A driver card is not a licence or DQC
The driving licence covers vehicle entitlement; Driver CPC/DQC covers professional qualification where required. The tachograph driver card records your activity. An operator’s company card manages access to vehicle-unit data and cannot replace the personal driver card. This page covers driver-card administration; use the separate hours guide for driving, breaks, rest and working time.
Choose the correct application route
Start from the official GOV.UK service. Online applications need a GB photocard driving licence; paper-licence holders use the postal route. A first GB card for someone outside Great Britain also requires a postal application. Northern Ireland applications go through DVA, not the GB online service.
| Reason | How to apply |
|---|---|
| First GB driver card | Online or post if eligible. Have the card before driving a vehicle requiring it. |
| Renewal | Online or post; the service accepts renewal within 90 days of expiry. |
| Lost or stolen | Report immediately; apply online or by post for replacement within 7 days. |
| Damaged or malfunctioning | Report immediately and apply by post within 7 days. Follow the form’s return instructions for the card. |
| Name or address change | Name change: postal route. For address-only changes with a GB driving licence, D777B(DL) says update the driving licence; the card record updates and no new card is issued. Follow DVLA instructions for your case. |
| EU, EEA or Northern Ireland exchange | Postal application. GOV.UK requires residence in the UK for more than 6 months of the past year; check the official evidence and eligibility instructions. |
Prepare your details securely
For the online service, prepare the GB photocard licence number and a debit or credit card. Delivery uses the address on that licence, so correct it through DVLA first if necessary. Enter personal information only in the official service, never in a HOULVEK guide.
For post, use the current D777B(DL) if you hold a GB-issued card or GB photocard licence; the official page directs other applicants to D777B. Paper driving-licence holders should request D777B(ST 1A) from DVLA. Check the form’s evidence, photograph, payment, signature and return-address instructions for your application type rather than assuming every case uses the same pack.
Fees, renewal and delivery timing
Driver cards normally last five years: use the expiry printed on yours. Apply to renew at least 15 working days before expiry; the online service opens the renewal route 90 days beforehand. An expired card cannot record new activity and does not trigger the lost-card driving exception. A card expired for more than five years needs a first application under the current DVLA instructions.
D777B(DL) says first and renewal cards should arrive within 10 working days of receipt of a valid application; replacement cards are issued within 10 working days. Checks can take longer. These are service expectations, not permission to work without the required card.
| Reason | Published GB fee |
|---|---|
| First card / EU or EEA exchange | £32 |
| Renewal | £19 |
| Lost, stolen or damaged card | £19 |
| Malfunctioning card returned to DVLA | Free under the current form’s conditions |
Check the current service/form before paying. For a Northern Ireland-to-GB exchange, the GOV.UK service page lists £32 while the current D777B(DL) lists no fee: confirm this specific charge with DVLA. Do not assume the damaged-card charge applies to a returned malfunctioning card.
Lost, stolen or faulty: the limited no-card exception
Tell DVLA immediately and apply for a replacement within seven calendar days. The DVSA manual permits a maximum of 15 calendar days without a card when loss, theft, damage or malfunction makes it unusable; a longer period is only for returning the vehicle to its premises when necessary. You must be able to prove the card could not be produced or used. This does not allow driving while waiting for a first card, or after normal expiry.
Take a vehicle-unit printout at the start and end of each vehicle’s use; if you change vehicles, repeat for each. Add your identifying name/card or licence number, required manual entries for other work, availability, breaks/rest, and your signature. Preserve and produce the records as required. The exception does not remove the normal hours/rest rules or your responsibility to obtain the replacement promptly.
Before the next shift
- Check the correct card holder, valid-from date and expiry.
- Use only your own valid card; arrange the required activity download and record retention.
- Keep an expiring card’s data accessible; the current D777B(DL) advises keeping the expired card for 56 days and downloading its data before disposal.
- If relying on a replacement exception, keep the reporting/application evidence and signed printouts.
- Check the licence, CPC and planned hours separately before accepting work.