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Haulage and goods in transit
You usually need a goods vehicle operator licence to use a goods vehicle over 3,500kg gross plated weight, and your insurance must match the work that licence allows. It matters because running beyond your licence can create a regulatory breach and an uninsured gap at the same time.
Part of: Haulage insurance
In short
Goods vehicles over 3,500kg gross plated weight usually need an operator licence from the traffic commissioner. A restricted licence lets you carry your own goods but not other people's; standard national and standard international licences allow hire and reward work in the UK and abroad, and need a qualified transport manager. Applicants must show financial standing, currently £8,000 for the first heavy goods vehicle on a standard licence. The licence sets no insurance amount, but motor cover is compulsory, and carrier's liability, CMR, employers' and public liability cover usually follow from the work.
GOV.UK guidance on being a goods vehicle operator says you usually need an operator licence to use a goods vehicle with a gross plated weight over 3,500kg, or an unladen weight over 1,525kg where there is no plated weight. A vehicle and trailer combination can also bring you into licensing once the total unladen weight passes 1,525kg.
Vans can need a licence too. To carry other people's goods for hire or reward in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland in a vehicle over 2,500kg maximum authorised mass, or a vehicle towing a trailer with a gross train weight over 2,500kg, you need a standard international licence. Some vehicles and uses are exempt, so check the exemptions list on GOV.UK before assuming you are outside the regime.
There are three types of goods vehicle operator licence. The GOV.UK licence types page sets out what each allows:
| Licence | What it allows | Insurance angle |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted | Carrying your own goods, but not other people's goods | Motor cover for business use and, where needed, all risks cover for your own goods |
| Standard national | Your own goods in the UK and internationally, and other people's goods in the UK | Motor cover for haulage use, plus carrier's liability goods in transit cover for customers' goods |
| Standard international | Your own and other people's goods, in the UK and on international journeys | As standard national, plus CMR liability cover and the right territorial limits |
If you apply for a standard licence, you must name a transport manager who is qualified for goods vehicles and who works for you, is hired by you or is contracted to you.
Applicants must show they have enough money to run their vehicles properly. The traffic commissioner works out the amount from the number of vehicles and the licence type. The figures on the GOV.UK financial evidence page as at October 2026 are:
| Licence | First vehicle | Each additional vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted (heavy goods) | £3,100 | £1,700 |
| Standard national (heavy goods) | £8,000 | £4,500 |
| Standard international (heavy goods) | £8,000 | £4,500 |
| Standard international (light goods) | £1,600 | £800 |
The levels are revised from time to time, so check the current page before you apply or add vehicles. Financial standing is about money available to the business, not about insurance.
The traffic commissioners are independent regulators. DVSA carries out roadside and operating centre checks and passes information to them. Under the GOV.UK guidance on breaking the terms of your licence, a licence can be taken away, suspended or restricted, and the traffic commissioner may call an operator to a public inquiry.
The day-to-day duties that matter most to insurers are the same ones the regulator checks:
Our guide to HGV fleet insurance covers drivers' hours and tachographs in more detail.
The operator licence does not set an insurance amount, but several covers follow from the work it permits:
Licence status and insurance are linked in practice. Insurers commonly ask about operator licence history, public inquiries and maintenance arrangements, and the duty of fair presentation means a regulatory problem known to the business should be disclosed.
Illustrative: a builders' merchant holds a restricted licence and starts delivering goods for a neighbouring business for a fee. That is carrying other people's goods, which a restricted licence does not allow. Its motor policy may describe use as carriage of own goods, and its all risks transit cover protects its own stock, not a third party's. One change of work creates a licence breach and two insurance gaps.
Insurance documents and licences are also targets for criminals. NaVCIS has described fraudsters posing as genuine haulage companies on freight exchanges, using bogus licences and insurance documents to collect loads. See load theft and cargo crime.
Apex arranges haulage insurance and goods in transit cover for restricted and standard licence holders, from single vehicles to established haulage firms. A broker reads each enquiry and comes back with options, with no fee for a quote, and cover is subject to the insurer's acceptance and the policy terms. To quote we need your business activities, turnover, location and claims history, plus your licence type, number of authorised vehicles, the goods you carry and whether you work abroad. Our transport and logistics guide covers wider risks.
Usually not for domestic work in a van at or under 3,500kg gross plated weight. But if you carry other people's goods for hire or reward in Europe in a van over 2,500kg maximum authorised mass, GOV.UK says you need a standard international licence. Check the weight on the plate and the work you do.
No. A restricted licence allows you to carry your own goods but not other people's goods. Carrying for others needs a standard national licence in the UK, or a standard international licence for journeys abroad. Your motor and goods in transit policies should also reflect hire and reward work.
As at October 2026, GOV.UK shows £8,000 for the first heavy goods vehicle and £4,500 for each additional one on a standard licence, and £3,100 and £1,700 on a restricted licence. Standard international light goods vehicles need £1,600 and £800. Check the current page, as the levels are revised.
The operator licence does not set an insurance amount, but using a vehicle on a road without third-party cover breaches section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Insurers in turn commonly ask about licence history and any public inquiry, so keep both sides informed when anything changes.
Tell your broker and insurer promptly. Running vehicles that need a licence while it is suspended is a regulatory breach, and the insurer will want to know about any change in your operations or circumstances. Depending on the policy, failing to disclose it may affect cover or renewal terms.
Tell us what your business does, your turnover and any claims. A broker reads every enquiry and comes back with options. No fee for a quote. Or call 0117 325 0027.
Start a commercial enquiry Request a callbackApex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not advice on your individual circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms.
