Vehicles you can drive and how old you must be to drive them
- Motorcycles
- Cars with and without trailers
- Large vehicles with or without trailers
- Buses with or without trailers
- Other categories
In general, the minimum ages for driving on British roads are 16 years for invalid carriages and mopeds, 17 years for agricultural or forestry tractors, small vehicles and motorcycles, and 21 years for medium/large sized vehicles, minibuses and buses.
Listed below are vehicle category descriptions for driving tests passed after 1 January 1997 and the minimum ages for driving them. All weights refer to maximum authorised mass (MAM) unless stated otherwise. This is the total weight of the vehicle plus the maximum load it can carry.
Motorcycles
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Mopeds with an engine capacity not exceeding 50cc and a maximum design speed not exceeding 50km/h |
P |
16 |
Light motorcycles with a cubic capacity not exceeding 125cc and a power output not exceeding 11kW (14.6bhp) |
A1 |
17 |
Motorcycles up to 25kW (33bhp) and a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.16kW/kg. Motorcycle combination with a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.16kW/kg |
A1 |
17 |
Any size motorcycle with or without a sidecar |
A |
21* |
* Age 21 if the rider passed the test for large motorcycles as part of the Direct Access scheme, or 2 years from the date of test pass if the rider passed the test on a standard A motorcycle (power output up to 25 kW (33 bhp) or a power to weight ratio not exceeding 0.16kW/kg.)
3 or 4 wheeled vehicles light
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Motor tricycles / quadricycles, 3 or 4 wheeled vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 550kg |
B1 |
17* |
Cars with and without trailers
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg. Combinations of towing vehicles in category B and a trailer, where the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle |
B |
17* |
As cars, but with automatic transmission |
B |
17* |
Combinations of vehicles consisting of a vehicle in category B and a trailer, where the combination does not come within category B |
B+E |
17 |
*Age 16 if you are currently getting Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate (mobility component)
Medium sized vehicles with or without trailers
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Vehicles between 3500kg and 7500kg with a trailer up to 750kg |
C1 |
18* |
Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory C1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750kg provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle. (If you passed your category B test prior to 1.1.1997 you will be restricted to a total weight not more than 8250kg) |
C1+E |
21* |
*Age 18 if combination weight is under 7500kg
Large vehicles with or without trailers
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer up to 750kg |
C |
21* |
Vehicles over 3500kg with a trailer over 750kg |
C+E |
21* |
*Age 17 if member of armed forces
*Age 18 if member of the young drivers scheme
Minibuses with or without trailers
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Vehicles with between 9 and 16 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg |
D1 |
21* |
Combinations of vehicles where the towing vehicle is in subcategory D1 and its trailer has a MAM of over 750kg, provided that the MAM of the combination thus formed does not exceed 12000kg, and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle |
D1+E |
21* |
*Age 17 if member of armed forces
*Age 18
- while learning to drive or taking a passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) test
- after passing a PCV test when:
- driving on a regular service where the route does not exceed 50km
- driving a PCV constructed to carry no more than 16 passengers
- the vehicle is operated under a public service vehicle (PSV) operator's licence or permit
- not engaged in the carriage of passengers
Buses with or without trailers
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg |
D |
21* |
Any bus with more than 8 passenger seats with a trailer over 750kg |
D+E |
21 |
*Age 17 if member of armed forces
*Age 18
- while learning to drive or taking a passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) test
- after passing a PCV test when:
- driving on a regular service where the route does not exceed 50km
- driving a PCV constructed to carry no more than 16 passengers
- the vehicle is operated under a public service vehicle (PSV) operator's licence or permit
- not engaged in the carriage of passengers
Other categories
Description |
Category |
Minimum age |
Agricultural tractors |
F |
17* |
Road rollers |
G |
21** |
Tracked vehicles |
H |
21*** |
Mowing machine or vehicle controlled by a pedestrian |
K |
16 |
Mopeds |
P |
16 |
*Age 16 for tractors less than 2.45m wide. It must only pull trailers less than 2.45m wide with two wheels, or four close-coupled
**Age 17 for small road-rollers with metal or hard rollers. They must not be steam powered, weigh more than 11.69 tonnes or constructed or adapted for the conveyance of a load other than the following things, namely water, fuel or accumulators used for the purpose of the supply of power to or propulsion of the vehicle, loose tools and objects specially designed to be attached to the vehicle for the purpose of temporarily increasing its weight
*** Age 17 if the MAM of the tracked vehicle does not exceed 3500kg
Page last updated: 10/04/2008