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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

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Motoring

Driving tests passed before 1 January 2024

The tables below show what you can drive or ride if you passed your driving test before 1 January 1997. There are three different tables for tests passed between January 1976 and December 1996.

The table that applies to you depends on what type of driving licence you hold.

Vehicle types – once known as groups, now known as categories

Until June 1990, the types of vehicles that could be driven were shown on driving licences as ‘groups’. There was also a separate driving licence that showed driving entitlement for larger vehicles.

Since June 1990, all driving entitlements have been shown on licences as ‘categories’ and on the same licence.

Licences issued between January 1976 and January 1986

Between 1976 and 1986 your driving licence would have been made of paper with a green background.

The term 'maximum authorised mass' (MAM) means the total weight of the vehicle plus the maximum load it can carry safely.

Group	Description	Category after 1997
A	Motor car and light goods vehicle with up to 9 seats up to 3,500 kg MAM	B
A	Goods vehicle with MAM between 3,500 and 7,500 kg	C1
A	Goods vehicle with MAM between 3,500 and 7,500 kg and pulling a trailer, as long as the total weight of both vehicles is not more than 8,250 kg	C1E (with restriction code 79 or 107)
A	Passenger carrying vehicle with between 9 and 17 seats (driving not for hire or reward)	D1 (with restriction code 79 or 101)
A	Vehicles in Groups B, C, E, F, K, L, N below	See below
B	As group A, but restricted to automatic vehicles only	Above categories with restriction code 78
C	Any motor tricycle (other than an invalid carriage) weighing not more than 410 kg unladen (500 kg laden)	B1 (excluding invalid carriages and quadricycles)
D	Any motor bicycle or scooter (with or without sidecar)	A1 and A (depending upon size of bike)
E	Moped - with an engine size of up to 50 cc and a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h	P
F	Agricultural tractor mounted on wheels	F
G	Road roller	G
H	Track laying vehicle steered by its tracks	H
J	Invalid carriage	B1 (limited to invalid carriages)
K	Mowing machine or vehicle controlled by a pedestrian	K
L	Electrically propelled vehicle (other than an invalid carriage)	L
M	Trolley vehicle	M
N	Vehicle exempted from duty under Section 7(1) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971 – that is exempted from vehicle excise duty because it travels not more than 6 miles per week on roads and then only in passing between pieces of land in its owner’s possession	N

Vehicle weights explained

Restriction codes on your driving licence

Entitlement to drive larger vehicles shown on separate licence

Group	Description	Category after 1997
HGV 1	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with a trailer over 750 kg	CE
HGV 2 or 3	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with a trailer up to 750 kg	C
HGV 2 or 3	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with trailer over 750 kg, limited to draw-bar trailer only	CE (with restriction code 79 or 102)
PSV 1 or 2	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with a trailer over 750 kg	DE
PSV 3	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with a trailer up to 750 kg	D
PSV 4	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats but not more than 5.5 metres long	D (with restriction code 105 or 79)
HGV 1-3A	As group HGV 1, 2 or 3 but limited to automatic vehicles only	C or CE with restriction code 78
PSV 1-4A	As group PSV 1, 2, 3 or 4 but limited to automatic vehicles only	D or DE with restriction code 78

Restriction codes on your driving licence

Licences issued between January 1986 and June 1990

Between 1986 and 1990 your driving licence would have been made of paper with a pink background.

Group	Description	Category after 1997
A	Motor car and light goods vehicle with up to 9 seats up to 3,500 kg MAM	B
A	Goods vehicle with MAM between 3,500 and 7,500 kg	C1
A	Goods vehicle with MAM between 3,500 and 7,500 kg and pulling a trailer, as long as the total weight of both vehicles is not more than 8,250 kg	C1E (with restriction code 79 or 107)
A	Passenger carrying vehicle with between 9 and 17 seats (driving not for hire or reward)	D1 (with restriction code 79 or 101)
A	Vehicles in Groups B, C, F, K, L, N below	See below
B	As group A, but restricted to automatic vehicles only and excluding automatic motor tricycles	Above categories with restriction code 78 and excluding automatic B1
C	Any motor tricycle (other than an invalid carriage) weighing not more than 425 kg unladen	B1 (excluding invalid carriages and quadricycles)
D	Any motor bicycle or scooter (with or without sidecar)	A1 and A (depending upon size of bike)
E	Moped - with an engine size of up to 50 cc and a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h	P
F	Agricultural tractor mounted on wheels	F
G	Road roller	G
H	Track laying vehicle steered by its tracks	H
J	Invalid carriage	B1 (limited to invalid carriages)
K	Mowing machine or vehicle controlled by a pedestrian	K
L	Electrically propelled vehicle (other than an invalid carriage or motor bicycle)	L
N	Vehicle exempted from duty under Section 7(1) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971 – that is exempted from vehicle excise duty because it travels not more than 6 miles per week on roads and then only in passing between pieces of land in its owner’s possession	N

Entitlement to drive larger vehicles shown on separate licence

Group	Description	Category after 1997
HGV 1	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with a trailer over 750 kg	CE
HGV 2 or 3	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with a trailer up to 750 kg	C
HGV 2 or 3	Vehicle over 3,500 kg, with a draw-bar trailer over 750 kg	CE (with restriction code 79 or 102)
PSV 1 or 2	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with a trailer over 750 kg	DE
PSV 3	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with a trailer up to 750 kg	D
PSV 4	Bus with more than 8 passenger seats but not more than 5.5 metres long	D (with restriction code 105 or 79)
HGV 1-3A	As group HGV 1, 2 or 3 but limited to automatic vehicles only	C or CE with restriction code 78
PSV 1-4A	As group PSV 1, 2, 3 or 4 but limited to automatic vehicles only	D or DE with restriction code 78

Restriction codes on your driving licence

Licences issued between June 1990 and December 1996

Between 1990 and 1996 your driving licence would have been made of paper with a pink and green background.

Category	Description	Category after 1997
A	Motorcycle with or without sidecar, with a maximum design speed exceeding 50 km/h or with an engine capacity over 50 cc	A1 and A (depending upon size of bike)
B1	Motor-tricycle with a maximum design speed exceeding 50 km/h and unladen mass not exceeding 500 kg	B1 (excluding quadricycles)
B	Motor vehicle other than those in category A, with a MAM of up to 3,500 kg and with no more than eight passenger seats	B *
C1	Medium sized vehicle weighing between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg	C1
C	Large vehicle weighing over 3,500 kg	C
D1	Bus with a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 16 passenger seats	D1
D	Large bus with more than 8 passenger seats	D
E	Combination of vehicles in categories B, C and D above, which are pulling trailers	BE, CE, DE
F	Agricultural tractor	F
G	Road roller	G
H	Tracked vehicle	H
K	Mowing machine or vehicle controlled by a pedestrian	K
L	Electrically propelled vehicle	L
N	Vehicle exempted from duty under Section 7(1) of the Vehicles (Excise) Act 1971 – that is exempted from vehicle excise duty because it travels not more than 6 miles per week on roads and then only in passing between pieces of land in its owner’s possession	N
P	Moped - with an engine size of up to 50 cc and a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h	P

*If you passed your category B (car) test before 1 January 2024 you would also have had the entitlement to drive vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500 kg (now known as C1 and C1E vehicles).

However you can only drive such a vehicle and tow a trailer where the total weight of both is no more than 8,250 kg.

You can also drive minibuses with up to 16 passenger seats (now known as D1 and D1E vehicles) as long as you are not driving for hire or reward.