The dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP), especially when combined with a vibrating hammer offers a simple and inexpensive site investigation equipment for simple structures. However, the difficulty in the successful application of this equipment lies in the absence of a credible correlation between the DCP test results and the bearing capacity. This paper discusses the correlation between the DCP test results and the bearing capacity of a shallow foundation. In-mould DCP tests were performed in the laboratory on re-moulded and re-compacted samples of two local soils. Similar samples were subjected to triaxial compression tests to determine the strength parameters from which the allowable bearing pressure of a footing on the material was computed. The DCP values were then correlated with the allowable bearing pressure and the results compared with those predicted with correlations from the literature. Field results to illustrate the potential application of the DCP as a simple site investigation tool for foundation design are also presented