Guide
Operator licence numbers: format and how to look one up
What the letters in a GB operator licence number mean (O or P, then traffic area), where to find it, and how to look up any licence number free.
A GB operator licence number is two letters followed by seven digits, for example OF0218248. The first letter shows the licence class: O for goods vehicles, P for buses and coaches (PSV). The second letter shows the traffic area that issued it. You can look up any number free on GOV.UK or HaulierScope.
This guide covers Great Britain. Northern Ireland licenses operators separately.
The format
Every licence number has the same three parts. All 69,122 licences in the DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 September 2026, follow this pattern.
| Part | Example (OF0218248) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1st letter | O | Licence class: O = goods vehicle, P = public service vehicle |
| 2nd letter | F | Traffic area that holds the licence |
| 7 digits | 0218248 | The licence's own number within that area |
GOV.UK does not publish a table of the letters. The table below is our reading of the official data: each of the eight regional DVSA files contains only one goods prefix and one PSV prefix. Applications and Decisions bulletins agree. The Wales bulletin lists only OG numbers, for example. Area names are the official traffic area names from the GOV.UK goods licensing guide.
| Prefix | Class | Traffic area | Licences (DVSA file, 7 Sept 2026) | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OB | Goods | North Eastern | 9,593 | North Eastern operators |
| PB | PSV | North Eastern | 731 | Same area |
| OC | Goods | North Western | 8,594 | North Western operators |
| PC | PSV | North Western | 802 | Same area |
| OD | Goods | West Midland | 7,614 | West Midland operators |
| PD | PSV | West Midland | 474 | Same area |
| OF | Goods | Eastern | 12,432 | Eastern operators |
| PF | PSV | Eastern | 711 | Same area |
| OG | Goods | Welsh | 4,282 | Welsh operators |
| PG | PSV | Welsh | 462 | Same area |
| OH | Goods | Western | 9,263 | Western operators |
| PH | PSV | Western | 592 | Same area |
| OK | Goods | South Eastern and Metropolitan | 7,198 | South Eastern and Metropolitan operators |
| PK | PSV | South Eastern and Metropolitan | 731 | Same area |
| OM | Goods | Scottish | 5,060 | Scottish operators |
| PM | PSV | Scottish | 583 | Same area |
Eastern (OF) is the largest goods area with 12,432 licences. Welsh (OG) is the smallest with 4,282.
Traffic area boundaries do not always follow everyday regions. GOV.UK's guide places Nottinghamshire in the North Eastern area, Derbyshire in the North Western area, Leicestershire in the Eastern area, and Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire in the Western area. So an operator in Reading may hold an OH number, not OK. Our traffic areas guide lists the counties in each area.
One company, several numbers
A company can hold more than one licence. GOV.UK says "you'll need to hold a goods vehicle operator's licence for each traffic area where you have an operating centre" (GOV.UK). A national haulier with depots in Scotland and the Midlands will have an OM number and an OD number. The same company can also hold both an O licence and a P licence. When you check a haulier, check the licence for the depot you deal with.
The licence number is not the company number. A limited company also has a Companies House registration number, which the DVSA data records separately.
Where to find a haulier's number
You can usually find it in one of these places:
- The identity disc. Every vehicle specified on a goods licence must show a licence disc on the near side of the windscreen, near the lower edge. It shows "the licence type, the licence holder's name and number, the vehicle registration mark and the date the disc expires" (GOV.UK goods licensing guide). PSV discs must be readable from outside the vehicle (GOV.UK PSV guide).
- Paperwork. Some hauliers print it on invoices, quotes, delivery notes or the footer of their website.
- Ask. A licensed operator can give you the number straight away. If it cannot or will not, treat that as a warning.
- Search by name. If you only have the company name, search it and read the number from the result.
Look up a number
Type the number into the HaulierScope search to run a free operator licence check. An exact number gives one result, so it is more reliable than a name search. The licence page shows the holder, licence type, status, vehicles and trailers authorised, operating centres, continuation date and a history of changes between DVSA files. Example: /licence/of0218248.
GOV.UK's Find lorry or bus operators service also searches "by name, address or licence number". Our data comes from DVSA's open data and is updated when DVSA publishes a new file (the newest is dated 7 September 2026). If a licence number has dropped out of the newest file, we show it as "not in the DVSA file dated" that date.
For what to look for once you have the record, read how to check a haulier's operator licence. For bus and coach numbers, see the PSV operator licence check.
Is there a UK DOT number?
No. Great Britain has no equivalent of the USDOT number used to identify carriers in the United States. The closest match is the operator licence number. It is unique to one licence, it is printed on the vehicle disc and anyone can look it up. For a fuller identity check, pair it with the Companies House number. To understand what each licence allows, see operator licence types.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find my operator licence?
Log in to GOV.UK's "Manage your vehicle operator licence" service. There you can update your licence, add vehicles, change your transport manager or order a replacement licence. Your licence number is also on every vehicle disc. You can also search your company name on GOV.UK's "Find lorry or bus operators" service or on HaulierScope to see the public record.
What do the letters in an operator licence number mean?
The first letter is the licence class: O for goods vehicles, P for public service vehicles such as buses and coaches. The second letter is the traffic area: B North Eastern, C North Western, D West Midland, F Eastern, G Welsh, H Western, K South Eastern and Metropolitan, M Scottish. Seven digits follow. GOV.UK does not publish this key; it comes from the official data.
What is the UK equivalent of a DOT number?
The closest UK equivalent is the operator licence number. Great Britain has no USDOT-style carrier number. The operator licence number is unique to one licence, printed on every vehicle disc, and anyone can look it up free on GOV.UK or HaulierScope. For a fuller identity check, pair it with the company's Companies House number.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the HaulierScope editorial team. We check every fee, amount and rule against GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk before publishing and when the rules change. Last checked 2 October 2026. HaulierScope is independent and is not part of DVSA or the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Read our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Sources
- Goods vehicle operator licensing guide (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Public service vehicle operator licensing guide (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Find lorry or bus operators (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Manage your vehicle operator licence (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Being a goods vehicle operator (GOV.UK) (source last updated )
- Traffic Commissioners operator licence records (data.gov.uk)
What changed
- : Updated. Licence counts per prefix now come from the newest DVSA file automatically. Added a slot for the interactive licence number decoder.
- : Published. First published.
Register statistics: DVSA operator licence data, file dated 7 September 2026 (see methodology). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.