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When do you really need to start renewing?
You know the expiry date. How long the renewal takes, you usually find out when it's too late: an SMSTS refresher needs an in-date certificate, an HGV licence with a D4 medical can take months, a tacho card takes weeks. This cheat sheet lines up the real lead times per document — from the earliest start to the latest.
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The start dates, in order
- Driver CPC — spread the 35 hours across the full five years — the final year is expensive and full.
- SMSTS and SSSTS — book the refresher six months ahead: no grace period at all — one day late and it's the full course again.
- HGV licence and D4 medical — start three to four months ahead; longer with a declared medical condition, because DVLA may need to ask your doctor.
- CSCS, IPAF and first aid — quicker to sort, but the HS&E test, the renewal test and the requalification all have to happen before the expiry date — allow two to three months.
- MOT — the good news: test up to a month minus a day early and keep the same renewal date.
Why 30 days is sometimes already too late
Most reminder systems — and most people — start a month ahead. For a tachograph calibration that's fine; for an HGV licence with a D4 medical it means weeks of a driver parked who did nothing wrong.
The answer isn't running faster but starting earlier, and differently per document type. That's why Certly reminds at 90 and 60 days and escalates at 14 and 7 — but even without a system, this page prevents the most expensive surprises.
Frequently asked questions
How long does renewing an HGV licence take?
Allow a few weeks to several months, depending on the medical. From age 45 the licence is renewed every five years with a D4 medical report; DVLA processing is quick when the form is clean, but any declared condition can mean DVLA writes to your GP or a specialist, and that takes months. Start three to four months before the expiry date — without a valid licence the driver stops immediately.
Can I get the MOT done early without losing the renewal date?
Yes: a test carried out up to a month (minus a day) before the current MOT expires keeps the original renewal date. So you can book it in a quiet week instead of on the last day. HGVs, buses and larger trailers take the annual test at an ATF instead — book those slots well ahead.
What happens if I miss a first-aid requalification?
There's no statutory grace period: once the certificate has expired the holder no longer counts as a first-aider. Training providers generally won't accept someone onto the two-day FAW requalification once the certificate has lapsed by more than about a month — after that it's the full three-day course again. Book three months ahead and you avoid both the gap in cover and the extra day.
Further reading
- SMSTS and SSSTS renewal: the 5-year rule with no grace period
- Driver CPC and DQC expiry: the 35-hour rule explained
- The 2026/2027 year planner (PDF) — for next to the programme
Rather have this happen by itself?
Certly tracks certificates, inspections and licences automatically: reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days, escalation at 14 and 7, and an evidence pack at the press of a button. Trying it costs nothing.