The UK driving licence categories - what car can you drive on your licence?
We explain all of the UK driving licence categories, describe what car can you drive with your licence and tell you how to upgrade your licence so you can do more with it...
UK driving licence categories determine what type of vehicles you are legally entitled to drive.
The government last updated its descriptions of categories in February 2015, with the majority of changes coming into effect in 2013.
If your driving licence was issued in or after 2013, it is likely that the types of vehicles you can drive are split into categories that remain accurate today.
We still recommend you check below for any minor modifications since that date, though, and urge you to read your licence carefully to see if you have any additional restrictions placed on it that apply specifically to your situation.
On older licences the types of vehicles you can drive are split into groups. Over the subsequent pages we outline what the equivalent category is to each group, and explain what type of vehicles each category code allows you to drive.
Groups were split into categories in order to allow for a greater spread of vehicle types to be considered, and for greater regulation of the types of vehicles people can drive.
You do not need a driving licence for electric bikes, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs.
If you are in any doubt, always contact the DVLA before travelling.
Northern Ireland uses a different system to categorise its driving licence categories to the rest of the United Kingdom. Further information can be found here.
To drive a particular vehicle, you must have the entitlement on your licence.
The latest government information is available here.
At the time of writing vehicles are split into the following categories:
Mopeds - Category AM Two-wheeled or three-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 an unladen mass of not more than 350kg (not including batteries if it’s an electric vehicle) or a maximum design speed of over 25km/h (15.5mph) but not more than 45km/h (28mph)
Mopeds - Category P Two-wheeled vehicles with a maximum design speed of over 45km/h (28mph) but not more than 50km/h (31mph). The engine size must not be more than 50cc if powered by an internal combustion engine.
Mopeds - Category Q Two-wheeled vehicles with an engine size not more than 50cc if powered by an internal combustion engine or a maximum design speed of no more than 25km/h (15.5mph)
Motorcycles - Category A1 Light motorbikes with an engine size up to 125cc or a power output of up to 11kW or a power to weight ratio not more than 0.1kW/kg. This category also includes motor tricycles with power output up to 15kW.
Motorcycles - Category A2 Motorbikes with a power output up to 35kW or 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. Category A2 licence holders can also drive motorbikes in category A1.
Motorcycles - Category A Motorbikes with a power output more than 35kW or a power to weight ratio more than 0.2kW/kg or motor tricycles with a power output more than 15kW. Category A2 licence holders can also drive motorbikes in categories A1 and A2.
Light vehicles and quad bikes - Category B1 Motor vehicles with four wheels up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if they’re designed for carrying goods.
Cars - Category B Vehicles up to 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) with up to eight passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).
You can also tow heavier trailers if the total MAM of the vehicle and trailer isn’t more than 3500kg.
You can also 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.
Cars - Category B auto A category B vehicle - but only an automatic one.
Cars - Category B+E A vehicle with a MAM of 3500kg with a trailer.
The size of the trailer depends on when you passed your test. If you passed your test before 19 January 2013 you can tow any size trailer, but if you passed it on or after 19 January 2013 you can tow a trailer with a MAM of up to 3500kg
Medium-sized vehicles - Category C1 Vehicles weighing between 3500 and 7500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg).
Medium-sized vehicles - Category C1+E Category C1 vehicles with a trailer over 750kg, but the trailer - when fully loaded - can’t weigh more than the vehicle. The combined weight of both can’t exceed 12,000kg.
Large vehicles - Category C Vehicles over 3500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg).
Large vehicles - Category C+E Category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg.
Minibuses - Category D1 Vehicles with no more than 16 passenger seats or a maximum length of eight metres or a trailer up to 750kg.
Minibuses - Category D1+E D1 category vehicles with a trailer over 750kg, but the trailer - when fully loaded - can’t weigh more than the vehicle. The combined weight of both can’t exceed 12,000kg.
Buses - Category D Any bus with more than eight passenger seats (with a trailer up to 750kg).
Buses - Category D+E Category D vehicles with a trailer over 750kg.
Other categories F Agricultural tractor G Road roller H Tracked vehicles K Mowing machine or pedestrian-controlled vehicle L Electrically-propelled vehicle M Trolley vehicles N Exempt from duty
In this section, we tackle some of the frequently asked questions about driving licences, including upgrades you may need for towing a trailer or caravan.
How do I pass my towing license? The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test.
Before towing, read the allowances described on your driving licence to see if you’re allowed to tow. A brief outline of basic allowances is given below, but for more information visit the government’s official towing calculator here.
