Upgrading to a C1 licence after 26 years!

54and56

Hi all,

I'm looking at buying a motorhome which will be greater than 3,500kg so I'll need a C1 license to drive it.

I originally passed my drivers licence in the UK in 1990 and after moving home in 1997 had it converted to an Irish licence. Conveniently that license will be due for renewal in August next year so I guess my questions are:-

1. What do I need to do to get C1 on my new license?

2. How soon can I get my new licence? If things go to plan I hope to be in Europe from next June so would like to have the new license all sorted by then even though the old one doesn't run out until the end of August.

Cheers.

neris

you need to do the truck theory test, medical report, your C learner permit some lessons and the test. you wont need the drivers cpc. you,ll find it difficult to get anywhere offering lessons in a C1 truck so your probably going to have to do it in a large rigid truck for the C license but if you do that and pass you also get the C1

cantdecide

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

I'm looking at buying a motorhome which will be greater than 3,500kg so I'll need a C1 license to drive it.

I originally passed my drivers licence in the UK in 1990 and after moving home in 1997 had it converted to an Irish licence.

Are you absolutely certain you don't have the entitlement? Up until in or around the time you passed the test, in the UK, the standard set of entitlements a driver earned automatically for passing the car test were AM, B, BE, W and C1. In the UK you get a lifetime licence and if there's a chance you were given the UK C1, I believe theoretically, you could get a letter of entitlement from the DVLA and have it added on here even at this point.

54and56

cantdecide wrote: »

Are you absolutely certain you don't have the entitlement? Up until in or around the time you passed the test, in the UK, the standard set of entitlements a driver earned automatically for passing the car test were AM, B, BE, W and C1. In the UK you get a lifetime licence and if there's a chance you were given the UK C1, I believe theoretically, you could get a letter of entitlement from the DVLA and have it added on here even at this point.

I'll get onto the DVLA shortly and I'll return here to update one way or another so it might be a reference for others in the future.

ratracer

I would think that as you have held an Irish car license since 1997 you will not be entitled to have anything added to it. You will have to do the test, as posted above, you might as well do the 'C' test, as it will cost the same anyway

westgolf

neris wrote: »

you need to do the truck theory test, medical report, your C learner permit some lessons and the test. you wont need the drivers cpc. you,ll find it difficult to get anywhere offering lessons in a C1 truck so your probably going to have to do it in a large rigid truck for the C license but if you do that and pass you also get the C1

Advance drive in galway do C1

Silvera

westgolf wrote: »

Advance drive in galway do C1

Yes, I have seen the 'Advance Drive' (Transit?) truck parked up in Salthill. One of the few companies who do C1 lessons (I passed my C in 1999 and C+E in 2014).

boardsuser1

neris wrote: »

you need to do the truck theory test, medical report, your C learner permit some lessons and the test. you wont need the drivers cpc. you,ll find it difficult to get anywhere offering lessons in a C1 truck so your probably going to have to do it in a large rigid truck for the C license but if you do that and pass you also get the C1

Give Philip or Ailbhe a ring. They'll look after you. Done my Artic through them. If they aren't available it'll be Max.

54and56

cantdecide wrote: »

Are you absolutely certain you don't have the entitlement? Up until in or around the time you passed the test, in the UK, the standard set of entitlements a driver earned automatically for passing the car test were AM, B, BE, W and C1. In the UK you get a lifetime licence and if there's a chance you were given the UK C1, I believe theoretically, you could get a letter of entitlement from the DVLA and have it added on here even at this point.

Just FYI I finally tracked down my old UK Nat Insurance # and addresses for where I had lived in the years I was there (thanks to Google Maps and a Post Code finder website) and today I contacted DVLA who are sending me a statement of my drivers licence information.

Thankfully on the phone they confirmed that I am indeed licensed for C1 vehicles (up to 7,500kg) so hopefully if I send that into our NDLS I'll get C1 onto my new licence and I'll be good to go.

Thanks for the pointer cantdecide, much appreciated.

cantdecide

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Just FYI I finally tracked down my old UK Nat Insurance # and addresses for where I had lived in the years I was there (thanks to Google Maps and a Post Code finder website) and today I contacted DVLA who are sending me a statement of my drivers licence information.

Thankfully on the phone they confirmed that I am indeed licensed for C1 vehicles (up to 7,500kg) so hopefully if I send that into our NDLS I'll get C1 onto my new licence and I'll be good to go.

Thanks for the pointer cantdecide, much appreciated.

#woot! Finally I did some good in my life!!

