Discover the different categories of **driving licenses** available depending on the type of vehicle you wish to drive. Also learn about the requirements and procedures for obtaining these licenses, and here’s how to drive in France with a foreign license.
Category B: Car License
The **Category B** license allows you to drive several types of vehicles. Here are the details:
- A **car** or **van** with a **GVWR** (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) not exceeding **3.5 tonnes**.
- A car or van towing a **trailer**. The trailer’s GVWR must not exceed **750 kg**, or if it does, the combined GVWR of the car and trailer must not exceed **3.5 tonnes**.
A **motorhome**. A **small motorcycle** (not exceeding **125cc** engine capacity) or a **3-wheeled scooter** (category **L5e**, if you are over 21). To do this, you must have held a category B driving license for more than **2 years** and complete **7 hours of practical training** at a driving school or approved center.
For more details on the procedures and conditions, see our
dedicated article
on the category B driving license and the vehicles you can drive with this license.
- The different types of two-wheeled vehicle licenses
- The **two-wheeled vehicle** license comes in several categories:
- The AM license (or BSR) for light mopeds
Accessible from **age 14**, it allows you to drive a **moped** with an engine capacity of less than **50cc** and **4 kilowatts**. This license also includes driving **light quadricycles** (quads, microcars) with the same specifications. The training includes a theoretical component in middle school (**ASSR**) and **7 hours of practical training** at a driving school or approved center.
Three types of motorcycle licenses: A1, A2, A
- **A1 License**: For motorcycles with a maximum power of **15 kW** (or **125 cc**).
- **A2 License**: For motorcycles with a power of up to **35 kW**.
- **Category A License**: For two-wheeled vehicles over **35 kW**. This license requires holding an A2 license for at least **2 years** and completing an additional **7-hour** training course.
Equivalencies between Category B and motorcycle licenses
Since **2011**, a Category B license allows you to drive a two-wheeled vehicle up to **15 kW** (or **125 cc**), or a **L5e motor tricycle** if you are **21 years of age** or older. This is equivalent to a Category A1 license, provided you have held a Category B license for at least **2 years** and complete a **7-hour** training course.
The training includes:
2 hours of **theory**
2 hours of **off-road practice**
2 hours of **on-road practice**
The C license: heavy goods vehicle license
- To drive a **heavy goods vehicle**, you must first hold a B license. Then, several options are available:
- If you are under **21 years old**, the **C1** license allows you to drive a vehicle intended for the transport of goods or equipment with a **GVWR** between **3.5 and 7.5 tonnes**.
- From **21 years old**, the **C** license authorizes you to drive heavy goods vehicles equipped with trailers, with a GVWR exceeding **7.5 tonnes**.
The D license for passenger transport
- The **D** license is for driving vehicles used for the transport of people, such as buses or coaches.
Accessible from age **21** for holders of a category B license, this license allows you to obtain the **D1** license, for driving vehicles carrying up to **16 passengers** and measuring up to **8 meters** in length.
At **age 24**, you can obtain a category D license to drive vehicles with a larger number of passengers. The E license: trailer license
