Meet your postal and courier regulatory duties

The activity-specific regulatory duties for postal and courier operations sit on top of the universal workplace foundation. The goods vehicle operator's licence regime applies in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate operator licensing regime under the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 and is not covered in detail in this guide. The Ofcom postal authorisation framework applies UK-wide.

A. Goods vehicle operator's licence

If you operate goods vehicles with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes — for example large delivery vans, trucks or articulated lorries — you need an operator's licence (O-licence) from the Traffic Commissioner under the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995. Couriers using vans at or below 3.5 tonnes do not need an O-licence. There are three licence types:

• Standard National — carry goods for hire or reward in Great Britain.
• Standard International — carry goods for hire or reward in Great Britain and internationally.
• Restricted — carry your own goods only (not for hire or reward).

To obtain a standard licence you must demonstrate good repute, financial standing, professional competence (a qualified transport manager with a Certificate of Professional Competence) and have a suitable operating centre for parking vehicles. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carries out enforcement and roadside checks. The Traffic Commissioner can impose licence conditions, curtail, suspend or revoke a licence for non-compliance.

The general guidance above covers O-licence requirements across all goods-vehicle sectors. For postal and courier operators specifically, the O-licence applies only to vehicles exceeding 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight used for domestic operations. Couriers using vans at or below 3.5 tonnes do not need an O-licence for domestic work.

B. Ofcom postal authorisation and notification

If you provide postal services — the collection, sorting, conveyance and delivery of postal packets — you operate under a general authorisation. The Postal Services Act 2011 replaced the previous licensing regime: you no longer need a licence to provide postal services (section 28). However, Ofcom may require you to notify it of your activities (section 48) and you must comply with any regulatory conditions Ofcom imposes. These conditions must be objective, non-discriminatory, proportionate and transparent.

The universal service obligation — the duty to deliver letters and parcels to every address in the United Kingdom at uniform, affordable prices six days a week — binds only the designated universal service provider (Royal Mail), not every postal operator. The Ofcom postal authorisation framework applies across the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland.