What is a section 19 Permit, and do we need one?

  • There are two forms of section 19 permits, Standard and Large Bus. 

    Section 19 permits are issued for use in Great Britain, and allow not for profit organisations to operate transport services for ‘hire or reward’ under one of the recognised exemptions. These permits cannot be used to provide transport to members of the general public and organisations must ensure that they are only carrying passengers that their organisation is set up to benefit.  If your organisation is operating transport then ‘hire or reward’ probably exists and you will need to obtain a section 19 permit.  CTA members can find detailed resources about what permit they may need, and what exemption they could operator under in our members’ area. 

    Section 19 Standard permits 

    A standard permit allows organisations to operate a vehicle with up to 16 passenger seats for ‘hire or reward’.   

    In recent years there have been some questions about using section 19 permits on smaller vehicles with less than 9 passenger seats. CTA understand the value of small vehicle permits to the sector, and remain committed to ensuring that they remain available for use by CT operators.  

    We continue to seek clarification from the Department for Transport and the Office of the Traffic Commissioner to resolve this query. In the meantime, we will continue to issue permits for smaller vehicles as a designated ‘permit issuing body’ but may be required to shorten the time limits on these permits or suspend small vehicle permits if the legal position is clarified. 

    Section 19 Large Bus permits 

    A large bus permit allows an organisation to operate a vehicle with more than 16 passenger seats. 

    Where can we obtain a section 19 permit? 

    Application forms for section 19 and 22 permits can be obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), or you can contact them by telephone on 0300 123 9000. 

    As CTA are a designated ‘permit issuing body’, we are able to issue standard permits to our members. CTA members can access this service by logging into the Members’ Area of this website and downloading the permit application form and guidance notes. For login details, check your membership certificate. 

    If you are not a CTA Member but would like to know more about the CTA and our membership offer, please check out our CTA Membership pages. 

    How much do they cost? 

    Section 19 standard permits cost £11.00 and they are valid for five years. Section 19 large bus permits cost £20.00 and are also valid for five years. 

    Section 19 permits issued by CTA are only valid if your organisation has a current membership. Please note if your membership should lapse, your permits will no longer be valid.