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Forklift CACES: which CACES for which truck

Pick the truck you will drive: the tool gives the recommendation, the category, the validity period and the median course price.

Independent site, not linked to the French Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), the INRS, testing bodies or training centres.

Classification read in annex 1 of each French Health Insurance recommendation (2026 versions).

CACES you need

R489 cat. 3

Valid for5 years
Median price (CPF)€784
Median length21 h
Practise the R489 test

To drive a forklift truck in France, the Labour Code requires adequate training (article R4323-55) and an operating authorisation issued by the employer. The CACES, a certificate of fitness to operate safely, is the most widespread way to prove that training: the French Health Insurance describes it in recommendation R489 for ride-on trucks, and most forklift driver job ads ask for it. A warehouse forklift driver most often takes category 3, counterbalance truck up to 6 tonnes, sometimes with category 5, reach truck. The R489 CACES is valid for 5 years. As of 23 October 2026, the median price of an initial category 3 course is €784 in the Mon Compte Formation catalogue. The tool above starts from the actual machine to give the right category, which avoids paying for a course that does not cover the truck of the job you want.

Which R489 CACES category?

R489 CACES

Category 3

Valid for5 years
Theory testthe same for every category
Every machine →

Questions, explanations and calculations by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method

The three conditions to drive a forklift

The three items the employer checks before the operating authorisation.
ConditionWho meets itText
Adequate training, proved in practice by the CACESThe employee, with a certified testing bodyLabour Code article R4323-55; recommendation R.489
Medical fitness, certified every 5 yearsThe occupational physicianLabour Code article R4323-56
Knowledge of the site and instructionsThe employerLabour Code article R4323-56

The CACES follows the driver from one employer to the next; the authorisation does not. A temp worker gets an authorisation from the user company for each assignment. The operating authorisation page explains this split.

The categories that matter to a forklift driver

Recommendation R.489A; Mon Compte Formation offers on 23 October 2026.
MachineCategoryMedian initial priceMedian length
Ride-on pallet truck or order picker1A€70221 hours
Ride-on stacker1B€70821 hours
Counterbalance truck up to 6 t3€78421 hours
Counterbalance truck above 6 t4€96021 hours
Reach truck5€76521 hours

Until when is my CACES valid?

Expiry

2027

Valid for5 years
Refresherbefore the 2027 anniversary

Exact date: same day and month as when it was obtained.

Work out the exact date →

Preparing for the theory test

The theory test is the same for every R489 category: 100 questions, passed with 70 points and at least half of each theme. The mock exam reproduces it, and the CACES 3 and CACES 5 pages offer targeted sets.

Questions operators and candidates ask

Is the CACES compulsory to work as a forklift driver?

The Labour Code does not require the CACES as such: it requires adequate training and an operating authorisation from the employer. But the French Health Insurance recommendation makes the CACES the reference way to check that training, and almost every employer and temp agency asks for it.

Which CACES category should I take for a first forklift job?

Category 3, counterbalance truck up to 6 tonnes, is the most requested. Add category 5 if the warehouse has high racking served by reach trucks, and 1A or 1B for order picking. Read the job ad: it usually names the categories expected.

Does the forklift CACES let me drive for any employer?

No. Each employer issues its own operating authorisation, after checking your medical fitness and your knowledge of the premises, the instructions and the site’s machines. The CACES proves the training; the authorisation gives the right to drive on that particular site.

How long does a forklift CACES last?

It is valid for 5 years from the date the later of the two tests, theory or practical, was passed. At the end, both tests must be taken again; a shorter refresher course prepares for them. The median category 3 refresher in the catalogue lasts 14 hours.

Keep going

CACES R489: forklift trucks

R489 mock test of 100 questions, the seven truck categories, the marking scheme and the median price per category.

CACES 3: counterbalance forklift

The counterbalance forklift up to 6 tonnes: a targeted set, the capacity plate, test length and median price.

CACES 5: reach truck

The reach truck of racking aisles: a targeted set, high-level storage and the median price.

CACES 1A and 1B: pallet trucks, stackers

Ride-on pallet truck or stacker: the difference between 1A and 1B, the test and the median price.

Telehandler CACES: R482 category F

The telehandler falls under R482 category F: a targeted set, the outreach chart and the median price.

CACES training: length, steps

Training, then tests counted in test units: how long a CACES takes, from day one to the certificate.

Official texts behind this page

Written by

Independent publisher of free CACES theory practice tests, with no account, written from the French Health Insurance recommendations

Rules and prices checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

CACES rules 2026, read in the French Health Insurance recommendations and the Labour Code, last checked on