There is no such thing as a forklift licence in the UK. No government body issues one, the DVLA has nothing to do with it, and nothing goes on your driving licence. If a training provider offers to sell you a “forklift licence”, they are describing an accredited training certificate.
What the law actually requires is that the operator has been adequately trained and that the employer can prove it. That is a real legal duty with real consequences, and it is what this page explains.
Acclaim Handling is an accredited training provider and has been training forklift operators since 1982, at our own centres and on customer sites.
Success built on quality service.
What the law actually says
Two things sit behind forklift operator training.
PUWER 1998, regulation 9. Anyone who uses work equipment must have received adequate training in its use, including the risks and the precautions. A forklift is work equipment. The duty sits with the employer, not the operator.
The HSE Approved Code of Practice L117, “Rider-operated lift trucks: operator training and safe use”, sets out what adequate training looks like in practice: basic training, specific job training, and familiarisation on the actual site and machine.
An Approved Code of Practice has a particular legal weight. You do not have to follow it, but if you do something different and an inspector or a court finds it fell short, you have to show that what you did was at least as effective.
So what do operators actually get?
A certificate of basic training from an accredited body, issued for a specific category of truck, plus a record of the job specific and familiarisation training the employer provides.
The certificate is evidence of competence. It is not a permit that travels with the person independently of the workplace: a new employer still has to satisfy itself that the operator is competent on that site, on that machine, doing that job.
Tell us how many operators, which trucks they will use and whether they are novices or need a refresher. We will confirm the course, the duration and the dates.
Who accredits the training
Training is accredited by independent bodies rather than by government. The recognised ones in the UK include RTITB, ITSSAR, AITT and NPORS. A certificate from an accredited provider is what an inspector, an insurer or an auditor expects to see.
Acclaim is an RTITB accredited training provider. Our accreditation certificates for Purfleet, Kent and Portsmouth are published on the training pages.
Training is per truck category
Training is tied to the type of truck. A certificate on a counterbalance does not authorise someone to operate a reach truck, and vice versa, because the machines behave differently and fail differently.
The common categories are counterbalance, reach truck, pivot steer or articulated, powered pallet truck and order picker. If your site runs more than one type, operators need conversion training for each.
Novice, conversion and refresher
Novice
For operators with no previous forklift experience. This is the full basic training course ending in a theory and practical test.
Conversion
For a trained operator moving to a different category of truck. Shorter, because the general principles are already there.
Refresher
There is no fixed legal interval for retraining. The HSE guidance is that employers should monitor performance and refresh when needed, and in practice most organisations work on a three to five year cycle, or sooner after an incident, a near miss, a long absence, or a change of machine or duties.
Anyone telling you a certificate “expires” after exactly three years is describing a policy, not a law. The employer duty to ensure ongoing competence never expires.
Do I need a driving licence to operate a forklift?
Not to operate one on private premises. A DVLA driving licence is a separate matter and only becomes relevant if the truck is used on a public road, which brings in road traffic requirements as well.
What happens if training is not in place
The duty and the liability sit with the employer. Untrained operation is a breach of PUWER, and it is one of the things the HSE looks at first after a lift truck incident. Insurers take the same view when a claim is made.
Common questions
Is there a UK forklift licence?
No. There is no government issued forklift licence. What exists is accredited operator training, evidenced by a certificate of basic training, plus the employer duty under PUWER to ensure operators are adequately trained.
How long does forklift training take?
A novice counterbalance course typically runs over several days depending on group size and prior experience. Conversion and refresher courses are shorter. We will confirm the duration for your operators when you book.
Does a forklift certificate expire?
There is no legal expiry. Most employers refresh on a three to five year cycle, and sooner after an incident or a change of machine.
Is my certificate valid with a new employer?
It is valid evidence of basic training, but the new employer still has to provide job specific and familiarisation training for their site and their machines.
Can training happen at our own premises?
Yes. We train at our accredited centres in Purfleet, Kent and Portsmouth, or on your site using your machines and your working conditions, which is often the more useful option.
Book operator training
Call 01708 861 414 or contact the team. Tell us how many operators, which trucks they will be using and whether they are novices or need a refresher, and we will confirm the course, the duration and the dates.
All prices ex VAT.
Tell us how many operators, which trucks they will use and whether they are novices or need a refresher. We will confirm the course, the duration and the dates.
Forklift licence: common questions
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