Adding categories to your driving licence

Get a ‘provisional entitlement’ and then take a test to get higher categories added to your licence. You may also be automatically entitled to lower categories if you pass a higher category driving test.

Check online to see which vehicles you can drive at the moment.

Adding higher category entitlements to your licence

To add higher category entitlements to your driving licence, you need to:

  1. Pass your car (B) driving test.

  2. Have provisional entitlement for the category of vehicle you want to drive.

  3. Pass the driving test for the new category to get full entitlement.

You do not need to do a test for a lower category first. For example, you do not need to pass a test in a medium-sized lorry (category C1) before you can take a test in a medium-sized lorry with a trailer (category C1E).

If you pass the test to get a full car licence (B), you will automatically get full BE entitlement. Find out what these categories mean.

Get provisional entitlement

The provisional entitlements you can apply for are C, C1, C1+E, D and D1. Find out what these categories mean.

For example, if you have a full car licence you can apply for provisional entitlement to drive a lorry or a bus.

If you apply for one of these provisional entitlements, you’ll get additional entitlements to the one you apply for.

Provisional entitlements you apply for Additional provisional entitlements you’ll get
C C1, C1+E, C, C+E
C1 C1
C1+E C1, C1+E, C, C+E
D C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E
D1 C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E

You automatically get provisional entitlement to G and H categories - you do not need to apply.

If you got your bus or lorry entitlement before 15 November 2021

You may be able to get additional provisional entitlements to the ones you were issued with.

If you got full bus or lorry entitlement after 15 November, you’ll have these extra provisional entitlements added to your licence automatically.

Entitlement you were issued Provisional entitlements you’ll get
C1 C1
C1+E C1, C1+E, C, C+E
C C1, C1+E, C, C+E
C+E C1, C1+E, C, C+E
D1 C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E
D1+E C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E
D C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E
D+E C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D, D+E

To get the additional provisional entitlements added to your licence, order form D2 from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

You may also need to send form D4 – this has to be filled out by a doctor. Check form D2 to find out if you need to do this.

Send the form and your photocard driving licence to DVLA. There’s no application fee.

If you have a paper driving licence you must include a passport-style colour photo and original identity documents.

DVLA  
Swansea  
SA99 1BR

You should get your new driving licence within 3 weeks of DVLA getting your application. It can take longer if your health or personal details need to be checked.

If you’ve developed a medical condition or disability, changed your address or got new driving offences since your original application, you’ll need to apply for provisional entitlement again.

Check online to see which vehicles you can drive at the moment.

Getting categories added automatically when you pass a trailer driving test (upgrading)

If you pass the driving test for trailer entitlement, sometimes you’ll have lower categories upgraded automatically.

Example

If you have a licence with entitlements for vehicle category D, and then pass the C+E test, you not only get entitlement to C+E vehicles but will also be upgraded to drive D+E vehicles.

If you get the trailer entitlement for larger vehicles, sometimes you’ll automatically get the full trailer entitlement for smaller vehicles.

Check online to see which vehicles you can drive at the moment.

As a guideline:

  • lorry entitlements can upgrade bus entitlements
  • bus entitlements cannot upgrade lorry entitlements
  • both lorry and bus entitlements can upgrade car entitlements

The table shows the original vehicle categories held, the higher vehicle category test that’s been passed and the additional vehicle categories that will be upgraded automatically.

Full entitlement held New test passed Automatic upgrade
B no test needed B+E
B, C1 C1+E no upgrade
B, D1 D1+E no upgrade
B, C1, D1 C1+E no upgrade
B, C1, D1 D1+E no upgrade
B, C, C1, D1 C+E C1+E
B, C1, C, D1, D D+E D1+E
B, C1, C, D1, D C+E C1+E, D1+E, D+E

Further information

For further information about getting categories automatically added to your licence contact DVLA.

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