Driving Licence Category Codes - A Short Overview

In the UK, driving and traffic rules are designed to ensure the safety of everyone on the road. According to the DVLA, not every driver can drive every type of vehicle. There are fixed skill tests that a person needs to pass (both theory and practical tests) in order to obtain a UK driving licence for a specific vehicle or specific vehicles. Vehicles are defined under fixed categories and driving licence category codes reveal the type of vehicle the licence holder is allowed to drive.

As mentioned above, a driver needs to complete a specific driving test to obtain a licence for each and every category, according to the  code depicted on the driving licence. By looking at this code, you can find out what vehicles drivers are allowed to drive. For example,

• A1 - on a licence means you can drive light motorbikes with an engine size up to 125cc, a power output of up to 11kw, a power to weight ratio not more than 0.1kw/kg - this category also includes motor tricycles with power output to 15kw
• B1- on a licence means you can drive motor vehicles with 4 wheels up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if they are designed for carrying goods.
  

So, it all depends on what test the driver has passed.

Details of category codes:

The licence category codes not only reveal permissible vehicles but also indicates the minimum age of the driver as each category has minimum age levels.

• For driving motorcycles ranging from 11KW-25KW without sidecars, the category codes vary from A1 to A. Minimum age limits are from 17-21 years depending on the particular type of motorcycle.
• A B1 category code indicates the driver can drive 3 or 4 wheelers less than 550kg weight limit.
• For driving cars of all types such as an eight seater, hatchback, sedan, SUV, automatic cars, trailer accompanied cars the code varies from B, B Automatic, to B+E categories. The minimum age limit in each case is 17.
• For medium to larger vehicles like trucks, trailers, Lorries etc. the code varies from C, C+E to C1. The minimum age for the C1 category is 18 and for others it is 21.
• For mini buses and buses the codes are D1, D1+E and D, D+E respectively.
  

Apart from the above there are some other codes that are also applicable.

Importance Of Checking All The Driving License Details Of An Applicant Before Hiring Them

As an employer who hires an employee to drive on behalf of their organisation, you have to make sure that the driver holds a valid UK driving licence and entitlements so he can drive the suitable vehicle. The disappointing fact is that there are fleet operators and employers out there who fail to fulfil this most basic task and leave themselves at the risk of facing some serious and damaging consequences.

What's the process of checking a licence with us?

There are two types of consent in our Licence Check system which allows you to check and validate their driving licence. These are:

• E-Consent: This process allows you to grant consent online through our service. Once you've validated and entered all your driving licence details and confirmed consent, your licence record will then upload to your organisations account. (The driver will need access to an email address and a mobile to receive an activation pin).

• Mandate: This is the document process that has been in place for a number of years. This paper document can be created in the system and consent can be granted as soon as we receive the signed copy in our office. This process can be only processed if the driver has signed the document with a wet signature.

Both consent types are valid for 3 years and you can perform a licence check on the driver as many times as you like within that time frame.  Once they are expired, you can update the record on our system, making sure that all the details are up to the date and this will re-generate the consent for another 3 years.

Endorsements/Convictions:

While checking the driver’s licence, it is recommended that you identify all the endorsement codes given in the licence and find out for how long each of them will apply. This will  give you a clear idea about the driver’s attitude towards the idea of safe driving. Also, if you have any questions regarding any prosecutions and are not clear with the details mentioned in the driving licence, it is ideal to contact DVLA and validate the licence details personally. 

Driver Qualification Card (DQC):

The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) is a qualification for professional lorry, coach and bus drivers. This has been introduced for a number of years as an aim to improve road safety by maintaining a high standard of driving.

If you're looking to hire an employee who will be driving large goods or passenger carrier vehicles, it's essentials that they have this qualification and that they have complete 35 hours of periodic training every 5 years to keep the CPC qualification.

Fines of £1,000 can be imposed for drivers who drive professionally without a CPC and they must carry the DQC with them at all times whenever they are driving professionally.

Medical Conditions

Along with the original driving license, one more thing that every employer must verify and ensure is that the driver is fit enough to drive on the road at all times. In order to ensure this, as an employer you must verify and ask the driver if they suffer from any DVLA notified medical conditions. You can gain a complete list of these medical conditions from Health Conditions and Driving.

If you signed up to our licence check service,  we  would provide medical dates that the driver will go for on vocational categories such as C and CE, as well as their category 'B' car entitlement. 

Furthermore, if you need any clarification concerning any medical condition, you can contact DVLA Medical Group.