Vehicle categories, driver licensing and documentation
Vehicle categories, driver licensing and documentation
This domain tests category D licensing boundaries and the documents a professional bus driver must carry. Questions often turn on passenger numbers, trailer mass and whether a licence category or code actually covers the vehicle in front of you.
Core rules
- Category D covers a motor vehicle used to carry more than eight passengers in addition to the driver. Category D1 covers up to 16 passengers in addition to the driver. Category DE and D1E add a trailer above 750 kg; the trailer and load must stay within the approved combination limits.
- Minimum ages and medical standards are stricter than for car categories. Professional drivers need periodic medical examinations and must declare conditions or medicines that affect driving.
- The licence must be valid for the category, not merely for driving a car. Codes and restrictions on the licence, such as glasses, adapted controls, area or vehicle restrictions, must be complied with.
- Carry the driving licence, tachograph driver card, vehicle registration, valid insurance, technical inspection evidence and any transport authorisation or passenger documents required for the journey. The tachograph calibration plaque and emergency equipment must be in order.
- A driver CPC or professional qualification, where required, is not a substitute for the licence category. Both must be valid.
- Before driving an unfamiliar bus, confirm its permitted passenger capacity, unladen and gross weights, axle limits and trailer compatibility.
Worked example
A driver holds D1 and is asked to drive a 20-seat minibus with 19 passengers plus the driver. D1 covers up to 16 passengers in addition to the driver, so this vehicle needs category D. If the same vehicle tows a 1,500 kg trailer, D1 alone is not enough; D1E is required, and the combined weight must remain within the D1E limit.
Traps
The common errors are counting the driver as a passenger, assuming D1 covers any minibus, ignoring trailer weight, and carrying an expired medical or insurance document. A licence code is not cosmetic: driving without the required glasses or adaptation can invalidate insurance and the journey.