Licences issued from 19 January 2013 If you passed your car driving test (category B) from 19 January 2013, you can tow small trailers weighing no more than 750kg or a trailer over 750kg as long as the combined weight of the trailer and towing car or van is no more than 3500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM).
You must pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.
Licences issued from 1 January 1997 If you passed your car driving test between 1 January 1997 and 18 January 2013, you can drive a car or van up to 3500kg MAM towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM or tow a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as the combined MAM of the trailer and towing vehicle is no more than 3,500kg
You must pass the car and trailer driving test if you want to tow anything heavier.
Licences held before 1 January 1997 If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997 you’re usually allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8250kg MAM, although you should view your driving licence information to check.
You’re also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM.
If you wish to tow greater loads you will have to apply for a provisional licence and pass a mandatory test.
Drivers wishing to tow should always be aware of the car towing weight and width limits that must legally be adhered to. Further information is available here.
Do you need a license to tow a caravan? Yes. The same rules apply for a caravan as they do a trailer.
To book your car and trailer driving test you must first have a full car driving licence. You don’t need to pass another theory test. The test is sometimes called the ‘B+E test’.
During the test you must be able to prove that you can drive safely in different road and traffic conditions and show that you know The Highway Code by the way you drive.
Further official government information on the national standard for driving cars and light vans can be downloaded from here.
How long do penalty points last on my licence? If you commit a motoring offence in the UK, you're likely to end up with points on your driving licence. The number of points you receive depends on the severity of the offence, and the points can stay on your licence for up to 11 years.
For the full guide to How long penalty points last on your licence click here.
How do I upgrade my licence? If you wish to add additional categories to your licence first you must obtain a ‘provisional entitlement’ and then take a test.
To drive some, typically larger types of vehicle, you must sometimes first pass a test for an intermediate vehicle type. For the full list of what licence you must hold prior to applying for an upgrade, visit the official government website here.
If you pass a higher category driving test you may also be automatically entitled to lower categories that will then be added to your licence. However, this is not always the case, so always check - if you get the trailer entitlement for a larger vehicle you won’t get the trailer entitlement for the smaller vehicles, for instance.
The process of being granted a ‘provisional entitlement’ is sometimes referred to as staging.
Driving licence categories have changed over the years – in this section we explain what the codes written on your licence mean today.
Licences issued between 1976 and 1986 - new category specification from 2013
WAS Group A, NOW Category B Vehicles up to 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg; trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3500kg MAM
WAS Group A, NOW Category C1 Vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group A, NOW C1E (with restriction code 79 or 107) Vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 12,000kg
WAS Group A NOW D1 (with restriction code 79 or 101) Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group A NOW f, G, H, k, l, M or N See below
WAS Group B, NOW f, G, H, k, l, M or N (with restriction code 78) Group A vehicles (automatic only)
WAS Group C, NOW Group B1 (excluding quad bikes) Any motor trike less than 410kg (500kg laden)
WAS Group D NOW A1, A2 and A (depending on size of the motorbike) Motorbike
WAS Group E, NOW Group AM, p or Q Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h)
WAS Group J NOW B1 (limited to invalid carriages) Invalid carriage (powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters)
Groups f, G, H, k, l, M, n keep the same category letters
Licences issued between 1986 and June 1990 - new category specification from 2013
WAS Group A, NOW Group B Vehicles up to 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3500kg MAM
WAS Group A, NOW Group C1 Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group A, NOW Group C1E (with restriction code 79 or 107) Vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 8.250kg
WAS Group A, NOW Group D1 (with restriction code 79 or 101) Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group A, NOW B, C, E, f, k, l or n below See below
WAS Group B NOW Groups B, C, E, f, k, l or n (with restriction code 78 and excluding B1) Group A vehicles (automatic only) excluding automatic motor trikes
WAS Group C, NOW Group B1 Vehicle with 4 wheels up to 400kg unladen
WAS Group D, NOW A1, A2 or A (depending on size of the motorbike) Motorbike
WAS Group E, NOW Group AM, p or Q Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h)
Groups f, G, H, k, l, M, n keep the same category letters
Licences issued between June 1990 and December 1996 - new category specification from 2013
WAS Group A, NOW A1, A2 or A (depending on size of the motorbike) Motorbike with maximum speed of more than 50km/h or with engine over 50cc
WAS Group B1, NOW Group B1 Vehicle with 4 wheels up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if intended to carry goods
WAS Group B, NOW Group B Vehicles up to 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3500kg MAM
WAS Group C1, NOW Group C1 Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group C, NOW Group C Vehicles over 3500kg MAM carrying no more than eight passengers plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group D1, NOW Group D1 Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group D, NOW Group D Bus with more than 8 passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group E, NOW Groups BE, CE or DE Vehicles in categories B, C and D with trailers
WAS Group f, NOW Group f Agricultural tractor
WAS Group G, NOW Group G Road roller
WAS Group H, NOW Group H Tracked vehicle
WAS Group k, NOW Group k Mowing machine or pedestrian-controlled vehicle
WAS Group l, NOW Group l Electrically-propelled vehicle
WAS Group p, NOW Groups AM, p or Q Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h)
M category vehicles are limited to trolley vehicles. n category vehicles (exempt from duty) keep the same category letter.
