Driving Licence Categories

Posted: Feb 11, 2016

Drivers who tow trailers

If you’ve passed your car (category B) test on or after 19 January 2013 and you want to tow a trailer weighing more than 3,500 kilograms with a car or small vehicle (category B and B+E), then you’ll need to pass a test for category C1E.

If you got your driving entitlement before 19 January 2013 you will retain it. There are no further changes to rules on towing trailers.

Vocational Driving Licence

Part One.

This is your normal driving licence which is also known as your Vocational Driving Licence.

What it means is:

The word ‘Vocational’ is used as it means your occupation or profession.

Therefore you are a HGV/ LGV/Bus driver – which is your occupation – you have a Vocational Driving Licence to drive the lorry or bus – depending on the categories on your driving licence.

Part Two.

Category C1

This is for goods vehicles between 3500kgs MAM and 7500kgs MAM and is a subcategory of Category C.

(Category C is: Vehicles weighing 3,500 to 7,500kg MAM with trailers up to 750kg.)

Subcategory C1 vehicles may be coupled with a trailer up to 750kgs MAM allowing a combination of up to 8.25 tonnes MAM. However, the 750kgs MAM trailer weight limit is an absolute limit.

There is a minimum age requirement of 18 years for this category.

Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 normally will also have category C1 entitlement.

Drivers who passed their car test after 1 January 1997 will have to meet higher medical standards, obtain a Category C1 Provisional Licence and then pass both theory and practical C1 driving tests to gain category C1.

To drive vehicles of this type professional (i.e. in connection with a business or employment) drivers will also need to meet the Driver CPC requirement.

Category C1E

This is for goods vehicles between 3500kgs MAM and 7500kgs MAM combined with trailers over 750kg MAM.

However, the trailer MAM entitlement varies depending on driver age and how the C1E entitlement was gained.

Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 normally will also have category C1E entitlement. However they will have an absolute combined vehicle and trailer MAM of 8250kgs.

Drivers who passed their car test after 1 January 1997 will have to pass further tests – Category C1 (theory and practical) followed by C1E practical. There is no subcategory C1E theory test. It is not possible to go directly from category B to category C1E. Driver who gain C1E in this manner can drive category C1 vehicles combined with a trailer over 750kgs MAM provided the combination does not exceed 12000kgs MAM and the laden weight of the trailer does not exceed the unladen weight of the towing vehicle.

Because EC regulations limit drivers aged under 21 years to driving vehicles or combinations which weigh no more than 7500kgs MAM, drivers under the age of 21 are not allowed to drive subcategory C1E vehicles up to 12000kgs MAM. Drivers aged 18 to 21 are allowed to take a test for subcategory C1E, it just means that entitlement is limited to a combination weight of 7500kgs MAM under the driver reaches 21 years, at which time the balance of 12000kgs MAM entitlement automatically becomes effective.

Drivers who passed their car test before 1 January 1997 and wish to raise their combined vehicle and trailer MAM of 8250kgs to the full 12000kgs will have to meet the higher medical standards, obtain a Category C1E Provisional Licence and then pass both theory and practical C1E driving tests (in this instance they do not have to take a C1 practical test beforehand).