An operator’s licence (‘O’ licence) is the legal authority needed to operate goods vehicles in Great Britain. Operator Licensing is issued by the Traffic Commissioner – the independent regulator of the commercial road transport industry.
For any operator failing to adhere to the undertakings associated with his/her operator licence, the Traffic Commissioner, in the traffic area where the licence was issued, also has powers to take regulatory action against the licence holder where they fail to meet the expected standards of operation. This action includes:
Who need an operator’s licence?
You need an operator’s licence to operate vehicles above 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) that are used to carry goods (i.e. anything not permanently attached to the vehicle) on public roads for trade or business purposes. This includes short-term rental vehicles hired for as little as one day.
The operator’s licence must be held by the person – whether an individual or a company – who ‘uses’ the vehicle and this may or may not be the owner of the vehicle. The user of the vehicle can be:
This covers both ‘own account’ and ‘hire or reward’ operations.
Additionally, under operator’s licence legislation all holders of standard National Operator Licences must be professionally competent or employ someone who is professionally competent. The most popular method of demonstrating this is to hold a Certificate of Professional Competence.
Small trailer concession
From 4 December 2011, if you are using a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight of less than 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes) and are towing a small trailer with an unladen weight of less than 1,020kg the following will apply in respect of the requirement to obtain a Standard Operators Licence:
The reason for this change is that from the 4 December the weight calculation must include any trailer attached (irrespective of the trailer’s weight). For those operating such vehicles towing heavier trailers (than 1020kg unladen weight) or goods vehicles with Maximum Authorised Mass greater than 3500kgs the scope of requirements for needing an operator’s licence remain as before the 4th December 2011.
“Dual purpose” vehicles
Under Schedule 3 (2) of the goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Regulations 1995 “a dual purpose vehicle and any trailer drawn by it” is identified as exempt from goods vehicle operator licensing.
The dual purpose category generally includes cars, estates, pickups (with a second row of seats (crew cab) only), and domestic 4×4 vehicles such as Land Rovers, Jeeps, and other similar vehicles below 2040kgs unladen weight.
What is not Hire or Reward?
You are NOT usually operating for Hire or Reward when you carry goods you own or goods you have used or will use in the course of your business.
Operating for Hire or Reward
If you are operating for hire or reward, you will need to apply for a goods vehicle operator’s licence.
Applying for an Operator Licence
From 1st August 2022, the traffic commissioners licensing offices in Leeds will no longer accept paper applications for an Operator Licence, all licence applications from this date onwards, must be completed online. Anyone submitting a paper application for an operator licence will find it being ignored. To start a licence application visit the link below:
Apply for a vehicle operator licence – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Changes to Light Goods Vehicles Operations
From 21 May 2022, operators of vehicles or combinations of vehicles and trailers between 2500kg-3500kg crossing international borders for hire or reward will need a standard international goods vehicle operator licence to transport goods in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
This does not apply to operators who only transport goods in the UK or transport goods not for hire or reward.
For further comprehensive information concerning Changes to Light Goods Vehicles Operations, please go to the page Light Goods Vehicles and the EU within this section.
Types of licence
There are 3 different types of operator’s licence for goods vehicles. The licence you need depends on where you transport goods to and from, and whom you do it for.
Standard national licence
This licence means you can carry:
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’s 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:
Restricted licence
This licence allows you to carry your own goods, but not other people’s 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 will 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.
