Three documents, three separate checks
Read the expiry for the HGV category you actually use, as well as the photocard expiry. Keep a separate reminder for each document; a replacement photo or updated address is not evidence that every category has been extended.
| Document | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Driving licence / HGV entitlement | The vehicle categories and conditions you may drive under. |
| Driver CPC / DQC | Professional driver qualification, where required; a separate training and card cycle. |
| Driver tachograph card | Your activity records in a digital or smart tachograph; it is not a driving licence. |
Choose your renewal route
DVLA normally sends the vocational renewal forms 56 days before expiry. If the forms do not arrive, use the official guidance to obtain a D2/D4 pack rather than waiting past the entitlement date. Licences issued since 19 January 2013 normally have a five-year vocational validity up to age 65; older or medically restricted licences can differ. Follow the dates and conditions on your own licence.
| Your situation | Usual paperwork |
|---|---|
| Under 45 | D47PU and current licence. A routine renewal does not automatically require D4. If expiry falls within 56 days of your 45th birthday, follow the 45-and-over route. |
| Age 45–64 | D47P plus D4. Group 2 medical reports are normally required every five years from 45. |
| Age 65 and over | Renew annually, with D47P and D4 on the usual vocational route. |
| Short medical validity | Follow the individual DVLA renewal instructions. INF4D says no D4 for medically restricted renewal before 45; above 45 the D4 cycle is every five years. Other medical enquiries may still apply. |
Prepare the D4 medical report
A doctor completes the medical assessment. The vision section can be completed by the doctor, or by an optician/optometrist if the doctor cannot complete it fully. Tell the practice you need the current Group 2 D4 report when arranging the appointment.
Bring the current D4/INF4D instructions, appropriate identification and, if applicable, driving glasses and the current prescription. Complete your details and declaration as instructed with the examining doctor; check that all required sections, dates and signatures are present. INF4D gives the signed report a four-month validity period. Send the report with the application, not as a separate later item.
Check the application before sending
1. Compare the category expiry, name and address with your renewal form. 2. Use D47PU or D47P as appropriate, with D4 where required. 3. Include the current licence unless the official instructions allow the stated driver-training exception; add a photo or original name-change evidence when requested. 4. Send the complete pack to the address in the current DVLA renewal guidance. Keep a record of what you sent and when.
Fees and processing
DVLA does not charge to renew or change the lorry/bus entitlement. The doctor, optician or optometrist will normally charge for their examination; ask their price when booking. A general photocard-renewal fee is not the vocational renewal fee.
Medical or identity checks can extend processing. The cited vocational renewal pages do not promise an individual completion date: apply in good time, keep proof of the application and use official DVLA contact guidance for your case rather than planning work around an assumed turnaround.
If your licence expires while you wait
Section 88 may permit driving while DVLA processes a renewal, only while every applicable condition remains met. In particular, DVLA must have received a correct, complete application within the last 12 months; you must meet medical standards, have held the relevant entitlement, apply for and drive only previously permitted categories, and keep previous conditions. Group 2 entitlement must not have been suspended, revoked or refused by a traffic commissioner; medical refusal/revocation, current disqualification and the specified high-risk-offender restrictions also matter.
Do not drive contrary to medical advice. Read the complete INF188/6 criteria with your healthcare professional where needed; HOULVEK cannot decide your fitness or certify that Section 88 applies. Cover ends on a new licence, refusal/revocation, disqualification or the application passing one year. Overseas authorities may not recognise it. An expired licence or proof of posting alone is not permission to drive.
Before returning to work
- Check the renewed category, expiry and any restriction codes, not just the photo.
- Confirm Driver CPC/DQC remains valid for the work and territory.
- Check the tachograph card separately and keep required activity records.
- Resolve medical instructions and tell your employer about any relevant change before agreeing a shift.