UK Driving Licence Categories: How to Check Which Vehicles You Can Drive

Your UK driving licence lets you drive only the vehicle types shown as categories on your licence, within the weight, passenger and trailer limits set for each category, and subject to any restriction codes printed beside them. To check a specific vehicle, find its maximum authorised mass (MAM) and passenger seat count. Then confirm that a category on your licence covers both figures and that no restriction code excludes the vehicle. For example, a standard category B car licence covers vehicles up to 3,500 kg MAM with up to 8 passenger seats.

This guide explains the main UK driving licence vehicle categories and the codes and weight limits that matter. It also shows how to compare vehicle listings against your own entitlement so your shortlist contains only vehicles you can legally drive.

Where to find your driving licence vehicle categories and codes

Your vehicle categories are printed on your photocard driving licence and also appear in the DVLA online record of your licence. The photocard back shows a grid. Column 9 lists each category, column 10 shows the date the entitlement starts, column 11 shows when it expires, and column 12 shows any restriction codes for that category.

1. Turn your photocard over and find the grid of category symbols.
2. Note each category that has a start date in column 10. A category without dates is not part of your full entitlement.
3. Check column 12 for numeric codes next to each category. These limit or extend what that category allows.
4. Check the expiry date in column 11, especially for lorry and bus categories, which usually need renewing more often.
5. If anything is unclear, use the GOV.UK service for viewing your driving licence information. You will need your licence number, National Insurance number and postcode. It also shows provisional entitlements and any penalty points.

Provisional entitlements let you learn only, under the conditions that apply to learners. When you compare vehicles to drive unaccompanied, count only full entitlements.

UK driving licence vehicle categories explained

Each UK driving licence category covers a vehicle class defined by vehicle type, maximum authorised mass, passenger capacity and, for motorcycles, engine size or power. The table summarises the categories most people need when choosing a vehicle.

Category B: cars and light vans

Category B covers most cars, people carriers, car-derived vans and small campervans, provided the vehicle's maximum authorised mass is no more than 3,500 kg and it has no more than 8 passenger seats. The driver's seat is not counted. Under current rules, category B holders can also drive certain alternatively fuelled goods vans, such as some electric vans, up to 4,250 kg MAM, subject to conditions. Confirm the current conditions before relying on this for a van over 3,500 kg.

Categories C1 and C: medium and large goods vehicles

Category C1 covers vehicles with a MAM above 3,500 kg and up to 7,500 kg. This includes many heavier motorhomes, horseboxes and box vans. Category C covers vehicles above 3,500 kg with no upper weight limit within the category. If you passed your car test after 1996, you need to pass a separate test to gain either category.

Categories D1 and D: minibuses and buses

Category D1 covers minibuses with no more than 16 passenger seats and a maximum length of 8 metres. Category D covers any bus with more than 8 passenger seats. Passenger capacity often decides the category before weight does. A vehicle under 3,500 kg with 9 or more passenger seats is generally outside category B.

Motorcycle categories AM, A1, A2 and A

Motorcycle categories are defined by power, engine size and design speed rather than weight. When comparing motorcycles, check the power output in kilowatts against your category. For A2 and A1, also check the power-to-weight ratio, because a bike can be restricted to fit A2 only if its original power is not more than double the A2 limit. Many full car licences include category AM. If you passed your car test on or after 1 February 2001, you must complete compulsory basic training (CBT) before riding a moped on the road.

Other categories

Some licences show specialist categories. These include F for agricultural tractors, G for road rollers, H for tracked vehicles, K for mowing machines and pedestrian-controlled vehicles, and Q for small two- or three-wheeled vehicles without pedals. They rarely matter when choosing a road vehicle, but they explain unfamiliar letters on your licence.

Driving licence vehicle weight limits: what MAM means

Maximum authorised mass (MAM) is the maximum a vehicle is allowed to weigh when fully loaded, including passengers, fuel and cargo. It is also called gross vehicle weight, permissible maximum weight or, in some listings, gross vehicle weight rating. Licence weight limits always refer to MAM, not the vehicle's actual or empty weight.

This distinction matters when comparing listings. A van with a kerb weight (unladen weight) of 2,200 kg might have a MAM of 3,500 kg or of 4,000 kg. The first is within category B; the second needs C1 unless an exception applies. Payload is the difference between MAM and kerb weight. A vehicle can therefore fit your licence and still have too little payload for your needs.

Where to find the MAM of a vehicle

The MAM is printed on the manufacturer's plate, usually found inside a door frame, under the bonnet or on the chassis. The plate typically lists the gross vehicle weight, the gross train weight (the maximum combined weight of vehicle and trailer) and the maximum weight for each axle. The vehicle handbook and, for many vehicles, the V5C registration certificate also show a maximum permissible mass. If a listing says a vehicle has been re-plated or down-plated, for example a motorhome reduced to 3,500 kg, ask to see the plate and the supporting paperwork.

