Professional Driver of Large Vehicles (HGV/PSV)

Regulators
  • Driver and Vehicle Agency Northern Ireland
Nations
  • Northern Ireland
Sectors
  • Transport

Regulatory or professional bodies

Primary regulator

Address

County Hall
Castlerock Road
Coleraine
BT51 3HS

Phone number
+44 (0)300 200 7861

Regulation

Regulation summary

Professional drivers of Goods and passenger transport vehicles (i.e. lorries of all sizes, buses, coaches and minibuses) are required to hold a professional qualification – the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) in addition to a vocational driving licence. The qualification is obtained by undergoing an initial qualification and maintained by 5-yearly periodic training of 35 hours. The qualification is evidenced by a Driver Qualification Card (DQC).

Regulation type

Licence

Reserved activities

Professional drivers of large vehicles for commercial purposes.


Qualifications and experience

New professionals

Routes to qualification

Getting qualified

To become a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), bus or coach driver you need to:
- have a full car licence
- be over 18 - but there are some exceptions
- hold a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC)

There are 5 tests that make up the full Driver CPC. You might not need to take all 5 tests, for example if you previously qualified as an HGV driver and you want to retrain.

Professionals from outside the UK

Recognition for professionals outside the UK
None - all professionals must re-qualify
Summary of routes

We currently recognise the Driver CPC qualifications for all EU drivers.
Agreements are in place to recognise professional DCPC qualifications for drivers of Goods and Passenger Transport vehicles from Switzerland.


Legislation

Title of relevant act or charter

Retained EU Law - The Vehicle Drivers (Certificates of Professional Competence) Regulations 2007.

Licence Finder

You may need licences and permits to carry out certain activities in the UK. These are called authorisations. Use the licence finder to find what you need.