Licence Categories

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 information 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 isn’t 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 can’t 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.