Driver CPC Card (DQC): Getting, Renewing and Replacing It

What the DQC is and when you need it

If you drive a lorry, bus or coach professionally, you need Driver CPC as well as the licence category. The DQC is the proof. It is a separate card from your photocard driving licence and you must carry it whenever you are driving professionally. Enforcement officers can ask to see it at the roadside, and employers will usually ask for a copy before you start.

How you get your first card

New drivers qualify through initial Driver CPC: the Module 2 case study test and the Module 4 practical demonstration, taken alongside the licence. Once both are passed, the card is produced and posted to the address on your driving licence. Drivers who qualified through acquired rights, or who are coming back to professional driving, get their card by completing 35 hours of periodic training.

Keep the address on your driving licence up to date. The DQC goes to that address, and a card sent to an old home is a common reason drivers end up applying for a replacement.

CPC card renewal

A DQC lasts five years. To renew it, you complete 35 hours of approved periodic training within that five-year period. Courses are normally seven hours, so that is five days, and the training centre uploads each completed course to your record. When the 35 hours are logged, a new card is issued. You do not fill in a separate renewal form for the card itself.

Spreading the days across the five years is easier on your rota, but many drivers leave it until the final months. If your card expires, you cannot drive professionally until the hours are complete and the new card is issued, so check your expiry date now rather than when an employer asks.

Driver CPC lost card or stolen card

If your DQC is lost, stolen or damaged, report it and apply for a replacement through GOV.UK. A replacement fee applies and is shown on the official page. You should not drive professionally without the card while waiting, so apply as soon as you notice it is missing. If you have changed address, update your driving licence first so the replacement goes to the right place.

Driver CPC card cost

There is no separate charge for the card when it is issued after qualifying or completing your 35 hours. The real cost is the training. With us, that is £55 per seven-hour periodic course, or £199 for the Module 4 training and test for new drivers, while the Module 2 case study preparation is included in our licence course prices.

Checking your hours

You can view your periodic training record online through GOV.UK. Do that before booking, so you only pay for the hours you still need. If you are close to your deadline, tell us how many hours remain and we will look at dates that fit around your shifts.