Changes to the Driver CPC are to be proposed to the government.

If the first changes get the go-ahead, they may affect how drivers can stay qualified, how they can return to professional driving and stay up to date. This stems from the government’s consultation on making changes to the Driver CPC last year.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, later in 2024, drivers will be able to choose to stay qualified using either an International or National Driver CPC. The International Driver CPC will work as it does now, with the requirement to take 35 hours of relevant training every five-years to be allowed to drive in the EU and the UK. There will be no changes to how it works.

The new National Driver CPC is proposed to be a more flexible version of the existing Driver CPC. The requirements will include:

• 35 hours of National Driver CPC training every five years.
• A combination of 35 hours of National Driver CPC and International Driver CPC training every five years.

The courses in this new requirement must be at least three-hours 30 minutes long (training providers will still be able to offer longer courses if they want to). Split courses will not need to be completed on two consecutive days, course providers will be free to set their own time limits. Drivers will be able to take e-learning-only courses and will be allowed to do a total of 12 hours e-learning towards their overall 35 hours of training.

If a Driver CPC has expired

At the moment, if someone’s Driver CPC has expired and they want to return to driving, they always need to take 35 hours of training before they are allowed to start driving again. This is set to change. Subject to Parliamentary approval, from 2025, if an operator’s International or National Driver CPC has been expired between 60 days and two-years, a driver will have three options:

• Option one – International Driver CPC training

1. The first option is the current process that is available – take 35 hours of International Driver CPC training.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK and EU.

• Option two: International Driver CPC training with a ‘return to driving’ module

1. Take a new seven-hour ‘return to driving’ training module.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK.
3. Take 28 hours of other International Driver CPC training within 12 months of finishing the ‘return to driving’ module.
4. Start driving professionally again in the EU.

• Option three – National Driver CPC training with a ‘return to driving’ module

1. Take a new seven-hour ‘return to driving’ training module.
2. Start driving professionally again in the UK.
3. Take a further 28-hours of National Driver CPC or International Driver CPC training within 12-months of finishing the ‘return to driving’ module.
4. Take a further 28 hours of National Driver CPC or International Driver CPC training within 12 months of finishing the ‘return to driving’ module.

If a driver’s International or National Driver CPC expired more than two years ago, then the changes in 2025 will not affect what they need to do if their International or National Driver CPC expired more than two years ago. They will need to either take 35-hours of International Driver CPC training before they can drive again in the UK and EU; or take 35 hours of National Driver CPC (or a combination of 35 hours of National and International CPC training) before they can drive again in the UK.

Further changes

There is to be a consultation on further changes to add more flexibility to Driver CPC. The government intends to consult on plans to introduce a new National Driver CPC periodic theory test. It will consider allowing the options of passing this test every five-years instead of doing 35 hours of National Driver CPC training and to requalify after a period of your Driver CPC being expired. There is no proposed date for when this test will be available. The consultation will consider how long the test is, what the test will include and if you would need to pass two separate tests if you drive both HGVs and PCVs.