Compare old and new driving licence categories
The ‘groups’ or ‘categories’ on your full driving licence may have changed if the licence was issued before 2013.
Driving licence categories changed in January 2013 and also several times before that. Before June 1990, the types of vehicles you could drive were known as ‘groups’. These are now known as ‘categories’.
If your full driving licence was issued before January 2013, you can find the equivalent new category and check what types of vehicles you can drive.
Driving licence categories are different in Northern Ireland.
Licences issued between 1976 and 1986
| Vehicles you can drive | Group before 2013 | Category from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass (MAM) carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg; trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3,500kg MAM | A | B |
| Category B vehicles with trailer when combined weight of vehicle and trailer is over 3,500kg | A | BE |
| Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | A | C1 |
| Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver with trailer over 750kg, if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 8,250kg | A | C1E (with restriction code 107) |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | A | D1 (with restriction code 101) |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer over 750kg | A | D1E (with restriction codes 101, 111 and 119) |
| Vehicles in groups B, C, E, f, k, l and n below | A | See below |
| Group A vehicles | B | Above categories (with restriction code 78) |
| Any motor trike less than 410kg (500kg laden) | C | B1 (excluding quad bikes) |
| Motorbike | D | A1, A2 and A (depending on size of the motorbike) |
| Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h) | E | AM, p and Q |
| ’Invalid carriage’ (powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters) | J | B1 (limited to ‘invalid carriages’) |
Groups f, G, H, k, l, M, n keep the same category letters.
Licences issued between 1986 and June 1990
| Vehicles you can drive | Group before 2013 | Category from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3,500kg MAM | A | B |
| Category B vehicles with trailer, when combined weight of vehicle and trailer is over 3,500kg | A | BE |
| Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | A | C1 |
| Vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 8,250kg | A | C1E (with restriction code 107) |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | A | D1 (with restriction code 101) |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer over 750kg | A | D1E (with restriction codes 101, 111 and 119) |
| Vehicles in groups B, C, E, f, k, l and n below | A | See below |
| Group A vehicles excluding automatic motor trikes | B | Above categories (with restriction code 78 and excluding B1) |
| Vehicle with 4 wheels up to 450kg unladen | C | B1 |
| Motorbike | D | A1, A2 and A (depending on size of the motorbike) |
| Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h) | E | AM, p and Q |
Groups f, G, H, k, l, M, n keep the same category letters.
Licences issued between June 1990 and December 1996
| Vehicles you can drive | Category before 2013 | Category from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Motorbike with maximum speed of more than 50km or with engine over 50cc | A | A1, A2 and A (depending on size of motorbike) |
| Vehicle with 4 wheels up to 400kg unladen, or 550kg if intended to carry goods | B1 | B1 |
| Vehicle up to 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg (or with trailer over 750kg if combined vehicle and trailer weight isn’t more than 3,500kg MAM) | B | B |
| Category B vehicle with trailer, when combined weight of vehicle and trailer is over 3,500kg | BE | BE |
| Vehicle over 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | C | C |
| Vehicle over 3,500kg MAM carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer over 750kg | CE | C |
| Vehicle between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | C1 | C1 |
| Vehicle between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer over 750kg and a combined weight of no more than 8,250kg | C1E | C1E (with restriction code 107) |
| Vehicle between 3,500kg and 7,500kg carrying no more than 8 passengers plus driver, with trailer over 750kg and a combined weight of no more than 12,000kg | C1E | C1E |
| Bus with more than 8 passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg | D | D |
| Bus with more than 8 passenger seats with trailer over 750kg | DE | DE |
| Vehicle with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | D1 | D1 (with restriction code 101 and 111) |
| Vehicle with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | D1 | D1 |
| Vehicle with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer over 750kg | D1E | D1E (with restriction code 101,111 and 119) |
| Vehicle with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer over 750kg | D1E | D1E |
| Agricultural tractor | f | f |
| Road roller | G | G |
| Tracked vehicle | H | H |
| Mowing machine or pedestrian-controlled vehicle | k | k |
| Electrically propelled vehicle | l | l |
| Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h) | p | Am, p and Q |
| Vehicles are limited to trolley vehicles | M | M |
| Vehicles (exempt from duty) | n | n |
M category vehicles are limited to trolley vehicles. n category vehicles (exempt from duty) keep the same category letter.
Larger vehicles on a separate licence
If you got your driving licence before June 1990 you may have had a separate licence that showed your entitlement to drive larger vehicles.
| Vehicles you can drive | Group before 2013 | Category from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle over 3,500kg with a trailer over 750kg | HGV 1 | CE |
| Vehicle over 3,500kg with a trailer up to 750kg | HGV 2 or 3 | C |
| Vehicle over 3,500kg with a trailer over 750kg | HGV 2 or 3 | CE (with restriction code 102) |
| Passenger carrying vehicle (PCV) (more than 8 passenger seats) with trailer over 750kg | PSV 1 or 2 | DE |
| PCV (more than 8 passenger seats) with trailer up to 750kg | PSV 3 | D |
| PCV (more than 8 passenger seats) and less than 5.5 metres long | PSV 4 | D (with restriction code 105) |
| Vehicles only in group HGV 1-3 | HGV 1-3A | C or CE (with restriction code 78) |
| Vehicles only in group PSV 1-4 | PSV 1-4A | D or DE (with restriction code 78) |
Licences issued between January 1997 and 14 October 2012
| Vehicles you can drive | Category before 2013 | Category from 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Moped up to 50cc (max speed 50km/h) | p | AM, p and Q |
| Motorbikes with engine size up to 125cc, power output up to 11kW and power/weight ratio up to 0.1kW/kg | A1 | A1 |
| Motorbikes up to 25kW power output and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; motorbikes with sidecar and power weight ratio up to 0.16kW/kg; any size motorbike, with or without a sidecar if you’ve completed the large motorbike direct access scheme | A | A |
| 3 or 4-wheeled vehicles up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if intended to carry goods | B1 | B for 4-wheeled vehicles; A (restricted to trikes) |
| Vehicles up to 3,500kg MAM and up to 8 passenger seats with trailer up to 750kg; trailers over 750kg if combined weight of vehicle and trailer isn’t over 3,500kg | B | B |
| Automatic category B vehicles – you can’t drive manual category B vehicles with this entitlement | B auto | B (with restriction code 78) |
| Category B vehicles with trailer when combined weight of vehicle and trailer is over 3,500kg | BE | BE |
| Vehicles weighing 3,500 to 7,500kg MAM with trailers up to 750kg | C1 | C1 |
| Category C1 vehicles with trailers over 750kg; the combined weight of vehicle and trailer can’t be over 12,000kg | C1E | C1E |
| Vehicles over 3,500kg with trailers up to 750kg | C | C |
| Vehicles over 3,500kg with trailer over 750kg | CE | CE |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver, with trailer up to 750kg | D1 | D1 |
| Vehicles with up to 16 passenger seats plus driver with trailer over 750kg, if combined trailer and vehicle weight isn’t over 12,000kg | D1E | D1E |
| Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with trailer up to 750kg | D | D |
| Bus with more than 8 passenger seats, with trailer over 750kg | DE | DE |