Driving without a valid operator's licence

You need a valid operator’s licence if you drive the following for any type of business:

• a public service vehicle (PSV)
• a heavy goods vehicle (HGV)

If you or your employer don’t have a valid operator’s licence, your vehicle could be impounded and scrapped after 21 days unless you or your employer appeal to the local Traffic Commissioner.

Appeals can only be made when:

• you can prove that the vehicle was seized wrongly (ie you or your employer had an operator’s licence when it was seized)
• the vehicle was exempt from operator licensing when it was impounded
• the vehicle was being used illegally without the owner’s knowledge

Your vehicle may still be scrapped if you appeal and the Traffic Commissioner rules that the impounding was correct.

https://www.gov.uk/roadside-vehicle-checks-for-commercial-drivers/driving-without-a-valid-operators-licence