Driving Licence Categories and Vehicle Classification
Austrian licences follow the EU categories, and exam questions test whether you know the category boundary rather than the vehicle you happen to see. AM covers mopeds and light two- and three-wheelers up to 45 km/h and small light four-wheelers. A1, A2 and A grade motorcycles by power and power-to-weight ratio; B covers cars and light vehicles up to 3500 kg gross weight with at most eight seats besides the driver; BE adds a trailer above the B limits; C1/C and D1/D cover goods and passenger transport with their own weight and seat thresholds, and the 1 variants are the lighter class.
Traps: a heavy trailer behind a B car needs BE even if the car itself is a B vehicle; the trailer limit for B is 750 kg, or more only if the combination stays within 3500 kg and the trailer does not exceed the car's unladen mass. Towing rules and the B96 extension (trailer up to 4250 kg combination) appear frequently. Also expect questions on the driving licence with conditions (glasses, automatic only, speed-limited), on probationary period rules for new drivers, and on vehicle documents carried: licence, registration (Zulassungsbescheinigung), proof of insurance and, where required, inspection sticker.
Worked rule of thumb: for a B car of 1400 kg unladen, the heaviest trailer allowed without BE is min(1400 kg, 3500 − car weight). If the car weighs 1400 kg, the combination cap leaves 2100 kg, but the unladen-mass rule caps the trailer at 1400 kg.
Remember that category entitlement can lapse: categories for heavier vehicles require periodic medical checks, and a licence can be revoked for fitness reasons.