Categories of motor vehicles and minimum age of drivers
Information
Motor vehicles in Ireland are divided into different categories for driver licensing purposes. This is a standard practice throughout the European Union. Each category of vehicle has a prescribed minimum age for the driver. In other words, before you can apply for a licence to drive a vehicle in Ireland, you must be a certain age.
Rules
Whether you have a driving licence or a learner permit, you are only entitled to drive the category of vehicle for which the licence or permit has been issued.
If you wish to have another category of motor vehicle added to your existing driving licence or learner permit, your existing licence/permit must be in date. Certain categories of vehicles may be added to your existing driving licence or learner permit automatically without having to do another test, for example if you have a licence to drive a car, you can automatically drive a tractor. But to add other categories, you may have to go through the application process and complete the relevant tests for that category.
Motorcycles and mopeds
The categories and driver’s minimum age for motorcycles and mopeds are:
| Category | Vehicle type | Minimum age of driver |
| AM | Mopeds and tricycles with a maximum speed of 45kph and light quadricycles | 16 years |
| A1 | Motorcycles (with or without a sidecar) of 11kW or less and 125cc or less, with a maximum power/weight ratio of 0.1 kW/kg, and motor tricycles of 15 kW or less |
16 years |
| A2 | Motorcycles (with or without a sidecar) of 35kW or less, with a maximum power/weight ratio of 0.2 kW/kg, and not derived from a vehicle of more than double its power | 18 years |
| A* | Motorcycles (with or without a sidecar) and motor tricycles | 24 years (20 years via progressive access) |
*Learner permits for category A were restricted to motorcycles of 25kW or less. This restriction continued for two years after obtaining your first driving licence for category A. This restriction still applies to learner permits and driving licences issued before 19 January 2013.
Further information is available in our documents on learner driver permits for motorcycles and driving licences for motorcycles.
Cars and work vehicles
The categories and driver’s minimum age for cars and work vehicles are as follows:
| Category | Vehicle type | Minimum age of driver |
| B | Vehicles with seats for a maximum of 8 passengers and a maximum weight of 3,500kg (can tow a trailer where the maximum weight of the trailer when fully loaded is 750kg or less) | 17 years |
| W | Work vehicles with or without a trailer, such as a land tractor or JCB | 16 years |
Learner permits for category B do not allow you to pull a trailer.
Further information is available in our documents on learner driver permits for cars and work vehicles and driving licences.
Buses and trucks
The categories and driver’s minimum age for buses and trucks are:
| Category | Vehicle type | Minimum age of driver |
| C1 | Goods vehicles between 3,500kg and 7,500kg | 18 years |
| C | Goods vehicles over 3,500kg | 21 years (18 years with a Driver Certificate of Professional Competance) |
| D1 | Passenger vehicles with accommodation for more than 8 and a maximum of 16 people | 21 years |
| D | Passenger vehicles with accommodation for more than 8 people | 24 years (21 years with a Driver Certificate of Professional Competance) |
The categories include pulling a trailer where the maximum weight of the trailer when fully loaded is 750kg or less. However, learner permits for these categories do not allow you to pull a trailer.
Further information is available in our documents on learner driver permits for buses and trucks and driving licences.
Trailers
The categories and minimum age of the driver that apply when pulling a trailer with a maximum weight greater than 750kg when fully loaded, are:
| Category | Vehicle type | Minimum age of driver |
| BE | Vehicles in category B with a trailer of 3,500kg maximum weight | 17 years |
| C1E | Goods vehicles in category C1 where the
combined weight of vehicle and trailer when fully loaded is not more
than 12,000kg
Vehicles in category B with a trailer of over 3,500kg and where the combined weight of vehicle and trailer when fully loaded is not more than 12,000kg, |
18 years |
| CE | Goods vehicles in category C with a trailer (includes articulated trucks) | 21 years (18 years with a Driver Certificate of Professional Competance) |
| D1E | Passenger vehicles in category D1 with a trailer | 21 years |
| DE | Passenger vehicles in category D with a trailer | 24 years (21 years with a Driver Certificate of Professional Competance) |
Further information is available in our documents on learner driver permits for trailers and driving licences.