Check your drivers hold a valid Driver CPC

Know who needs a Driver CPC

A driver who drives a lorry, bus or coach professionally needs a Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) as well as the vocational driving licence. The rules cover any vehicle that needs a category C, C+E, D or D+E licence, including their sub-categories. Drivers qualify with initial tests and then keep the qualification by training.

The Driver CPC lasts 5 years, and the deadline for training is on the driver's card. A driver who drives both lorries and buses needs only one set of training in each 5 years. It is illegal to drive professionally once the deadline has passed without the training done.

Help each driver pick the right type of training

The choice matters because it cannot easily be undone. A driver who will do any work in the UK and Europe must complete all 35 hours as International courses. One National course in the mix gives a National Driver CPC, and any International hours already on the record cannot then be reused to get an International card. A driver who has taken National courses by mistake can use the training hours service to opt out, so that the National courses stop counting.

A driver who works only in the UK can use National courses only, or a mix of the two. Drivers must take the training in the country where they work or normally live, and only courses on the approved list count. A certificate of attendance belongs to the driver, so you may not keep it.

Check whether an exemption applies

The exemptions are narrow. A driver who delivers goods for someone else's use needs a Driver CPC even if driving takes up little of their time, and a driver of a vehicle that carries employees needs one too. Only a court can decide whether an exemption applies, so get legal advice if you are unsure.

Track your drivers' training

You commit an offence if you cause or permit a driver to drive without a Driver CPC, as well as the driver. Build the checks into how you roster and recruit:

• Check the card and its training deadline before you give a driver work, and keep a register of every driver's deadline.
• Ask the driver for a temporary password to see how many training hours they have completed in the 5 years.
• Book training well before the deadline, and make sure the course is approved so that it counts.
• Make sure each driver carries the card, because failing to carry it can bring a fixed penalty.
• Expect a driver who misses the deadline to be unable to drive professionally until the training is done.