Forklift Licence on a CV: the Exact Line and 6 Examples

By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published 2026-09-12 · Updated 2026-09-12

8 min read

Write what you actually hold: the truck category, the accrediting body, the certificate or operator ID number, and the date of the last test. The constraint is that no forklift license exists to write down, so the adverts you find sell courses, not CV wording. The Health and Safety Executive's Approved Code of Practice L117, Rider-operated lift trucks, puts it plainly at paragraph 69: "Note: There is no such thing as a lift-truck 'licence'." Below are six complete CV lines, checked in September 2026, for a licences section, a skills line, a job bullet, a school leaver's training block, agency work across categories, and a course that is booked but not yet passed. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.

Here is the line. Copy the shape, not the details.

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Four parts, in that order: truck category, accrediting body and provider, certificate number, date. Everything else on the line is decoration.

What you actually hold, in the code of practice's own words

The document behind every UK forklift course is Rider-operated lift trucks: Operator training and safe use, series code L117, published by HSE in 2013. It is an Approved Code of Practice, so it carries legal weight. Certificates under it are evidence, not permits. Paragraph 69 of the L117 guidance says: "There is no legal requirement to issue certificates of basic training, but they provide evidence that operators have received relevant training and achieved an appropriate level of operating ability. The employee will need evidence of training if they change jobs."

That last clause is your CV line. The same guidance tells the employer to be sceptical: "Where operators claim to be trained and experienced, you should insist on evidence." A line with a number on it survives that. A line that says "forklift trained" does not.

Where the line goes, section by section

The rule that does not change: keep it out of the personal statement unless the advert names the truck category.

The four parts, and the one that gets checked

Employers can verify an operator ID in seconds, and most candidates never let them. The Independent Training Standards Scheme and Register runs a passport database: "Our Trained Operator Passport Scheme (TOPS) is a database of all Mechanical Handling Equipment (MHE)", and ITSSAR states that "Operator ID numbers can be checked online in real-time".

NPORS runs the equivalent for plant and materials handling, with an Operator Card Checker and a card scheme covering the NPORS Traditional Card and the NPORS CSCS Red and Blue Cards. Write the card number and the body, and the checker does the rest.

Name the body correctly. Paragraph 96 of L117 states that "HSE no longer administers an accrediting bodies scheme", and paragraph 95 calls the remaining schemes "voluntary". RTITB, ITSSAR, NPORS and AITT are accrediting bodies. The training company is the provider. Both belong on the line, in that order.

Category codes matter as much as the body, because recruiters filter on them. Use the code from your own certificate.

Six worked lines by category and level

Notice what changes. The operative leads with the category. The team leader buries the certificate in a bullet, because the point there is the fleet. The school leaver gives the course length and the first-attempt pass, the only track record on offer.

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Renewal: what "in date" means when the law sets no date

There is no statutory expiry, and you should not invent one. Paragraph 79 of L117 states: "There is no specific time period after which you need to provide refresher training or formal assessment. However, you may decide that automatic refresher training or a retest after a set period (for example 3-5 years) is the best way to make sure employees remain competent."

So write the date of your last test, plus the refresher date on your certificate if there is one. Do not write "valid for life". Do not drop the date because it looks old. An employer who sees 2019 will ask. One who sees nothing assumes the worst.

Refresher training is also expected after a gap. The same guidance lists operators who "have not used trucks for some time" among the cases where retesting is appropriate. If you have been off the trucks for two years, say so, and say you are ready to be reassessed.

Mistakes that lose the shift

• Writing "forklift licence" as the whole line. The reader learns nothing from it.
• Naming the truck but not the category code, when the advert asked for B1 or D1.
• Listing the training provider and calling it the accrediting body.
• Hiding the operator ID. It is the only part of the line the employer can check.
• Claiming a category you were shown once during familiarisation training.

Once the line is right, fix the page around it with our guides to the skills section, how to make a CV and hard skills. First-time applicants should start from the first job CV guide, and anyone who also covers first aid can reuse the four-part rule in our guide to CPR certification on a CV.

Frequently asked questions

What is a forklift licence?

It is not a licence. It is a certificate of basic training issued by an accredited provider after theory and practical tests, and L117 paragraph 69 states that there is no such thing as a lift-truck licence. On a CV, write the truck category, the accrediting body, the certificate number and the test date.

What is a forklift operator?

A forklift operator is an authorised employee who drives rider-operated lift trucks for stacking and moving loads. L117 defines rider-operated as "any truck capable of carrying an operator", seated or stand-on. Authorisation is given by the employer in writing and names the truck categories and any operational limits.

What does forklift training involve?

Basic training covers theory, practical operation and tests. The code of practice requires that "trainees are required to pass a test or tests, practical and theoretical, of the skills and knowledge needed for safe operation". Job-specific and familiarisation training on the actual site and truck follow the basic course.

Who is eligible for forklift training?

There is no statutory minimum age for on-site truck work, and eligibility is set by the employer and the provider, who assess fitness, eyesight and attitude to safety. L117 tells employers to "take care when selecting potential lift-truck operators". A driving licence is not required for private-site operation.

How long does it take from start to finish?

A novice counterbalance course typically runs several days, a conversion course is shorter, and providers publish their own timetables. L117 sets the standard, not the duration. On a CV, give the course length and the pass date rather than a claim about speed, and add the refresher date if one is printed.

More in this series: Certifications on a CV

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• Certification for Office Managers: 6 Lines That Get Read
• Certifications for Jobs: 7 With the Exact Resume Line
• How to Add CPR Certification to a Resume: 5 Examples
• How to Put CPR Certification on a Resume: 6 Examples
• Industry Certification on a Resume: 8 Sector Examples
• Licensed Practical Nurse Resume: 6 Examples in Canada
• Life Coach Certification on a CV: 6 Worked Examples
• Server Certification on a Resume: 6 Worked Examples
• Technician Certificate on a Resume: 6 Worked Examples

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