Quick question, I have been told by office staff that is a recent legal requirement to carry at all times. After a bit of searching I cannot find this written anywhere if it"s correct can someone post a link. Thanks gary
I’m pretty certain it’s not a legal requirement to carry your licence with you, but it’s a lot less hassle to have it if you’re pulled. Your CPC driver card, however, I believe is a legal requirement (if you have one).
No it’s not a legal requirement. It’s just the usual uninformed pen-pusher rubbish.
I haven’t long had my cpc and digital card and on the letter that I had with them it says you must carry licence and tacho at all times even if it’s not you driving or you can endorse a fine.
Also a guy at my old work got pulled my vosa, he didnt have his licence or anything just his analogue tacho and he was stuck at the side of the road for 4 hours before he could get a copy of his licence faxed over and sorted
You must carry your DCPC card at all times whilst performing duties as a driver under the EU regs. You do not have to carry your licence…YET! but it wont be long before it is something else they can fine us for.
it is not recent. the requirement to carry a driving licence while you are driving any type of vehicle has been law for as long as i have been driving. it is widely advised that you do not though just like any other documents relating to a vehicle which is why the police will give you a producer
scanny77:
it is not recent. the requirement to carry a driving licence while you are driving any type of vehicle has been law for as long as i have been driving.
That was also my understanding. By the letter of the law you have to be able to produce them at the roadside but in the offence is “cancelled” (for want of a better word) as long as you produce them at a police station within 7 days.
Paul
repton:
scanny77:
it is not recent. the requirement to carry a driving licence while you are driving any type of vehicle has been law for as long as i have been driving.That was also my understanding. By the letter of the law you have to be able to produce them at the roadside but in the offence is “cancelled” (for want of a better word) as long as you produce them at a police station within 7 days.
Paul
^^ This is what I was going to say.
It IS an offence not to be able to produce your licence at the roadside, but they allow 7 days grace with a ‘producer’ before putting the offence to the cps.
I thought everyone knew that.
I always carry my licence, dCPC card, ADR card, digi tacho and god knows what other cards in 1 wallet, people say if I lose it I’d be ■■■■■■, but no more ■■■■■■ than if it just had my digi-tacho in really IMHO.
scanny77:
it is not recent. the requirement to carry a driving licence while you are driving any type of vehicle has been law for as long as i have been driving. it is widely advised that you do not though just like any other documents relating to a vehicle which is why the police will give you a producer
Here in France, if you cannot present your driving licence, you will get a “producer” along with an 11€ “bill” for the privilege!
I thought producers had long gone now that police, VOSA etc can check with DVLA over the phone/computer
thehairyarsedtrucker:
I thought producers had long gone now that police, VOSA etc can check with DVLA over the phone/computer
No, they still issue them so you have to make the effort of going to the police station and mixing with the criminal scum bags in there with white lightning in their carrier bags etc
I read somewhere on another forum that it IS a requirement to carry your licence when driving ‘in-scope’ vehicles of DCPC. The reason is…to prove you have ‘acquired rights’ & are eligible for DCPC Periodic Training i.e. NOT a new driver who should already have his DCPC Driver Qualification Card. Of course we have until Sept. 2014 to achieve DQC but in meantime driving licence proves we have acquired rights(grandfather rights).
I say YES carry it, it may also be company policy & is definitely a requirement if travelling abroad, along with other paperwork.
As far as DCPC is concerned I was half-correct!!!
Driver qualification card (DQC).
You must carry your DQC while driving a large goods vehicle or passenger carrying vehicle.
If you have ‘acquired rights’
You won’t get a DQC if you have your Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) through ‘acquired rights’ until you’ve done 35 hours of periodic training.
Your driving licence is proof of your Driver CPC until you’ve done this.
You don’t need to keep your licence with you, but if asked by the police, you must show it at a later date as proof of your ‘acquired rights’.
Taken from: gov.uk/driver-certificate-o … n-card-dqc
It is an offence not to produce your drivers licence when required, it is the officers discretion to apply the 7 day ‘grace’ via means of a HORT/1 (producer) - however the officer would be pretty stupid not to offer the 7 day wonder as a prosecution for not producing at the roadside will never stand up in court.
A constable can seize your licence at the roadside (if you have both parts) when issuing an endorsable ticket. Part of the ticket then becomes your licence until such time as DVLA return it to you with the points on.
I always thought you were ment to carry it with you… I have to carry mine otherwise the shops won’t serve me ciggies 
Even if it’s not strictly a legal requirement and you have 7 days grace… are there many reasons you wouldn’t want to carry your licence?
Bearing in mind I’m an office pen-pusher, my licence happily sits in my wallet 24/7, and safe to say that doesn’t leave my back pocket. Not exactly a nuisance to keep it on you, is it? 
Saaamon:
I always thought you were ment to carry it with you… I have to carry mine otherwise the shops won’t serve me ciggies
LOL !
I’m the other way ! I’d be chuffed to bits if they question my age when I’m buying Booze in the supermarket, being served by a 16 year old child !
I carry all my cards/licences with me, can’t understand these ‘Drivers’ who don’t carry them ‘Just to be awkward’ when they get pulled or asked to produce ! (Waste’s their own time at the end of the day !)
I agree with most, i always carry my plastic bit, but not the counterpart, i used to carry it, but it got creased so many times, that it practically fell to bits, i dont think they need to see that anyway, but a lot of employers would, just in case you have a driving ban or endorsements, or whatever. I dont believe thats its an offence not to carry it, which is why they give 7 days to produce it.
There is no requirement for the driver to carry his/her licence, there is however a requirement under Section 168 of the road traffic act for a driver to produce the licence upon request of a constable.
As soon as you fail to produce it upon request you technically commit an offence under section 168, however you are protected from prosecution by the statutory defence of producing it at a police station within 7 days.
FreddieSwan:
Even if it’s not strictly a legal requirement and you have 7 days grace… are there many reasons you wouldn’t want to carry your licence?
I have mine in my work bag so I always have it with me when I’m driving a truck but I wouldn’t ever put either part of it in my wallet and carry it around the rest of the time.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly if I lose my wallet or have it stolen it is one less thing to worry about having to replace. Secondly (and related to the first point) I don’t want a card with my full name, address and date of birth written on it in the same place as my credit and debit cards as if someone with nefarious intentions got hold of it then you’re just making their life waaaay too easy by giving them pretty much all of the information they need on a plate.
Paul