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Driver licensing categories.

The Secretary of State must grant licences authorising the driving of motor vehicles in accordance with the categories and sub-categories specified in the relevant regulations. Those categories and sub-categories are designated as groups that include specified classes of vehicles for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The licensing categories and sub-categories are divided into two principal parts. Those in Part 1 are set out in heads 1 to 18 below.

(1) A: Motor bicycles.

(2) A1: A sub-category of category A comprising learner motor bicycles.

(3) B: Motor vehicles, other than vehicles included in category A, F, K or P, having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes and not more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat, including a combination of any such vehicle and a trailer where the trailer has a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kilograms, and a combination of any such vehicle and a trailer where the maximum authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 3.5 tonnes and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight12 of the tractor vehicle.

(4) B1: A sub-category of category B comprising motor vehicles having three or four wheels and an unladen weight not exceeding 550 kilograms.

(5) B+E: Combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in category B but the combination does not fall within that category.

(6) C: Motor vehicles having a maximum authorised mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes, other than vehicles falling within category D, F, G or H, including any such vehicle drawing a trailer having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.

(7) C1: A sub-category of category C comprising motor vehicles having a maximum authorised mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 7.5 tonnes, including any such vehicle drawing a trailer having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.

8. D: Motor vehicles constructed or adapted for the carriage of passengers having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat, including any such vehicle drawing a trailer having a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.

(9) D1: A sub-category of category D comprising motor vehicles having more than eight but not more than 16 seats in addition to the driver's seat and including any such vehicle drawing a trailer with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding 750 kilograms.

(10) C+E: Combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in category C but the combination does not fall within that category.

(11) C1+E: A sub-category of category C+E comprising combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in sub-category C1, the maximum authorised mass of the trailer exceeds 750 kilograms but not the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle, the maximum authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 12 tonnes.

(12) D+E: Combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in category D but the combination does not fall within that category.

(13) D1+E: A sub-category of category D+E comprising combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer where the tractor vehicle is in sub-category D1, the maximum authorised mass of the trailer exceeds 750 kilograms but not the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle, the maximum authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 12 tonnes, and the trailer is not used for the carriage of passengers.

(14) F: Agricultural or forestry tractors, including any such vehicle drawing a trailer but excluding any motor vehicle included in category H.

(15) G: Road rollers.

(16) H: Track-laying vehicles steered by their tracks.

(17) K: Mowing machines which do not fall within category A and vehicles controlled by a pedestrian.

18. P: Mopeds.

A licence authorising the driving of motor vehicles of a class14 included in a category or sub-category shown in heads (1) to 18. above may be granted to a person who is entitled by virtue of:

(a) holding or having held a full licence, a full Northern Ireland licence, full British external licence, full British Forces licence, exchangeable licence or Community licence20 authorising the driving of vehicles of that class; or

(b) having passed a test for a licence authorising the driving of motor vehicles of that class or a Northern Ireland or Gibraltar test corresponding to such a test.

The categories and sub-categories in Part 2 are set out in heads (i) to (iv) below:

(i) C1+E (8.25 tonnes): A sub-category of category C+E comprising combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer in sub-category C1+E the maximum authorised mass of which does not exceed 8.25 tonnes.

(ii) D1 (not for hire or reward): A sub-category of category D comprising motor vehicles in sub-category D1 driven otherwise than for hire or reward.

(iii) D1+E (not for hire or reward): A sub-category of category D+E comprising motor vehicles in sub-category D1+E driven otherwise than for hire or reward.

(iv) L: Motor vehicles propelled by electrical power.

A licence authorising the driving of motor vehicles of a class included in any category or sub-category shown in heads (i) to (iv) above may not be granted to a person applying for a full licence unless, at a time before 1 January 1997:

(a) he held a full licence authorising the driving of motor vehicles of that class or a class which corresponds to a class included in that category or sub-category; or

(b) he passed a test which at the time it was passed authorised the driving of motor vehicles of such a class or a Northern Ireland test corresponding to such a test.

1 As to the Secretary of State see para 35 ante. As to the transfer of certain functions of the Secretary of State, so far as exercisable in relation to Wales, to the National Assembly for Wales see para 36 ante.

5 In the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/2864 (as amended), expressions relating to vehicle categories have the following meanings:

(1) any reference to a category or sub-category identified by letter, number or word or by any combination of letters, numbers and words is a reference to the category or sub-category defined in Sch 2 Column (2) opposite that letter or combination in Sch 2 Column (1) (reg 4(2)(a));

(2) 'sub-category' means, in relation to category A, B, C, C + E, D or D + E, a class of vehicles comprising part of the category and identified as a sub-category in Schedule 2 Column (2) (reg 4(2)(b)); and

(3) unless the context otherwise requires, a reference to a category includes a reference to sub-categories of that category (reg 4(2)(c)).

8 See the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/2864, Sch 2 Pt I, Pt II. Licences may also be granted in sub-category B1 (invalid carriages) to persons who need them before 12 December 1999 but this sub-category is obsolescent as the vehicles are being withdrawn from use.

11 'Maximum authorised mass': (1) in relation to a goods vehicle, has the same meaning as 'permissible maximum weight' in the Road Traffic Act 1988 s 108(1) (see para 262 note 16 ante); (2) in relation to an incomplete large vehicle, means its working weight; and (3) in relation to any other motor vehicle or trailer, has the same meaning as 'maximum gross weight' in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, SI 1986/1078, reg 3(2) (definition as added and amended) (see para 66 note 26 ante): Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/2864, reg 3(1).

UPDATE

Licensing of drivers of vehicles generally

For provision as to the training of drivers who have not passed a driving test on a particular class of vehicle see Road Traffic Act 1988 ss 99ZA–99ZC; and para 268A post.Driver licensing categories
note 6—SI 1999/2864 reg 43 amended: SI 2001/53, SI 2001/236.
note 23—Now, head (i) a sub-category of category C+E comprising combinations of a motor vehicle and trailer in sub-category C1+E where the maximum authorised mass of the trailer exceeds 750 kilograms and may exceed the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle and the maximum authorised mass of the combination does not exceed 8.25 tonnes; and head (iii) a sub-category of category D+E comprising motor vehicles in sub-category D1+E where the motor vehicles are driven otherwise than for hire or reward and the maximum authorised mass of the trailer exceeds 750 kilograms and may exceed the unladen weight of the tractor vehicle: SI 1999/2986 Sch 2 Pt 2 (amended by SI 2005/2717).
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