Driver CPC training for qualified drivers
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.