply for an interim licence

If you need a licence urgently, you can apply for an interim licence until you get your full licence.

The traffic commissioner will only consider issuing an interim licence on receipt of a complete application for an operator鈥檚 licence.

What the traffic commissioners do

There are 8 traffic areas in Great Britain with a traffic commissioner responsible for each area. You鈥檒l need to hold a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence for each traffic area where you have an operating centre.

Traffic commissioners are responsible in their area for:

• licensing operators of goods vehicles
• granting vocational licences
• taking action against drivers of goods vehicles

When necessary, they also hold public inquiries to consider:

• the environmental suitability of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) operating centres
• applications for new licences
• disciplinary action against operators who have broken the conditions of their licences

When applying for a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence, you鈥檒l have to pay:

• a one-off fee payable on application
• a fee for the issue of a licence
• a fee for the issue of an interim licence (if applicable)

You鈥檒l then have to pay a continuation fee every 5 years to keep your licence active.

How to pay

You can pay your fees:

• online when you apply for a vehicle operator licence
• by phone - call the DVSA Helpline on 0300 123 9000 to pay for the interim, issuing and continuation fees (find out about call charges)
• by post - cheques should be made payable to 鈥�DVSA鈥� and sent to the following address

Your operating centre is where your vehicles are normally kept when not in use. When you apply for an operator鈥檚 licence, you鈥檒l be asked to give the address of your proposed centre(s) and information about the numbers of trailers and vehicles you will keep there.

You鈥檒l need to show that your operating centre:

• is large enough
• has safe access
• is in an environmentally acceptable location

Advertising your application for a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence

You must advertise your application for a licence in a local newspaper and supply details of your proposed operating centre. This advertisement must appear at least once in the period from 21 days before to 21 days after you make your application, to give people the chance to object.

Your application may be refused if you do not advertise the centre properly.

Objecting to an application for a goods vehicle operator licence

Local councils, planning authorities, police, trade associations, trade unions and other bodies may object to your application for a licence.

Objections may be made on the grounds of:

• your fitness to operate
• your financial arrangements
• your professional competence
• the environmental impact of the operating centre
• the general suitability of the centre

Your operating centre will need to meet certain conditions and not interfere with any local amenities. Certain things will be taken into account, like:

• its effect on the surrounding environment
• planning permissions or applications relating to the centre or the land near it
• the number, type and size of vehicles using the centre
• where and how vehicles will park
• how often and for what purpose the centre will be used

You must keep your vehicles safe and in good condition at all times. You鈥檒l have to keep records of all safety inspections and maintenance that you or your maintenance contractor do for a minimum of 15 months.

Carrying out your own inspections and maintenance

If you carry out your own safety inspections and maintenance, you must keep records that include:

• vehicle details
• a list of all items to be inspected
• when and by whom the inspection is carried out
• the result of the inspection
• details of any work carried out
• a declaration that any defects have been properly fixed

Walkaround checks

You must make sure your drivers carry out a 鈥榳alkaround check鈥� before driving a vehicle for the first time each day.

Using a maintenance provider

If you do not do this work yourself, you must provide the traffic commissioner with a copy of a contract with a maintenance provider. You鈥檙e still responsible for the condition of your vehicles and trailers, even if they are maintained for you by someone else.

Read the guidance to find out how to keep your vehicle in a roadworthy condition.

There are also specific roadworthiness checks for recovery vehicles and for horse boxes and trailers.

If you employ or give work to drivers, you must check that they have the correct licence and training to drive goods vehicles.

Professional lorry drivers need to hold a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC).

If you employ or give work to foreign drivers, you should make sure they understand the rules for driving in the UK. There are guides for foreign HGV drivers in 6 languages.

You can make changes to your goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence once you have it, for example add more vehicles to it.

You can update your licence online.

You must apply by post if you want to transfer your operating centre to another operator. Download and fill in form GV72 - the address is on the form.

Order a replacement licence

You can order a replacement licence online.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency carries out regular roadside vehicle checks and checks on operating centres. They then submit information to the independent traffic commissioners.

Your vehicle may be prohibited or immobilised if a DVSA roadside check finds that:

• it鈥檚 been overloaded
• it鈥檚 unroadworthy
• it breaks the
• a driver has broken drivers鈥� hours regulations

Your licence could be taken away, suspended or restricted by the traffic commissioner if you:

• break any of the terms or conditions of your licence
• do not meet health and safety conditions
• are convicted of certain offences
• are made bankrupt or (if the licence holder is a company) that company goes into liquidation, administration or receivership
• use a place not listed on the licence as an operating centre
• are given a prohibition notice by DVSA following an inspection

The traffic commissioner may decide to call you to a public inquiry to consider if any action against your licence is necessary.

You do not need a goods vehicle operator鈥檚 licence if your vehicle:

• was first used before 1977, has an unladen weight of 1,525 kilograms or less and a maximum gross plated weight over 3,500 kilograms
• is using public roads for less than 6 miles a week whilst moving between private premises belonging to the same person as the vehicle (if the vehicle鈥檚 used for excavation or demolition it does not matter who it belongs to)
• is being used on trade plates
• is a passenger carrying vehicle

Categories of vehicles that are exempt

Several types of vehicle do not need an operator鈥檚 licence, including:

• military vehicles
• snow ploughs and gritters
• emergency service vehicles (including those used by gas, electricity, water and telephone companies)
• hearses
• recovery vehicles (only if they鈥檙e used exclusively for that purpose)
• tractors and agricultural vehicles used in certain circumstances

Read the guidance to find out more about the vehicle operator licensing system.

Categories of vehicles that are not exempt

These types of vehicles are never exempt:

• mobile exhibition vehicles
• catering vehicles
• mobile shops
• mobile medical screening vehicles
• vehicles with fixed equipment carrying goods not strictly for use in connection with that equipment, or towing a trailer that鈥檚 carrying goods