# What Can I Drive

> Can I drive a 7.5 tonne on my licence? Check category B weight limits, pre-1997 entitlements, the towing rules, and when you need C1, C1E, D1 or C.

## Key facts

- A category B licence issued from 1 January 1997 covers vehicles with up to 8 passenger seats and a MAM of 3,500kg, or 4,250kg for electric and hydrogen vehicles (gov.uk driving licence categories).
- The separate car and trailer test is gone: gov.uk states that a licence issued from 1 January 1997 can tow a trailer of up to 3,500kg MAM, and that DVLA will add category BE at the next renewal if it is not already on the photocard.
- The combined MAM of a car and trailer driven on a post-1997 category B licence must not exceed 7,000kg; a licence issued before 1 January 1997 usually allows up to 8,250kg combined.
- C1 and D1 entitlement carried over from a pre-1997 car licence cannot be renewed online at 70: gov.uk requires a postal renewal, using form D2 with a D4 medical examination report completed by a doctor.

## Key pages

- [Can I drive a 7.5 tonne on my licence?](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/): the main tool, answer above the fold.
- [7.5 tonne driving licence: can I drive one on a car licence?](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/can-i-drive-a-7-5-tonne-lorry/): A 7.5 tonne lorry is category C1. Whether your car licence already carries it comes down to one date, and what happens to it at 70 catches people out.
- [What can I tow with a car licence? The rules after the change](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/what-can-i-tow-with-a-car-licence/): The separate car and trailer test was removed, so a category B licence now tows up to 3,500kg. The combined 7,000kg ceiling is the part most pages miss.
- [Can you drive a motorhome on a normal licence?](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/drive-a-motorhome-on-a-car-licence/): Motorhomes are decided by maximum authorised mass, not by size or berths. 3,500kg is the line for a modern car licence, and the plate is the only thing that counts.
- [Can I drive a minibus on a car licence?](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/drive-a-minibus-on-a-car-licence/): Sometimes, and only on gov.uk's not-for-hire-or-reward conditions: age 21, licence held 2 years, voluntary driving, no trailer, 3,500kg MAM.
- [UK driving licence categories and what each one lets you drive](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/#data): original data table, updated 2026-08-14.
- [Full site content as markdown](https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/llms-full.txt)

## Data

- UK driving licence categories and what each one lets you drive. Methodology: Every row is taken from the DVLA driving licence categories published on gov.uk and was checked against that page on the updated date above. Weights are maximum authorised mass (MAM), which gov.uk defines as the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load it can carry safely on the road, also known as gross vehicle weight. Entitlements shown for licences issued before 1 January 1997 are the usual position, not a guarantee: gov.uk directs you to view your own licence record to confirm what you hold.
- Last updated: 2026-08-14. Every figure cites its source inline.
- Source: gov.uk, driving licence categories: https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories
- Source: gov.uk, towing with a car: https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-car
- Source: gov.uk, towing licence and age requirements tool: https://www.gov.uk/towing-rules
- Source: gov.uk, driving a minibus: https://www.gov.uk/driving-a-minibus
- Source: gov.uk, compare old and new driving licence categories: https://www.gov.uk/old-driving-licence-categories
- Source: gov.uk, driving licence codes: https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-codes
- Source: gov.uk, vehicle weights explained: https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-weights-explained
- Source: gov.uk, adding categories to your driving licence: https://www.gov.uk/adding-higher-categories-to-your-driving-licence
- Source: gov.uk, become a qualified HGV or bus driver: https://www.gov.uk/become-lorry-bus-driver
- Source: gov.uk, renew your driving licence if you are 70 or over: https://www.gov.uk/renew-driving-licence-at-70
- Source: gov.uk, medical conditions, disabilities and driving: https://www.gov.uk/driving-medical-conditions
- Source: gov.uk, driving eyesight rules: https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules
- Source: gov.uk, view or share your driving licence information: https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
- Source: nidirect, vehicle categories and driving on a foreign licence: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/driving-licences/vehicle-categories-and-driving-foreign-licence

## Citation

Cite as: "UK driving licence categories and what each one lets you drive", What Can I Drive, https://whatcanidrive.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14).

## About

- What Can I Drive is an information site. It is not affiliated with DVLA, DVSA or any government body, and nothing here is legal advice. Licence entitlements vary with the exact issue date and with any restriction codes on your record, so confirm your own position on gov.uk before you drive anything larger than a car.
- Operated by whatcanidrive.co.uk. Contact: contact@whatcanidrive.co.uk