Vehicle operator licences: traffic areas
Updated 28 August 2025
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-operator-licence-applications-guidance/vehicle-operator-licences-traffic-areas
When you apply for a vehicle operator licence, you will need to get separate licences for each traffic area you have an operating centre in.
Great Britain is divided into 8 traffic areas. Each area has a Traffic Commissioner who’s responsible for issuing licences.
Check this list to find out which counties, boroughs and districts are covered by each traffic area.
Eastern
The Eastern traffic area includes the following areas.
The counties of:
- Bedfordshire
- Buckinghamshire
- Cambridgeshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire (except the Districts of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire)
- Norfolk
- Northamptonshire
- Rutland
- Suffolk
North Eastern
The North Eastern traffic area includes the following areas.
The metropolitan boroughs within:
- South Yorkshire
- Tyne and Wear
- West Yorkshire
The counties of:
- Durham
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- Northumberland
- North Yorkshire
- Nottinghamshire
The districts of:
- North East Lincolnshire
- North Lincolnshire
North Western
The North Western traffic area includes the following areas.
The metropolitan boroughs within:
- Greater Manchester
- Merseyside
The counties of:
- Cheshire
- Cumbria
- Derbyshire
- Lancashire
Scotland
The Scotland traffic area includes all of Scotland.
South Eastern and Metropolitan
The South Eastern and Metropolitan traffic area includes the following areas.
- Greater London
The counties of:
- Kent
- Surrey
- East Sussex
- West Sussex
Wales
The Wales traffic area includes all of Wales.
West Midlands
The West Midlands traffic area includes the following areas.
The metropolitan boroughs within the West Midlands.
The counties of:
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Warwickshire
- Worcestershire
Western
The Western traffic area includes the following areas.
The counties of:
- Berkshire
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Oxfordshire
- Somerset
- Wiltshire
The districts of:
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bristol
- North Somerset
- South Gloucestershire