Department of Transport: Community Licences

Community Licences

Community Licences

A Community Licence entitles the holder to engage in the international carriage of goods or passengers by road for hire or reward within the territory of the Community. It allows the operator to carry goods or passengers, as follows:

- where the point of departure and the point of arrival are situated in two different Member States, with or without transit through one or more Member States or non-member countries;

- from a Member State to a non-member country or vice versa, with or without transit through one or more Member States or non-member countries;

- between non-member countries with transit through the territory of one or more Member States, including unladen journeys in connection with such carriage.

In the case of carriage from a Member State to a non-EU country or vice versa, this licence is valid for that part of the journey carried out on the territory of the Member State of loading or unloading of people or goods.

The original licence, which is blue in colour, is valid for the holder only and is not transferable. The certified copies issued up to the end of December 2007 in respect of each vehicle are light brown coloured. Certified copies issued since then are the same blue colour as the original. All current certified copies, regardless of colour, are valid for the dates specified on them.

The Community Licence may be withdrawn by the competent authority of the Member State that issued it, notably where the operator has:

- not complied with all the conditions for using the licence;

- supplied incorrect information with regard to the data needed for the issue of the licence.

The original licence must be kept by the operator at the base of operations.

A certified true copy of the licence, which is vehicle-specific in the case of haulage operators only, is non-transferable and must be kept on board the vehicle. In the case of a coupled combination of vehicles, it must accompany the motor vehicle.

The licence must be produced whenever required by an authorised inspecting officer.

Within the territory of each Member State, the holder must comply with the laws, regulations and administrative provisions in force in that State, in particular with regard to transport and traffic.

Certified True Copies of the Community Licence

One certified true copy of the Community Licence is issued in respect of each vehicle authorised on an operator's licence. These are valuable documents and must be kept safely. If a certified copy is lost or destroyed, a note must be submitted to RTOL Unit, countersigned by the competent police authorities, both in Ireland and in the country where the loss occurred if appropriate, and an undertaking given that the original will be returned to RTOL Unit if it is recovered. When a vehicle is being deleted from an operator's licence, it is important that the certified true copy for this vehicle is returned, as any additional vehicles will not be authorised on the licence until the certified true copy is received by RTOL Unit.

The attached documents below will allow you to apply for a replacement Community Licence, or for a replacement certifed true copy of a Community Licence, in the event of the loss or theft of, or accidental destruction or damage to, the original.