---
title: "Interim licence"
canonical_url: https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary/interim-licence
markdown_url: https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary/interim-licence.md
publisher: HaulierScope
licence: Open Government Licence v3.0 (https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/)
---

# Interim licence

> A temporary goods licence that lets an applicant operate while a complete application is decided. It is discretionary, lasts up to 6 months and ends when…

Glossary

Last updated 2 October 2026

A temporary goods licence that lets an applicant operate while a complete application is decided. It is discretionary, lasts up to 6 months and ends when the full licence is granted or the application is refused or withdrawn.

Also called: interim, interim authority.

## Official wording

The Act lets a traffic commissioner issue an interim licence "on an application for an operator's licence" when the applicant asks for one ([s.24](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/23/section/24)). GOV.UK adds: "you will not be granted an interim licence unless your application is complete and meets all the requirements" ([goods vehicle operator licensing guide](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-vehicle-operator-licensing-guide)). The commissioners' summary says interim licences "are discretionary and only available for goods vehicle operator's licences" ([Statutory Document Summaries](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-traffic-commissioner-statutory-document-summaries)). PSV applicants cannot get one.

## How it works in practice

An interim licence comes with a vehicle identity disc, like a full licence. The fee for issuing one is £68 ([GOV.UK fees](https://www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator/fees-for-goods-vehicle-licences)). A commissioner may set an expiry date to give the applicant time to send more evidence. For finance, the summary says "three months of bank statements must be provided within four months". It also warns: "If the interim expires before the full licence is granted, the authority to operate ends immediately."

## A common misunderstanding

An interim licence is not a grant. The full application can still be refused, and the interim then ends. There is "generally no right of appeal against a warning or the refusal of an interim (temporary) licence" (same source).

## What a buyer or operator should do

If a new haulier is running on an interim licence, treat the licence as still under review. Search the name in [Applications and Decisions](https://haulierscope.co.uk/applications-and-decisions) and put it on a [watchlist with weekly change alerts](https://haulierscope.co.uk/monitoring) so you see the final decision. In the DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 October 2026, the register held 63,956 goods licences. [Run a free operator licence check](https://haulierscope.co.uk/) to see where a firm stands. Applicants should read [how to get an operator licence](https://haulierscope.co.uk/guides/how-to-get-an-operator-licence). For changes to an existing licence, the matching tool is an [interim direction](https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary#interim-direction).

## Related terms

- [Interim direction](https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary#interim-direction)
- [Variation](https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary#variation)
- [Applications and Decisions](https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary#applications-and-decisions)

## Sources

- [Apply for a vehicle operator licence (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/apply-vehicle-operator-licence) (source last updated 21 September 2017)
- [Goods vehicle operator licensing guide (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/goods-vehicle-operator-licensing-guide) (source last updated 2 October 2025)
- [Senior Traffic Commissioner Statutory Document Summaries (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/senior-traffic-commissioner-statutory-document-summaries) (source last updated 21 April 2026)
- [Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Act 1995, s.24 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/23/section/24)
- [Being a goods vehicle operator, fees (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/being-a-goods-vehicle-operator/fees-for-goods-vehicle-licences) (source last updated 29 January 2025)

Checked against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk on 2 October 2026. Register figures: DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full guide: [How to get an operator licence: steps, documents and timescales](https://haulierscope.co.uk/guides/how-to-get-an-operator-licence). Back to the [glossary](https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary#interim-licence) or read our [editorial standards](https://haulierscope.co.uk/editorial-standards).

---

Canonical page: https://haulierscope.co.uk/glossary/interim-licence

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

HaulierScope is an independent service, not affiliated with DVSA or the Traffic Commissioners. It is updated when DVSA publishes a new file, usually weekly.