How Long Will It Take To Get A LGV Licence

How long does it take to get an LGV licence

The short answer to the question “How long does it take to get a LGV licence?” is, somewhat unhelpfully:

“It depends”

Now, that’s not really a useful answer, so we’ll explain.

If you’re starting from scratch and haven’t done anything towards getting your licence there are a few steps to complete to get qualified. And you can’t move on to the next stage until the previous one is completed.

The first thing to do is your drivers medical. You’ll usually get one within a couple of weeks. You can go to your GP or use one of the companies that specialise in drivers medicals. These are available during the week and at weekends.

Then when you’ve done your medical you need to send your licence off to DVLA to apply for the provisional. This usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to be returned. If you have any medical issues the DVLA will want more information on your medical history. They will need to contact your Doctor, which can unfortunately prolong the process.

Once your licence is returned you can then book your theory test, waiting times for appointments vary but are usually available in around 3 to 4 weeks.

Then it’s your driving course and CPC training. Waiting times vary, depending on provider. Some may be able to get you in quickly, others you may have to wait longer for.

Depending on which licence you are going for, the practical driving course can be as short as a day (for a C1/7.5 tonne licence) up to a week or more for a C+E/class 1 licence.

Then if you want to drive commercially you will need to complete your CPC module 4. This is a practical demonstration of tasks you will need to complete as a lorry driver such as checking the vehicle over before you drive it, using load restraints and emergency procedures etc. This can usually be arranged by your training provider and takes only a few hours, you should not usually expect to wait too long for this final part to be completed.

So if you were to start the process today, if everything goes well, you could be qualified in around 3 months.

This is entirely dependant on how long it takes to get you a medical, how long it takes DVLA to process your licence, the waiting times for theory tests and the availability of driving courses and tests.

There is little that can be done to speed the process up as most of the delays are for DVLA to either process your licence application or waiting for a theory or driving test.

If you’re in a hurry you should speak to your LGV training provider who may be able to secure you an early course. Training providers also use a different theory test booking system to the public, so may be able to get you an earlier theory test.

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