Driver CPC FAQs

No, there are no tests. Driver CPC training is attendance only, but you will learn useful industry information and best practice.

The Government provides information of who needs Driver CPC and who is exempt here.

You must repeat your periodic Driver CPC training every five years. On your Driver Qualification Card, which is also often referred to as a Driver CPC card, or simply as a DQC, you will see that there is an expiry date. This is stated at section 4b of your DQC. You must attend 35 hours of periodic Driver CPC training before that expiry date. This is your periodic training deadline.

You can complete your 35 hours of Driver CPC training by attending 5 modules of 7 hours each, or you can attend a 5 day course which will allow you to complete all 35 hours in one week. (Sometimes this is scheduled across two weeks, or part of a week and a weekend, depending on availability.)

Many drivers will have the same deadline, because when Driver CPC was first introduced, bus and coach drivers were required to complete their first cycle of training before 9th September 2013 and LGV drivers were required to complete their first cycle of training in time to meet a deadline of 9th September 2014. There will therefore be a large number of drivers whose deadlines fall on similar dates, but it does not apply to every driver.

When you need to renew your Driver CPC can depend on a number of factors, such as when you passed your ordinary car driving test. It is essential, therefore, that you know exactly when your own deadline is, as stated at 4b on your DQC.

Your deadline is not only the date that your DQC expires, it is also the date by which you must have completed all 35 hours of Driver CPC training. You cannot drive after the expiry date if you have not completed all 35 hours of Driver CPC training and renewed your DQC. Do not wait until after your deadline to attend Driver CPC training, or you will not be able to drive until you have completed all 35 hours of Driver CPC.

In order to ensure that they fit in all 35 hours before the renewal date, some drivers now complete one 7 hour module of training each year, so they don't have to fit in 5 days of training all together as their deadline approaches. The Traffic Commissioners also favour this approach as it demonstrates a commitment by both drivers and operators to ongoing training and continuous professional development.

If you have left it until nearer your deadline to renew, don't panic, you can complete all 35 hours of Driver CPC training in one 5 day course. Please bear in mind, however, that because many drivers share the same deadline, demand for places can be very great, and it may be difficult to find a course with spaces closer to your deadline. If possible, please book well in advance in order to avoid missing your renewal deadline and being unable to drive.

You can book our  courses online here and our LGV courses here.

You can check how many hours of periodic Driver CPC you have completed online via the Government website.

You can do this by following the link here.

The Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has a system for those drivers with a non-UK licence to obtain a driver qualification card (DQC) in the UK. Only those drivers holding such licences, and who have completed part (i.e. at least seven hours) or all of their periodic training in the UK, are eligible to apply.

You must also live and work in the UK and have a driving licence from an EU country or Gibraltar, Guernsey, Iceland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

To apply you must obtain application form DQC1 by sending an email to customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk. Put 'Driver CPC enquiry' in the subject line.

Yes, there are penalties if someone drives without a valid Driver CPC. There are also penalties for Operators who cause or permit a driver to drive without Driver CPC.

If you passed your car driving test before 1st January 1997, you may have some 'acquired rights' which mean that you don't need to take the Initial Driver CPC tests. For further information about Driver CPC, visit the UK Government website here.

LGV (Lorry) Drivers - If you passed your car driving test on 1st January 1997 or later and your LGV test after 10th September 2009 you will have to pass the Driver CPC Initial Qualification to gain a Drivers Qualification Card (DQC.)

PCV (Bus/ Coach) Drivers - If you passed your car driving test on 1st January 1997 or later and your LGV test after 10th September 2008 you will have to pass the Driver CPC Initial Qualification to gain a DQC.

For many newly qualified drivers, if you have not passed the Initial Qualification (and therefore not gained a DQC), where required, you are not permitted to undertake any Periodic Driver CPC training. Novadata cannot accept responsibility if you attend a Driver CPC training course (or part of) and it is subsequently discovered that the training hours cannot be uploaded as you have not gained a DQC via the Initial Qualification. In this event no refund will be given in this event (as per our Terms and Conditions of Business see Point 5, document enclosed).

There are four parts of the Initial Driver CPC which many professional drivers will need to take before they can obtain a Driver Qualification Card, also known as a Driver CPC Card.

You can find out more about the four modules by following the links below:

• Part One - Theory
• Part Two - Case Studies
• Part Three - Driving Ability
• Part Four - Practical Demonstration

Many people leaving the Armed Forces who wish to drive professionally are required to undertake the Initial Driver CPC.

If you have not passed the Initial Qualification (and therefore not gained a DQC), where required, you are not permitted to undertake any Periodic Driver CPC training. Novadata cannot accept responsibility if you attend a Driver CPC training course (or part of) and it is subsequently discovered that the training hours cannot be uploaded as you have not gained a DQC via the Initial Qualification. In this event no refund will be given as per our terms and conditions for training.

35 hours of Periodic Training must take place in 5-yearly cycles consistent with Driver CPC renewal. This must continue until such time as the person no longer wishes to drive category C or D vehicles professionally.

The driver has flexibility as to how he/she takes the 35 hours training over this time, providing training occurs in blocks of at least seven hours at one time. So, for example, a driver may complete two blocks of 7 hours in the first year, and the final three blocks of seven hours in the fifth year. A driver could leave all 35 hours until the fifth year.

No. Not unless you fall under one of the exemptions.

