Too old to get an HGV licence? Pass rates by age and gender
There's no upper age limit for a lorry licence. Here's how the pass rate for the on-road lorry test changes with age, how women and men compare, and what changes for older drivers.
Short answer
No, there's no upper age limit. The pass rate does fall with age: in 2025 to 2026, 63.2% of on-road lorry tests taken by people aged 21 to 29 were passes, against 57.3% for people in their 50s and 51.4% for people aged 60 and over. More than half of drivers in every age group still passed.
Women passed more often than men: 69.0% against 59.7%, though women took only 7,615 of the 70,790 tests.
Pass rate by age, 2025 to 2026
| Age | Tests | All | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 and under | 3,161 | 65.5% | 70.8% | 63.7% |
| 21 to 29 | 21,894 | 63.2% | 74.1% | 61.3% |
| 30 to 39 | 23,355 | 60.3% | 68.8% | 59.6% |
| 40 to 49 | 14,761 | 58.9% | 63.6% | 58.4% |
| 50 to 59 | 6,574 | 57.3% | 48.9% | 58.0% |
| 60 and over | 1,045 | 51.4% | 53.1% | 51.3% |
| All ages | 70,790 | 60.7% | 69.0% | 59.7% |
Year by year
On-road lorry test pass rate by age group.
| Year | 20 and under | 21 to 29 | 30 to 39 | 40 to 49 | 50 to 59 | 60 and over | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 to 2026 | 65.5% | 63.2% | 60.3% | 58.9% | 57.3% | 51.4% | 69.0% | 59.7% |
| 2024 to 2025 | 60.5% | 64.0% | 61.6% | 58.3% | 57.0% | 52.5% | 67.7% | 60.0% |
| 2023 to 2024 | 62.5% | 65.4% | 61.6% | 57.7% | 56.2% | 51.2% | 66.9% | 60.2% |
| 2022 to 2023 | 64.2% | 64.3% | 60.1% | 55.9% | 56.6% | 50.0% | 64.6% | 59.2% |
| 2021 to 2022 | 61.0% | 64.0% | 59.5% | 54.7% | 52.3% | 48.4% | 62.4% | 58.3% |
| 2020 to 2021 | 64.0% | 64.4% | 58.2% | 51.7% | 48.8% | 51.9% | 64.9% | 57.0% |
What changes for older drivers
- Medicals. Everyone needs a D4 medical to start. From 45 you need a new one every 5 years, and from 65 every year. What the medical checks.
- Cab hours. Older learners pass less often on average, so a short course is a bigger gamble. It's worth paying for enough hours rather than paying for a retest. Compare cab hours in Kent.
- Insurance. Some fleet insurers set conditions for drivers under about 25 or with less than two years' experience, which affects new drivers of every age. Getting your first job.
- Career changers make up much of the market: nearly a third of on-road lorry tests are taken by people aged 40 and over.
Younger drivers
You can drive a lorry for work from 18 with the full Driver CPC. Under 21, 4 or more penalty points stops you holding lorry entitlement. Drivers aged 20 and under passed 65.5% of their on-road tests in 2025 to 2026. Every step to a lorry licence.
Related: HGV licence at 18: the under-21 rules · Renewing at 45 and 65 · Medical conditions
Common questions
Is there an age limit for an HGV licence?
There's no upper age limit. You need to be 18 (with Driver CPC) to drive lorries for work. From 45 you need a D4 medical every 5 years, and every year from 65.
Can you get an HGV licence at 50?
Yes. People aged 50 to 59 passed 57.3% of on-road lorry tests in 2025-26, against 60.7% for all ages. You'll need a D4 medical every 5 years.
Can you get an HGV licence at 60?
Yes. People aged 60 and over passed 51.4% of on-road lorry tests in 2025-26. From 65 you'll need a D4 medical every year.
Do women pass the HGV test more often than men?
Yes, on DVSA's figures: women passed 69.0% of on-road lorry tests in 2025-26 and men 59.7%. Women took 7,615 of the 70,790 tests.