I don't see a reason why you can't just go there with your current licence, the fee, the app form and the letter of entitlement and request any new categories be added. Remember you'll need to get a medical report from your GP too but you won't need to take any CPC training.

If there's any scratching of heads at the centre, remember that they may not have a record of you exchanging your licence from the UK but neither will they be able to find a record of you passing your test in 1997. Keep the thread updated too

Del2005

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

Just FYI I finally tracked down my old UK Nat Insurance # and addresses for where I had lived in the years I was there (thanks to Google Maps and a Post Code finder website) and today I contacted DVLA who are sending me a statement of my drivers licence information.

Thankfully on the phone they confirmed that I am indeed licensed for C1 vehicles (up to 7,500kg) so hopefully if I send that into our NDLS I'll get C1 onto my new licence and I'll be good to go.

Thanks for the pointer cantdecide, much appreciated.

Don't count your chickens yet. I'd you haven't had C1 for 10 years you loose the entitlement, same as if you let your licence expire for 10 years you are back to a learners permit. I do hope I'm wrong.

cantdecide

Del2005 wrote: »

Don't count your chickens yet. I'd you haven't had C1 for 10 years you loose the entitlement, same as if you let your licence expire for 10 years you are back to a learners permit. I do hope I'm wrong.

UK entitlements are lifetime entitlements unlike here, Del. There was another case in this forum a while back where someone had an Irish licence that was exchanged from a UK one years ago. The driver had let the Irish licence expire for for more than 10 years meaning his Irish entitlements were gone. That driver was able to re-exchange their UK entitlements for a new Irish licence because if their lifetime UK entitlements.

54and56

Del2005 wrote: »

Don't count your chickens yet. I'd you haven't had C1 for 10 years you loose the entitlement, same as if you let your licence expire for 10 years you are back to a learners permit. I do hope I'm wrong.

My UK licence is still valid/alive, they confirmed to me today that it doesn't expire until 2038 so I haven't not had C1 for 10 years, I've had it continuously on my UK license since 1990 but for some reason it was omitted when all the other categories were transferred to my Irish license in 1997 and I never noticed the omission.

Wishbone Ash

Je_suis_Jean wrote: »

... but for some reason it was omitted when all the other categories were transferred to my Irish license in 1997 and I never noticed the omission.

One of the most frustrating things about the Irish licencing system is that most of the staff who work there haven't got a clue when it comes to anything above a standard B licence. I was recently renewing my 10 year licence which has all the categories and the girl at the counter asked me if I was using all the categories. When I asked why, she said she could remove them from the new licence if I didn't need them. Why in God's name would anyone agree to that I asked. She said that it would save me from having to do a medical! :rolleyes:

Previously when I was renewing 10 years ago, they accidentally left out a category and I had to go to a lot of hassle to get it put on again. The staff couldn't understand why it was bothering me.

Perhaps a pre-requisite to working there should be a requirement to pass a test in all categories.

Macker2410

A late follow-up Q…

dis you get sorted and have the Cat C added to your IE license?

im in exactly same boat and the RSA are telling me I’m not entitled to add (“… According to our records, you have held an Irish driving licence since 2009 and have not held any group 2 categories (trucks or buses) on a licence in that time. Therefore, I regret that any entitlement you may have held on a foreign driving licence has now expired. If you wish to acquire category C or C1 on a driving licence, you will have to pass a theory test, take out a learner permit and then pass the driving test in the appropriate category of vehicle…”)

i have received written confirmation from DVLA that I still hold Cat c.

thanks!!!!

54and56

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120979047#Comment_120979047

Yes, I got it added, here's the back of my license. Not sure why it's only until 2027 but I'll enquire closer to the time and see what I need to do to extend it, probably a fitness / eye test / visit to the GP type thing.

Macker2410

Thank you for your response, and confirming, I’ll follow-up!

Macker2410

So after the third attempt the RSA are insistent I can’t add my UK C category to my Irish license because a) there is a 10 yr limitation on category transfers and b) Brexit, UK are a recognised state vs EU member state…

I passed my UK test in 1994, moved back to Ireland in 2002 and exchanged for an Irish license in 2009. At this point for some reason my UK Cat C & D’s were not transferred. The DVLA have confirmed I have full entitlement for Cat C1 up to 2041 and provided me with confirmation of GB license details yet the RSA won’t recognise/ add this. The guy I spoke to at RSA suggested I change my license back to a UK one and then exchange that for an IE one…

before I go that route, any advise or similar experiences that might help?

thanks in advance…

WildWater

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120979205#Comment_120979205

Yes, your medical cert is only for 5 years. You will need to re-do the medical in 27 to retain your C1.