Larger vehicles on a separate licence - new category specification from 2013 If you got your driving licence before June 1990 you could have been issued with a separate licence that showed your entitlement to drive larger vehicles.
WAS Group HGV 1, NOW Group CE Vehicle over 3500kg with a trailer over 750kg
WAS Group HGV 2 or 3, NOW Group C Vehicle over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group HGV 2 or 3, NOW Group CE (with restriction code 79 or 102) Vehicle over 3500kg with a trailer over 750kg (draw-bar only)
WAS Group PSV 1 or 2, NOW Group DE Passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) (more than eight passenger seats) with a trailer over 750kg
WAS Group PSV 3, NOW Group D PCV (more than 8 passenger seats) with a trailer up to 750kg
WAS Group PSV 4, NOW Group D (with restriction code 79 or 105) PCV (more than 8 passenger seats) and less than 5.5 metres long
WAS Group HGV 1-3A, NOW Group C or CE (with restriction code 78) Automatic vehicles only in group HGV 1-3
WAS Group PSV 1-4A, NOW Group D or DE (with restriction code 78) Automatic vehicles only in group PSV 1-4
Licences issued between January 1997 and 14 October 2012 - new category specification from 2013
WAS Category p, NOW Category AM, p or Q Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h)
WAS Category A1, NOW Category A1 Motorbikes with engine size up to 125cc, power output up to 11kW and power/weight ratio up to 0.1kW/kg
WAS Category A, NOW Category A Motorbikes up to 25kW power output and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; motorbikes with sidecar and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; any size motorbike, with or without a sidecar if you’ve completed the large motorbike direct access scheme
WAS Category B1, NOW Category B1 for 4-wheeled vehicles; A (restricted to trikes) Three or four-wheeled vehicles up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if intended to carry goods
WAS Category B, NOW Category B Vehicles up to 3500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) and up to eight passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn’t over 3,500kg and the fully-loaded trailer doesn’t weigh more than the unladen vehicle
WAS Category B auto, NOW Category B auto Automatic category B vehicles – you can’t drive manual category B vehicles with this entitlement
WAS Category B+E, NOW Category BE Category B vehicles with trailer when combined weight of vehicle and trailer is over 3500kg
WAS Category C1, NOW Category C1 Vehicles weighing 3500 to 7500kg MAM with trailers up to 750kg
WAS Category C1+E, NOW Category C1E Category C1 vehicles with trailers over 750kg; the fully-loaded trailer can’t weigh more than the vehicle and combined weight of vehicle and trailer can’t be over 12,000kg
WAS Category C, NOW Category C Vehicles over 3,500kg with trailers up to 750kg
WAS Category C+E, NOW Category CE Vehicles over 3,500kg with trailer over 750kg
WAS Category D1, NOW Category C1 Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Category D1+E, NOW Category D1E Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer over 750kg if combined trailer and vehicle weight isn’t over 12,000kg
WAS Category D, NOW Category D Bus with more than eight passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg
WAS Category D+E, NOW Category DE Bus with more than 8 passenger seats with trailer over 750kg
Driving licences categories can depend on the weight of the vehicle. In this section, we explain the commonly used terminology on vehicle weights.
These explanations are derived from the government’s official explanation, which can be found here.
Unladen weight The weight of the vehicle when it’s not carrying any passengers, goods or other items. It includes the body and all parts normally used with the vehicle or trailer when it’s used on a road. It doesn’t include the weight of the fuel or, if it’s an electric vehicle, the batteries.
Maximum authorised mass (MAM) The weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road. This is also known as gross vehicle weight (GVW) or permissible maximum weight.
It will be listed in the owner’s manual and is normally shown on a plate or sticker fitted to the vehicle. The plate or sticker may also show a gross train weight (GTW), also sometimes called gross combination weight (GCW). This is the total weight of the tractor unit plus trailer plus load.
Down-plating If a vehicle is unlikely to be used at its potential maximum weight, it may be ‘down-plated’. This means that a lower weight is shown on the plate or sticker attached to the vehicle.
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