There are exceptions from the Driver CPC qualification for drivers of vehicles:

• Used for non-commercial carriage of passengers or goods, for personal use;

• Undergoing road tests for technical development, repair or maintenance purposes, or of new or rebuilt vehicles which have not yet been put into service;

• Used in the course of driving lessons for the purpose of enabling that person to obtain a driving licence or a Driver CPC;

• Carrying material or equipment to be used by that person in the course of his or her work, provided that driving that vehicle does not constitute the driver's principal activity*

• With a maximum authorised speed not exceeding 45 km/h;

• Used by, or under the control of, the armed forces, civil defence, the fire service and forces responsible for maintaining public order;

• Used in states of emergency or assigned to rescue missions

*An example of a driver under exemption vii (also known as 'incidental driver') would be a brick layer who drives a load of bricks from the builder's yard to the building site and then spends their working day laying bricks. In this case, driving a lorry is incidental to their main occupation.

Drivers can move in and out of an exemption, depending on the circumstances in which they are driving. For example, a bus mechanic would be exempt while driving a bus to check that it had been repaired, but would need to hold a Driver CPC if they also drove a bus on a passenger carrying service.