HGV licence categories C1, C and C+E

By the end of this topic you can

• You can name each lorry category and the vehicles it covers.
• You can explain what maximum authorised mass (MAM) means.
• You can describe the minimum ages and the main exceptions.
• You can list the steps from a car licence to a full lorry licence.
• You can explain why a medical is needed and how often the licence is renewed.

What you need to know and understand

• C1 covers vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg MAM, with a trailer up to 750kg.
• C1+E is a C1 vehicle with a trailer over 750kg, and the combination must not exceed 12,000kg MAM.
• C covers vehicles over 3,500kg (rigid lorries), with a trailer up to 750kg.
• C+E is a category C vehicle with a trailer over 750kg, which includes articulated lorries and drawbar combinations.
• You need a full car licence before you can add lorry categories.
• The usual minimum age is 18 for C1 and 21 for C and C+E, but you can drive C and C+E from 18 if you are taking or have passed the Driver CPC initial qualification.
• You need a medical examination report (form D4) for your first lorry or bus licence application.
• Lorry and bus licences are renewed every 5 years, and every year from age 65.

What the weights mean

Lorry categories are based on maximum authorised mass (MAM). This is the most the vehicle is allowed to weigh when fully loaded, not what it weighs empty or what you happen to be carrying. You find it on the vehicle's plate.

So a lorry with a 7,500kg MAM is a C1 vehicle even if it is driving around empty. A 7,600kg MAM lorry needs category C. The same idea applies to trailers: what matters is the trailer's MAM, not its current load.

• C1: medium lorries from 3,500kg to 7,500kg, such as large removal vans and small box lorries
• C1+E: a C1 vehicle with a heavy trailer, up to 12,000kg combined
• C: rigid lorries over 3,500kg, such as tippers and large delivery trucks
• C+E: articulated lorries and rigid lorries towing heavy trailers

Ages and exceptions

The standard minimum age is 18 for C1 and 21 for C and C+E. There are exceptions. You can start at 18 for C and C+E if you are training for or have passed the Driver CPC initial qualification, which is the professional qualification for lorry and bus drivers. Members of the armed forces can drive some categories from a younger age. Rules can change, so check the current age guidance on gov.uk before you book training.

From car licence to lorry licence, step by step

Many drivers start with category C (a rigid lorry) and then move on to C+E. Some go straight to C+E through a training provider; check what your trainer and the current rules allow.

1. Hold a full category B car licence.
2. Get a medical examination done by a doctor and recorded on a D4 form. It checks things like eyesight, heart conditions, diabetes and sleep problems.
3. Apply to DVLA for provisional lorry entitlement using a D2 application with the D4.
4. Pass the theory test (multiple choice and hazard perception). If driving will be your job, also pass the Driver CPC case studies test.
5. Pass the off-road exercises and the on-road driving test in a vehicle of the right category.
6. If you will drive professionally, also pass the Driver CPC practical demonstration test.
7. Keep your licence medically up to date and renew it when due.

Older licences and Northern Ireland

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997, your licence will usually already include C1, so you may be able to drive lorries up to 7,500kg without another test. Check the categories on the back of your photocard. In Northern Ireland, licences are issued by DVA, which publishes its own guidance on lorry and bus categories and minimum ages.

Common mistakes

• Judging the category by what the lorry is carrying. It is the plated MAM that counts.
• Assuming a car licence passed after 1997 includes C1. It does not; you need a test.
• Leaving the medical until last. Without a D4 you cannot get provisional entitlement.
• Forgetting the trailer. Towing over 750kg with a lorry needs the '+E' category.
• Ignoring the Driver CPC. If driving is your job, you need it as well as the licence.

Test yourself: HGV licence categories C1, C and C+E

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Category B Explained