Guidance

Make variations to an existing goods vehicle operator licence: newspaper advert template

Updated 6 January 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Publishing your advert

You need to advertise your application in a local newspaper if you apply to make a change to your licence including if you want to:

• keep more vehicles at your operator centre
• add a new operator centre
• change any conditions or undertakings on your licence

What to do

1. Write your advert using the template.

2. Send the advert to local newspapers covering the relevant areas. You’ll have to pay to do this.

3. Take a photo or scan of the full newspaper page the advert appears on. It must show the newspaper’s name and the publication date. If the page does not show the newspaper’s name and publication date, you must also take a photo or scan of the front page of the newspaper, too.

4. Upload the photo or scan with your application when you manage your vehicle operator licence.

The advert must be published in the newspaper in the period 21 days before you apply to 21 days after you apply.

Example

If you submit your application on 1 June, the advert must appear in a newspaper on a day between 11 May and 22 June.

Template

The template includes:

• your business details – name, trading name (if applicable) and correspondence address
• operating centre location and vehicle numbers – address and proposed vehicles/trailers
• who can make ‘representations’ against your application (if they’re concerned about how it will affect them)

You need to replace the parts in square brackets with the information that’s relevant to your application.

The name you use in the template will depend on the type of business you have. You cannot use initials. It will be either:

• your full name if you are a Sole Trader

• the full names of all partners in a Partnership

• the name of the company as recorded at Companies House if you’re a limited company - you do not need to provide the names of your directors

• the full name of the authority or body if you are a public body

There are 4 types of changes you may include in your advertisement, with a section for each in the template. You can remove the sections that do not apply to you.

You must not change any of the other wording.

Goods vehicle operator’s licence

[Operator name] trading as [Trading name] of [Full correspondence address] is applying to change an existing licence as follows:

To keep an extra [Number] goods vehicles and [Number] trailers at the operating centre at [Full address of the operating centre].

To add an operator centre to keep [Number] goods vehicles and [Number] trailers at [Full address of the operating centre].

To change existing conditions or undertakings applying at the operating centre at [Full address of the operating centre]. From [Condition or undertaking you want to change] to [condition or undertaking you want to have instead].

To remove the following conditions or undertaking which reads [Condition or undertaking you want to remove] and which applies at the operating centre at [Full address of the operating centre].

Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available at www.gov.uk/object-hgv-operator-licence.

Example adverts

Add a new operating centre and remove a condition

This example shows an advert for a limited company without a separate trading name. They are adding a new operating centre and removing a condition from their licence.

Goods vehicle operator’s licence

J Mackay Ltd of 2 Osborne Street, Invergarry, IN2 1AB is applying to change an existing licence as follows:

To add an operating centre to keep 5 goods vehicles and 10 trailers at 26 Balfour Yard, Nairn Street, Invergarry IN2 1AB.

To remove the following conditions or undertaking which reads “Vehicles authorised under this licence shall leave the operating centre by a left hand turn only” and which applies at the operating centre at 2 Osborne Street, Invergarry, IN2 1AB.

Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available at www.gov.uk/object-hgv-operator-licence.

Add vehicles to operator centre and change a condition

This example shows an advert for a sole trader using separate trading name. They are adding vehicles to an existing operating centre and changing a condition on their licence.

Goods vehicle operator’s licence

A. N. Other trading as Midland Haulage of 5 Maze Street, Walsall, WS1 3AJ is applying to change an existing licence as follows:

To keep an extra 2 vehicles and 2 trailers at the operating centre Unit 5, Charnwood Industrial Estate, Walsall, WS2 2BE.

To change existing conditions or undertakings applying to the operating centre at Unit 5, Charnwood Industrial Estate, Walsall, WS2 2BE. From “No operation of authorised vehicles between 10pm and 8am”. To “No operation of authorised vehicles between 10pm and 7am”.

Owners or occupiers of land (including buildings) near the operating centre(s) who believe that their use or enjoyment of that land would be affected, should make written representations to the Traffic Commissioner at Quarry House, Quarry Hill, Leeds, LS2 7UE, stating their reasons, within 21 days of this notice. Representors must at the same time send a copy of their representations to the applicant at the address given at the top of this notice. A Guide to Making Representations is available at www.gov.uk/object-hgv-operator-licence.

Taking a photo or scan of the advert

If the newspaper page the advert is on shows the newspaper’s name and publication date

Take a clear photo or scan of the full newspaper page the advert appears on.

The newspaper’s name and the publication date must be clearly readable.

If the newspaper page the advert is on does not show the newspaper’s name or publication date

How your photo or scan should look: Include the front page of the newspaper if your advert page does not contain the newspaper name and publication date.

If the newspaper page the advert is on does not show the newspaper’s name or publication date, take a clear photo or scan of both:

• the full newspaper page the advert appears on

• the full front page of the newspaper