Driving Licence Categories A Driver's Guide

Driving Licence Categories A Driver's Guide

Driving Licence Categories: What Can I Drive? A Driver's Guide

This guide has been prepared by Kenilworth Driving School, and is intended to provide general information to help drivers to understand Driving Licence Categories and to stay legal; whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to be a legal guide.

For Driving Licence purposes different vehicle types are designated into categories:

Mopeds

Category AM

• 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled vehicles with a maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph)
• This category also includes light quad bikes with:
  • Unladen mass of not more than 350kg (not including batteries if it’s an electric vehicle)
  • Maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph)

Category P

• 2-wheeled vehicles with a maximum design speed of over 45km/h (28mph) but not more than 50km/h (31mph)
• Its engine size must not be more than 50cc if powered by an internal combustion engine

Category Q

• 2-wheeled and 3-wheeled vehicles without pedals with:
  • An engine size not more than 50cc if powered by an internal combustion engine
  • A maximum design speed of no more than 25km/h (15.5mph)

Motorcycles

Category A1

• Light motorbikes with:
  • An engine size up to 125cc
  • A power output of up to 11kW
  • A power to weight ratio not more than 0.1kW/kg
• This category also includes motor tricycles with power output up to 15kW

Category A2

• Motorbikes with a:
  • Power output up to 35kW
  • Power to weight ratio not more than 0.2kW/kg
• The motorbike must also not be derived from a vehicle of more than double its power
• You can also drive motorbikes in category A1

Category A

• Motorbikes with a power output more than 35kW or a power to weight ratio more than 0.2kW/kg
• Motor tricycles with a power output more than 15kW
• You can also drive motorbikes in categories A1 and A2

Light vehicles and quad bikes

Category B1

• You can drive motor vehicles with 4 wheels up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if they’re designed for carrying goods

Cars

Category B if you passed your test before 1 January 1997

• You’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM)
  • View your driving licence informationon Gov.uk to check
• You’re also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM

Category B if you passed your test on or after 1 January 1997

• You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM with up to 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg)
• You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer is not more than 3,500kg
• You can drive motor tricycles with a power output higher than 15kW if you are over 21 years old
• Physically disabled drivers with provisional category B entitlement will also have provisional entitlement to ride category A1 or A motor tricycles
• Able-bodied drivers can no longer ride motor tricycles with a provisional category B licence

Category B auto

• You can drive a category B vehicle - but only an automatic one

Category BE

• You can drive a vehicle with a MAM of 3,500kg with a trailer
• The size of the trailer depends on the BE ‘valid from’ date shown on your licence. If the date is:
  • Before 19 January 2013, you can tow any size trailer
  • On or after 19 January 2013, you can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3,500kg

Medium sized vehicles

Category C1

• You can drive vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500kg MAM (with a trailer up to 750kg)

Category C1E

• You can drive C1 category vehicles with a trailer over 750kg
• The combined MAM of both cannot exceed 12,000kg

Large vehicles

Category C

• You can drive vehicles over 3,500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg MAM)

Category CE

• You can drive category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg

Minibuses

Category D1

• You can drive vehicles with:
  • No more than 16 passenger seats
  • A maximum length of 8 metres
  • A trailer up to 750kg

Category D1E

• You can drive D1 category vehicles with a trailer over 750kg MAM
• The combined MAM of both cannot exceed 12,000kg

Buses

Category D

• You can drive any bus with more than 8 passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg MAM)

Category DE

• You can drive D category vehicles with a trailer over 750kg

I Passed My Driving Test In A Car, What Can I Drive?

The simple answer is you are probably licenced to drive:

• Any car or van weighing less than 3500kg maximum authorised mass
• And having no more than eight passenger seats plus the driver’s seat

Maximum authorised mass is the maximum total weight that a vehicle can be when fully laden with either passengers or goods.

This means that you are probably licenced to drive:

• Any car or people carrier
• Most vans up to about “transit size”
• Most cars or vans towing light trailers or caravans

This means that you are probably NOT licenced to drive:

• A minibus
  • more than 8 passenger seats
• A limousine
  • possibly over 3500kg
  • possibly over 8 passenger seats
• Larger vans with a higher permissible maximum authorised mass (MAM)
• Any vehicle towing a trailer capable of carrying a heavy load, a maximum authorised mass (MAM) over 750Kg, this could include for example large caravans or horse boxes.

This guide has been prepared by Kenilworth Driving School, and is intended to provide general information to help drivers to understand Driving Licence Categories and to stay legal; whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not intended to be a legal guide.

Pages in the Law and Documentation A Drivers Guide section of the Kenilworth Driving School website:

Sections of the Kenilworth Driving School website: