Meaning 2 of 5 · UK transport
Driver CPC
By Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Digital Signet. Updated July 2026.
Driver CPC is the Certificate of Professional Competence: the legal qualification for driving a lorry, bus or coach professionally in the UK. It has nothing to do with advertising. This page explains and routes; GOV.UK is the official guidance for every action.
Who needs it
Professional lorry, bus and coach drivers. GOV.UK states you can be fined up to £1,000 for driving professionally without it GOV.UK, current guidance. Some drivers are exempt, for example when driving certain vehicles for non-commercial purposes; the exemptions list on GOV.UK is the authority, not this page.
The 35-hour cycle
You must complete 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep Driver CPC GOV.UK, current guidance. If you drive both lorries and buses professionally, one set of training covers both. Training is delivered by approved centres in blocks, commonly a day at a time.
Check your hours or get started
Check recorded training hours and find approved courses through the GOV.UK Driver CPC service. New drivers qualify through the initial qualification process described on become a lorry or bus driver GOV.UK, current guidance.
Different CPC?
Looking for the advertising metric? That is cost per click. Also see the medical-coding CPC, the patent classification, or the full router.