In brief
For an employee who will use a forklift inside a factory or warehouse, OHS legislation is decisive: self-propelled work equipment may only be used by employees who have received appropriate training, and for work requiring vocational training, a valid document such as an operator certificate approved by MEB (Ministry of National Education) or an MYK certificate is required. If the forklift will go onto a public road, traffic legislation also applies and the class G driving licence provided for construction machinery comes into play. The certificate alone is not enough; site-specific practical training, a pre-employment examination, written authorisation and an annual periodic inspection are also needed.
Short answer: on-site and on-road are two separate questions
“Forklift licence” is used to mean two different documents, which are often confused:
- Forklift operator certificate: Shows that the employee has received training in using a forklift safely. It is a matter for OHS legislation and is required for use inside factories, warehouses and construction sites.
- Class G driving licence: A driving licence under traffic legislation that authorises the driving of motor vehicles of the construction machinery type.
Which document is needed is determined by where the forklift will be used:
| Place of use | Applicable legislation | Required document |
|---|---|---|
| Entirely on site: production, warehouse, area closed to the public | OHS legislation | Appropriate training and a vocational training certificate suited to the job |
| Public road, car park or terminal area | OHS legislation and traffic legislation | Class G driving licence in addition to the operator certificate |
| Hired forklift and an outside operator | OHS legislation; principal employer and subcontractor together | The operator’s certificate, health report and site-specific training |
Forklifts on site: what does OHS legislation require?
The Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment sets three clear rules for forklifts:
- Self-propelled work equipment is used by employees who have received appropriate training in its safe use (Annex II, item 2.1).
- The employer trains the employee assigned to use work equipment on the risks and how to avoid them before they use it (Art. 11).
- Self-propelled equipment that poses a risk to people when moving has devices to prevent unauthorised starting (Annex I, item 3.1.6). Leaving the key in the forklift effectively removes this rule.
In addition, under Art. 17/3 of Law No. 6331, in hazardous and very hazardous work requiring vocational training, a person who cannot document that they have received vocational training for the work they will do cannot be employed. The Annex 1 list of the vocational training regulation does not name forklifts separately; the work the employee actually does is what counts. For example, “warehousing, storage, loading and unloading work in storehouses, bonded warehouses and warehouses” is in Annex 1, and an employee using a forklift in a warehouse often matches this line. For the method of matching a task to an Annex 1 line, see our article on the vocational training certificate requirement.
Documents accepted as a forklift operator certificate
Art. 6 of the vocational training regulation lists the documents accepted for Annex 1 work. The ones most often seen in practice for employees using forklifts are:
| Document | Issued by | What does it show? |
|---|---|---|
| Operator certificate issued by MEB or institutions authorised by MEB | MEB and authorised institutions | That operator training has been completed |
| Certificate of training organised with MEB approval | Professional bodies, employer organisations, employers (with the approval of the relevant MEB unit) | That an approved training programme has been completed |
| MYK vocational qualification certificate | Certification bodies authorised by MYK (the Vocational Qualifications Authority) | That competence has been assessed by examination |
| Diploma, journeyman or master craftsman certificate under Law No. 3308 | Vocational education institutions | Vocational training in the relevant field |
Not every document issued under the name “forklift certificate” is on this list. A participation certificate issued by a company itself without MEB approval does not meet the vocational training obligation; but it is still valuable as a record of site-specific training. In occupations for which MYK has introduced a certificate requirement, a course certificate alone will not be enough, so check the current list in our article on occupations requiring an MYK certificate.
When is a class G licence needed for a forklift?
Traffic legislation applies on highways; unless there is a provision to the contrary, it also applies in car parks, terminals and similar areas open to the public (Highway Traffic Law No. 2918 Art. 2). A factory site entirely under the business’s control and closed to the public is not within this scope.
The relevant rules in the Highway Traffic Regulation and the Law:
- A class G driving licence is issued to those who will drive motor vehicles of the construction machinery type (Regulation Art. 75).
- A person obtaining a class G licence must be at least 18 years old (Art. 76).
- Class G driving licences are valid for 10 years (Art. 87).
- A class B driving licence authorises the driving of class M, B1 and F vehicles; it does not authorise driving construction machinery (Art. 85).
- Training for drivers of construction machinery and the certificates of those who pass the examination are issued by MEB or institutions authorised by MEB (Law No. 2918 Art. 42).
A forklift going onto a highway raises the question of the vehicle’s registration status as well as the driving licence. Registration of construction machinery owned by private persons and used in industry is carried out by the chamber of commerce, industry, or commerce and industry of which the owner is a member (Law No. 2918 Art. 22). Even a short crossing of a public road between two buildings raises these questions; if there is such a route, confirm the status of the forklift and the driver in advance with the relevant chamber and traffic unit.
Which licence is needed to drive a forklift? Three scenarios
- An employee moving pallets inside a warehouse: Traffic legislation does not apply, so a class G licence is not required for this reason. The employee’s vocational training certificate suited to the job, site-specific practical training, pre-employment examination and OHS training must be complete.
- A forklift crossing a public road from the factory to the warehouse opposite: In addition to OHS rules, traffic legislation applies; alongside the operator certificate, a class G driving licence and the vehicle’s registration status come into play.
- A hired forklift arriving with its operator: The operator is an employee of the service provider. Ask for their certificate, health report and OHS training before work starts; show the operator your site’s traffic rules and pedestrian walkways on the floor. For the documents to request, see our article on OHS documents to request from subcontractors.
Employer’s checklist
For the content of the daily check, see our article on the forklift operator’s daily check; for separating pedestrian and forklift routes, our article on forklift and pedestrian traffic plans in warehouses; and for inspection intervals, our article on periodic inspection intervals for work equipment.
For breaches of vocational training and OHS training obligations, the 2026 base administrative fine is TL 8,980 per employee; no hazard class increase is applied to this fine. For three forklift operators employed without certificates, the amount reaches TL 26,940. For current amounts, see the OHS administrative fines tool.
Vocational training with our solution partners
We plan vocational training through our solution partners, who work under protocols with Public Education Centres: MEB-approved, 40-hour modules are selected together with the business according to its line of production. We work with you to match the tasks of your employees in storage, loading and unloading work to certificates, and plan the appropriate module and the site training specific to forklift use. For details, see our vocational training page, and for our approach to warehouse businesses in and around Bursa, our logistics and warehousing sector page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which licence is needed to drive a forklift?
For use on site, what is needed is not a driving licence but the appropriate training and the vocational training certificate suited to the job that OHS legislation requires. If the forklift will go onto a public road, traffic legislation also applies and the class G driving licence for construction machinery comes into play.
Is a class G licence mandatory inside a factory?
Since traffic legislation does not apply on a factory site closed to the public, it is not mandatory in this context. The employer may require it under its own policy; but from an OHS perspective, what is really required is appropriate training, a vocational training certificate suited to the job and site-specific practical training.
Can a forklift be driven with a class B licence?
Not on a highway. Under Art. 85 of the Highway Traffic Regulation, a class B licence authorises the driving of class M, B1 and F vehicles; a class G licence is provided for construction machinery. On site, it is operator training, not the driving licence, that is decisive.
Does a forklift operator certificate expire?
The vocational training regulation does not provide a general renewal period for the certificates it accepts; some certificates may have a validity period under their own legislation. The class G driving licence is valid for 10 years. OHS refresher training and the annual periodic inspection must be tracked separately.
Position-by-position certificate checks for hazardous and very hazardous work, and MEB-approved 40-hour vocational training modules provided through our solution partners.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.