HGV Licence Requirements: Age, Eyesight and Medical Rules

At what age can you get an HGV licence?

Most new lorry drivers train with the Driver CPC at the same time, which is why 18 is the practical minimum for Category C and C+E. The exact conditions, including some routes for younger bus drivers, are set out on GOV.UK, and it is worth checking them against your plans if you are under 21.

What is the age limit for an HGV licence?

There is no maximum age for holding an HGV licence. What changes is how often you prove you are fit to drive. Lorry and bus entitlement normally runs to age 45, then needs renewing with a D4 medical every five years until 65, and every year after that. Our guide to HGV medical renewals and age limits covers that cycle in detail.

C1 licence age and the over 70 rule

Many drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 hold C1 without ever taking a lorry test. When a car licence is renewed at 70, C1 is only kept if you also pass a D4 medical. If you do not, the entitlement drops off and you are limited to vehicles up to 3,500kg. That matters for motorhome and horsebox owners in particular, so plan the medical before your 70th birthday renewal.

HGV licence eyesight requirements

The eyesight standard for lorries and buses is higher than for cars. DVLA guidance asks for visual acuity of at least 6/7.5 in the better eye and 6/60 in the other, with glasses or contact lenses if needed. If you need glasses to reach that standard, your uncorrected vision in each eye must be at least 3/60. You also need a normal binocular field of vision. The optician or doctor completing your D4 checks this, and it is worth an eye test before you pay for anything if you have any doubt.

HGV licence medical requirements

The D4 medical is completed by a doctor and checks conditions that can affect safe driving, such as heart problems, diabetes treated with insulin or tablets, epilepsy, sleep disorders and some mental health conditions. Having a condition does not automatically stop you, but DVLA will assess it. Our courses include the medical, so it is booked as the first step. Our HGV medical guide explains what happens on the day.

Other HGV licence requirements in the UK

1. 1A full car licence (Category B) before you apply for lorry or bus provisional entitlement.
2. 2Normal residence in Great Britain or Northern Ireland, as with any UK licence.
3. 3Provisional entitlement for the category, applied for with the D4 form.
4. 4The theory test and, for professional driving, the Driver CPC case study and Module 4.
5. 5The order matters for trailers: C before C+E, C1 before C1+E, D1 before D1+E.

Penalty points do not automatically stop you applying, but DVLA can refuse or limit lorry entitlement for serious offences, and employers and insurers will look at your record. Our guide to points on an HGV licence goes through that in detail.

Once you meet the requirements

If the basics are in place, the next decision is which category to train for. Our guide to which HGV licence you need compares the categories by the work they open, and the C1 course at £995 and Category C course at £1,695 both include the medical, theory, training and test.