Vehicle and trailer weight limits

Towing entitlement depends on your licence categories and the trailer's MAM. The vehicle's own towing limits apply on top of that.

• Category B towing: You can tow a trailer up to 750 kg MAM. If you passed your car test on or after 1 January 1997, you can also tow trailers up to 3,500 kg MAM under rules introduced on 16 December 2021, and category BE will appear on your licence when it is next updated.
• C1 and D1 towing: These categories allow a trailer up to 750 kg. A heavier trailer requires C1E or D1E, within a combined MAM of 12,000 kg.
• The vehicle's own limit: Your licence may allow a combination that the towing vehicle cannot legally pull. Check the maximum towing weight and gross train weight on the manufacturer's plate or in the handbook.

Restriction codes that change what you can drive

Restriction codes are numbers in column 12 of your licence that narrow or adjust the entitlement for a specific category. A vehicle can fall within a category and still be off-limits because of a code. These are the codes most likely to affect a vehicle choice:

Codes 10 to 44 indicate vehicle adaptations, such as modified controls or seating. A vehicle must have the stated adaptations for you to drive it.

How older licences differ

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997, your licence usually includes extra vehicle entitlement that later drivers do not get automatically. This typically covers category C1, D1 with code 101 (not for hire or reward), and C1E with code 107 (combined MAM up to 8,250 kg). In practice, many older licence holders can drive a motorhome up to 7,500 kg MAM that a younger driver could not. When these licences are renewed at age 70, C1 and D1 entitlement is kept only if the driver meets the higher medical standard. Always check your current licence rather than assuming.

How to compare vehicle listings against your licence

Comparing vehicles means checking each listing against the same licence-relevant facts, recording what is missing, and only then weighing the vehicles against your personal priorities. A side-by-side record stops you from mixing up details between listings and keeps unsuitable vehicles off your shortlist.

Build a side-by-side comparison sheet

Create one row per listing and one column per fact. Fill in only what the listing or seller actually states. Mark anything not provided as unknown, not as zero or as a guess. A simple sheet might include these columns:

Missing information is not the same as a drawback

A listing that omits the MAM has a gap in its information, not necessarily a problem with the vehicle. A listing that states a MAM above your entitlement has a genuine drawback, because you cannot drive that vehicle on your current licence. Keep the two apart in your sheet. Unknown figures go on a list of questions for the seller. Confirmed figures that exceed your entitlement rule the vehicle out, unless you plan to gain the extra category. Be cautious with listings that give only kerb weight or describe a vehicle as suitable for a car licence without stating the MAM. That is a claim to verify, not a confirmed fact.

Weigh differences against your own priorities

Once each vehicle is confirmed as within your entitlement, the remaining differences depend on how you will use it. Some differences matter more than others:

• If you carry heavy loads: Payload may matter more than total size. Two vehicles at 3,500 kg MAM can have very different payloads.
• If you tow: Gross train weight and towing limit may decide the choice, even where both vehicles suit your licence.
• If you carry passengers: Seat count, and whether every seat is usable within the MAM once people and luggage are aboard, matters more than engine size.
• If you plan to keep the vehicle for many years: Consider whether your entitlement could change, for example older C1 entitlement at renewal age.

Practical examples of licence-based trade-offs

Two motorhomes: One listing states a MAM of 3,500 kg; the other gives only the length and number of berths. The first fits category B, though its payload may be tight for a family with luggage. The second is unknown, not unsuitable. Ask for the plate figure before deciding. If it turns out to be 4,000 kg, it needs C1. That is fine for a pre-1997 licence holder with C1, and rules it out for someone who passed later.

A van with a trailer: A van at 3,500 kg MAM fits category B. Whether you can also tow a 2,000 kg trailer depends on your BE entitlement and on the van's gross train weight, which the listing may not state.

A minibus: A 12-seat minibus (11 passenger seats plus the driver) is outside category B even if it weighs under 3,500 kg, because it has more than 8 passenger seats. It falls under D1, and a code 101 on that entitlement would rule out paid driving.

How to build your shortlist

A clear shortlist contains only vehicles whose confirmed figures fit your full entitlement, ranked by how well they meet your own priorities.

1. Write down your full categories and restriction codes from your licence.
2. Enter every listing in your comparison sheet, marking missing figures as unknown.
3. Remove any vehicle whose confirmed MAM, seat count, gearbox or length falls outside your entitlement.
4. Ask sellers for the missing figures, ideally a photo of the manufacturer's plate. Update the sheet when they reply.
5. Rank the remaining vehicles against your priorities, such as payload, towing, passenger space or running costs, using your own notes.
6. Before buying or hiring, check the plate in person to confirm the figures match the listing.

If a vehicle you want needs a category you do not hold, keep it in a separate list. That makes the trade-off visible: you can compare choosing a vehicle within your current licence against gaining an additional category, rather than discovering the mismatch after you have committed.