UK Driving Licence Categories Explained
UK driving licences entitle you to drive only certain categories depending on your age and/or which driving tests you have passed. The categories that you are entitled to drive are listed on the back of your driving licence.
The relevant driving licence categories are as follows:
| Type of Vehicle |
Category
|
| Car | B |
| Car with trailer. The trailer must weigh up to 750kgs. It can weigh more than 750kgs as long as the total weight of the car and the trailer is not more than 3,500kgs and the trailer, when unloaded, weighs less than the car | B |
| Motorbikes | A |
| Mopeds | P |
| Vans and lorries weighing up to 3500 kgs (including vehicles with a trailer weighing up to 750 kgs) | B |
| Vans and lorries weighting between 3500 and 7500 kgs (including vehicles with a trailer weighing up to 750 kgs) | C1 |
| Buses with fewer than 9 seats (including vehicles with a trailer weighing up to 750 kgs) | B |
| Buses with more than 8 but fewer than 17 seats (including vehicles with a trailer weighing up to 750 kgs) provided they are not used for hire or reward | D1 |
| Any vehicle in category B with a trailer weighing more than 750kgs | B & E |
| Any vehicle in category C1 with a trailer where the combination weighs no more than 12000 kgs (in Northern Ireland, towing a trailer weighing over 750kg with a combined weight of 1200-8250 kg for licences issued before 1 January 1997 | C1 plus E |
| Any vehicle in category D1 with a trailer weighing more than 750 kgs where the combination weighs no more than 12000 kgs | D1 plus E |
| 3 or 4 wheeled cars or vans where the unladen weight is no more than 550 kgs | B1 |
| Motor tricycles | B1 |
| Invalid cars | B1 |
| Agricultural tractors | F |
| Mowing machines | K |
| Pedestrian-controlled vehicles | K |
| Road Roller | G |
| Tracked vehicles | H |
| Electrically propelled vehicles | L |
| Vehicles exempt from vehicle excise duty | N |
A full licence in some categories will also act as a provisional licence in other driving licence categories. You should check your photocard to check your exact entitlement. Pre-2015 licences that have a photocard and paper counterpart do not have the entitlement categories on the counterpart - only on the photo-card.