Vehicle Categories and Their Classification (Descriptions)

Vehicle categories

The different categories of cars and their classifications are listed below.

​​Motorcycle, moped, quad bike categories

AM – mopeds and light quadricycles with an engine capacity not exceeding 49 cm3.

Minimum age is 15 years.

A1 – motorcycles with an engine capacity of more than 50 cm3 but not more than 125 cm3 and a power output not exceeding 11 kW. Also tricycles with a power output not exceeding 15 kW.

Minimum age is 16 years.

A2 - motorcycles with a power not exceeding 35 kW, a power-to-weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg and which are not derived from a vehicle with more than twice the power.

A – motorcycles with or without a sidecar.

Minimum age – 18 years. The right to drive motorcycles with a power exceeding 25 kW or a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 0.16 kW/kg, and motorcycles with a sidecar with a power-to-weight ratio exceeding 0.16 kW/kg, is granted only with at least two years of experience driving motorcycles with lower characteristics) or 21 years

B1 – three-wheeled and four-wheeled motorcycles.

Minimum age is 16 years.

Passenger car categories

B – cars with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 3,500 kg and having up to 8 seats without the driver. These cars may be coupled to a trailer with a maximum permissible mass not exceeding 750 kg or a maximum permissible mass of the combination not exceeding 3,500 kg, and the maximum permissible mass of the trailer not exceeding the unladen mass of the car.

Minimum age is 18 years.

BE – combinations of a category B car and a trailer with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 750 kg.

Minimum age is 18 years.

Truck, tractor categories

C1 – cars that are not classified in categories D1 and D and whose maximum permissible mass is 3,501–7,500 kg. These cars may be coupled to trailers whose maximum permissible mass does not exceed 750 kg.

Minimum age is 18 years.

C – cars that are not classified in categories D1 and D and whose maximum permissible mass exceeds 3,500 kg. Cars in this category may be coupled to trailers with a maximum permissible mass of up to 750 kg.

Minimum age – 18 years (only after obtaining the initial professional qualification for transporting goods in accordance with the procedure established by law) or 21 years.

C1E – combinations of category C1 cars and trailers with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 750 kg. The maximum permissible mass of these combinations must not exceed 12,000 kg, and the maximum permissible mass of the trailer must not exceed the unladen mass of the car.

Minimum age is 18 years.

CE – combinations of category C cars and trailers with a maximum permissible mass exceeding 750 kg.

Minimum age – 18 years (only after obtaining the initial professional qualification for transporting goods in accordance with the procedure established by law) or 21 years.

Bus categories

D1 – cars intended for the carriage of passengers and having more than eight but not more than sixteen seats in addition to the driver's seat. These cars may be coupled to trailers with a maximum permissible mass of up to 750 kg.

Minimum age – 18 years (only after obtaining the initial professional qualification for transporting goods in accordance with the procedure established by law) or 21 years.

D – cars designed for the carriage of passengers and having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat. These cars may be coupled to a trailer with a maximum permissible mass of up to 750 kg.

Minimum age – 18 years (to transport passengers on regular flights, if the route is not longer than 50 km, and only after acquiring the initial professional qualification to transport passengers in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts), 21 years (to transport passengers on regular flights, if the route is not longer than 50 km, or only after acquiring the initial professional qualification to transport passengers in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts) or 23 years

D1E – combinations of D1 category cars and trailers with a maximum permissible mass of 750 kg or more. The maximum permissible mass of these combinations does not exceed 12,000 kg and the maximum permissible mass of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the car and is not used for the carriage of passengers.

Minimum age – 18 years (only after obtaining the initial professional qualification for transporting goods in accordance with the procedure established by law) or 21 years.

DE – combinations of category D cars and trailers with a maximum permissible mass of 750 kg or more.

Minimum age – 18 years (to transport passengers on regular flights, if the route is up to 50 km, and only after acquiring the initial professional qualification to transport passengers in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts), 21 years (to transport passengers on regular flights, if the route is up to 50 km, or only after acquiring the initial professional qualification to transport passengers in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts) or 23 years