Welcome to the first in a series of posts covering everything you need to know about van hire.

Two of the most common questions we get asked by first-time van hire customers are about driving licences and age restrictions.

Here’s what you need to know.

Driving licence requirements

The short version: If you have a full UK car licence, you can drive virtually all rental vans.

When renting a van, you will also need to provide a driving licence check code – available from www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence (you’ll need your National Insurance number and driving licence).

You may need to know: Your UK car driving licence covers you to drive goods vehicles (like vans) with a maximum loaded weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. Virtually all rental vans in the UK fall into this category.

The only possible problem is if your car licence is for automatics only. Almost all hire vans are manual, so you won’t be able to drive one.

Point on your licence? Most companies allow you to have some points for speeding, but there are usually some limits. Endorsements for more serious offences (e.g. CD, DD, DR or DG) are likely to bar you from hiring. The rules vary between companies, so if you are unsure, ask before you hire.

Age restrictions

The short version: If you are aged between 25 and 75, you shouldn’t have any problems. If you’re aged between 21 and 25, some companies will let you hire a van, but you’ll usually have to pay extra.

You may need to know: Age limits are not set in law, they are chosen by hire companies. Most of the big companies have slightly different rules to each other.

In general, drivers aged 21-25 will need to pay a young driver surcharge. In some cases, companies won’t accept drivers below a certain age at all. Younger drivers may also only be allowed to hire smaller sizes of van.

The rules are even more arbitrary for older drivers. Some companies do not specify any restriction. Others have an upper age limit. This is often 75.

If in doubt, check directly with the hire company you want to use before booking.

Still got questions?

We have more information about age limits for specific companies here.

We also have a lot more information on our van hire FAQ page.

If you’re still stuck, drop us an email or get in touch on Twitter @vanrentaluk