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Professional competence certificate — light road transport

The professional competence certificate for light road transport allows you to work as a haulier with vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes. It is applied for from the DREAL — the DRIEAT in Île-de-France — using form cerfa 11414*05, and is obtained by examination, by qualification or through professional experience. It is only one of the three access conditions: financial standing and an established place of business are also required.

Up to date for 2026 — verified on September 6, 2026Official form11414*05Guide: about 25 min

Deadlines

Before registration in the hauliers' register
Professional competence conditions the authorisation to operate: it is applied for upstream of registration, not afterwards.
Examination once a year
For the examination route, registrations open in spring and the written paper is held in the autumn: missing the window costs a year.

Documents to prepare

  • Completed form cerfa 11414*05
  • Evidence for the chosen route: qualification, examination certificate or proof of experience
  • SIREN identifier and proof of activity of the company managed (experience route)
  • Applicant's identity document
Download the official form (11414*05)

The blank PDF remains downloadable from the official site. For pre-filling, we keep a copy of this public form (Licence Ouverte 2.0, source cited on the produced document).

What you get

  • The official form itself, pre-filled with your entries. Only the boxes that match the fields below are filled in: complete the others on the form before filing it.

Free, no account and no email address.

The generated document is written in French — the language the receiving French authority expects. This page is in English; the document itself is not translated.

Fill in the official form online

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All fields are required unless marked “optional”.

Your details

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A draft is a file you save wherever you like, just like the document itself: we keep no copy of it and nothing is left in your browser. When signed in, you can also save it to your space to pick it up later — only if you ask.

Official form pre-filled with your data: read every box and check the amounts before filing or paying.

Who this applies to

  • Anyone wishing to work as a public road haulier with light vehicles, that is, not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.
  • The same form covers several occupations: road haulier, removals operator, hire of industrial vehicles with driver, public passenger road transport operator and freight forwarder.
  • It is the person with permanent and effective management of the transport activity who must hold the certificate — not necessarily the statutory director.

Worked example

Example: Yanis sets up a light-vehicle delivery business

Yanis wants to start a delivery business with two 3.5-tonne vans. He can evidence several years of management in a road haulage company, so he applies through the experience route: he completes form cerfa 11414*05, attaches his SIREN identifier and proof of activity, and sends the file to his regional DREAL. Once the certificate is granted, he still has to demonstrate financial standing and hold an established place of business before being entered in the hauliers' register.

How to fill it in, step by step

  1. Decide your route: written examination, recognised qualification, or professional experience managing a transport company.
  2. Gather your evidence — for the experience route: SIREN identifier and proof of registration and activity of the company managed.
  3. Complete form cerfa 11414*05, ticking the certificate(s) applied for: freight, passengers, freight forwarding.
  4. Send the file to the DREAL for your region — the DRIEAT in Île-de-France, the DEAL overseas.
  5. Once granted, prepare the other two access conditions: financial standing, whose amount depends on the number and weight of vehicles, and an established place of business.

The form, line by line

Type of certificate applied for
The same form covers freight, passengers and freight forwarding. Ticking the wrong box sends the file back.
Route of access
Examination, qualification or experience: each route calls for its own evidence. Experience is evidenced by the SIREN identifier and proof of registration and activity of the company managed.
Light or heavy
Light transport covers vehicles not exceeding 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised weight. Above that, the heavy transport certificate is required.

Good to know

  • The certificate alone does not allow you to operate: financial standing — whose amount varies with the weight and number of vehicles — and an established place of business are also required.
  • The file does not go to the commercial court registry or the single business window but to the competent regional directorate — DREAL, DRIEAT in Île-de-France, DEAL overseas.
  • A dedicated online service lets road hauliers complete these formalities electronically.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing professional competence with the authorisation to operate: the first is a personal qualification, the second the company's entry in the register.
  • Applying for the heavy certificate where the activity is limited to 3.5-tonne vehicles, or the reverse.
  • Sending the file to the commercial court registry: the recipient is the regional directorate, not the trade register.
  • Assuming the certificate is enough to start: without financial standing and an established place of business, registration is refused.

Frequently asked questions

Which form should be used?

Form cerfa 11414*05, « Demande d'attestation(s) de capacité professionnelle », common to public road transport operators and freight forwarders.

Where is the application sent?

To your regional DREAL as a rule, to the DRIEAT in Île-de-France, and to the DEAL in the overseas territories.

Can the certificate be obtained without sitting the examination?

Yes. It can also be obtained through a recognised qualification or through professional experience managing a road haulage company, evidenced notably by the SIREN identifier and proof of the managed company's activity.

Is the certificate enough to operate?

No. It is one of the three conditions of access to the occupation, alongside financial standing — whose amount depends on the weight and number of vehicles — and holding an established place of business.

Go further

Understand this form: the related course

Related forms

Official sources

Read in French

Guide and document provided for information purposes only; they do not constitute personalised legal or tax advice. Check the recipient organisation's requirements and consult a professional if needed.