No, in these circumstances a driver will only be required to undertake a single cycle of 35 hour periodic training every 5 years to maintain their Driver CPC status.

A formal identity check will need to be carried out and recorded confirming the identity of each driver on a course. This requires a visual check of an official form of identification, the following identification is acceptable:

• A Passport and an old style Paper Driving Licence
• Photo-card Driving Licence
• Old style licence & a Digital Tacho Card
• Driver Qualification Card (DQC)

Please note that you must bring along at least one of the above items to each course you attend.

The above is for identification purposes only; you must also ensure that you bring the relevant documentation that proves you are entitled to drive an LGV / PCV. We kindly ask that all attendees bring their driving licence with them and those who already hold a Driver Qualification Card (DQC) bring this with them to a Driver CPC course for a thorough check of entitlements and expiry dates. Please note: if you do not have a current Driving Licence Card you will not be able to obtain your Driver Qualification Card (DQC).

Drivers undergoing a medical review, and therefore not in possession of their driving licence, should hold a receipt from the DVLA; this will confirm their driving licence number. Provided that the driver can produce this receipt and relevant photographic ID as stated above, which can be verified against the DVLA receipt based on the driver's name and date of birth, then the training can proceed.

It is essential that drivers attending training bring with them on each day of training one of the forms of identification mentioned above, if drivers fail to provide one of the above forms of acceptable identification their training hours will not count towards periodic training and they will not be able to attend the course.

Yes. Driver CPC applies to all drivers responsible for the carriage of goods or passengers for hire or reward. This includes vehicles in Cat D1 such as those with 9-16 passenger seats capable of 80km/h (50mp/h). As an existing licence holder on the implementation date of 10th September 2008, you will not be required to undertake the initial qualification for new drivers but you will be required to complete the 35 hours Periodic Training requirement.

Yes. Driver CPC applies to all drivers responsible for the carriage of goods or passengers for hire or reward. This includes vehicles in Cat D1 such as those with 9-16 passenger seats capable of 80km/h (50mp/h). As an existing licence holder on the implementation date of 10th September 2008, you will not be required to undertake the initial qualification for new drivers but you will be required to complete the 35 hours Periodic Training requirement.

Yes, if the driver holds a CPC and is limited to routes that do not exceed 50km.

Drivers' Hours are framed by EU rules, AETR rules, and GB domestic rules. There are separate rules for Northern Ireland.

If any part of your driving falls within these rules, you must comply with daily driving, break and rest requirements. The rules apply to most vehicles used for the carriage of goods, even if empty.

The Government website gives lots of guidance on exemptions and compliance for Drivers' Hours here.

The limit is 0.2% and that is what a driver would be tested to by the French enforcement agency using their own digital breathalyser equipment.

However, there are no NF approved disposable breathalysers manufactured to 0.2%. At present there are only 2 manufacturers of NF approved breathalysers and they are at full capacity producing 0.5 breathalysers, so it will be some considerable time before any 0.2s are made and submitted for approval, if indeed they are required.

The French law makes no reference to whether a coach or lorry driver has to carry a different disposable breathalyser than that described in the decree i.e. 'all motorised vehicles other than mopeds must carry an NF approved disposable breathalyser; there is no mention 0.2 for coaches and 0.5 for others.

The DVLA has an online form ordering service where you will find the application form for the Digital Tachograph Card.

The service is free and easy to use simply follow this link to DVLA online forms.

Yes, you can leave your driver card in all week (company operational procedures permitting) if you want, remembering to change the mode to 'rest' and select end location before you go home and 'other work' and select start location when you arrive.

If you have confirmed your digital tachograph manual entries, they cannot be changed.

Application forms will be available from the DVLA, DVLA Local Offices and DVSA Testing Stations. Return the completed form with any relevant documentation [if applicable] and the fee to DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1ST.

Download a form to apply for a driver card here.

Download a form to apply for a company card here.

There is an accompanying booklet to assist with the completion of the application form.

For further information, please visit the DVLA Digital Tachograph web pages, or call the DVLA on 0870 850 1074.

Your Digital Tachograph Driver Card should be downloaded at least once every 28 days and the Vehicle Unit should be downloaded within every 90 days.

No, you need your card to drive the vehicle.

Yes, but only for a period of 15 days.

All entries in the digital tachograph must be in UTC time, which is minus 1 hour in the summer and local time in the winter.

Use of the mode switch is more important and essential on the digital tachograph, even more so than an analogue. Your card will always record 'drive' (when driving) then 'work' (when stationary), unless you change the mode switch to 'Break' or 'POA'.

It can take over a minute for the vehicle unit to process your card after you've inserted it. If you drive before full processing has taken place you will get this infringement.

No speed is recorded on the driver card.

For more information see: Why does my driver card only record 'drive' and 'work'?

To ensure optimal scanning performance, the paper feed rollers should be cleaned once a week or when 2,000 sheets or more are fed into the unit. In an environment where NCR paper is used, it is recommended that the paper feed rollers are cleaned on a daily basis. Treated papers, like Non-carbon reproduction paper (NCR), contain chemicals that cause the rollers to deteriorate at an accelerated rate, requiring roller replacement much sooner than scheduled. A good daily cleaning of the paper feed rollers with isopropyl alcohol will help to prolong the life of the rollers in this harsh environment.

The answer to this question, and many more, can be found by contacting Novadata at info@novadata.co.uk or call us on 01376 552999.