Why commercial classes can't start from the portal home page
Most driver's licence applications start on the FRSC portal, from your own phone. A commercial class is different. At a Driver's Licence Centre, with a medical certificate and a driving school certificate. An FRSC operator opens the file for you there. You don't start it online yourself.
This one difference trips up a lot of first-time commercial applicants. They try the same route as a private licence, then find there's no option for it on the home screen.
What you bring to the Driver's Licence Centre
The application starts in person, so gather your documents before you go, not after. Bring proof of identity, plus the two items unique to a commercial application: a medical certificate and a certificate number from a driving school FRSC has approved.
The medical certificate FRSC asks for
Commercial driving carries higher risk, for the driver and for passengers. FRSC asks for a medical certificate before it opens a commercial class. This sits alongside your other documents when the centre starts your file.
FRSC's FAQ doesn't spell out what the health check covers, so ask the centre what it needs. Sort the certificate out before your visit so it doesn't hold up your application on the day.
The driving school certificate on top of that
FRSC also asks for a certificate number from a driving school FRSC has approved, the same kind a first-time applicant needs. Say you already hold a private licence and are only adding a commercial class. You still need this certificate for the new class. That's true even though you didn't need one to keep driving privately.
What happens once the centre opens your file
Once the centre starts your file, the rest follows the same pattern as any other class. You pay, you attend a biometric capture, and you wait for FRSC to produce the card. Like every other driver's licence application, this still needs one in-person visit for your photo and fingerprints. A commercial class doesn't add a second visit on top.
The commercial class you're adding, typically class E, then shows on your licence. It sits alongside any other classes you hold, up to the maximum our guide to licence limits explains.
Getting the class right before you start
Confirm you need a commercial class before you go to the centre. Our guide to licence classes sets out what class E and the classes around it actually cover. That way you're not paying for the wrong one, or making a second trip to fix it.
A quick call to the centre beforehand can also confirm which documents it wants to see on the day, since a missing certificate is the most common reason a first visit doesn't finish the job.
For the full renewal and application process, see our guide to renewing a driver's licence. For more on licences and vehicle papers, visit the licences and vehicles hub.