Driving minibuses with a car driving licence

Driving a minibus with full category B (car) driving licence

A minibus with up to 16 passenger seats can be driven on a car licence if the following conditions are met:

• the vehicle is used for social purposes by a non-commercial body 
• the driver is aged at least 21 and has held a full car  licence for at least two years
• the minibus maximum weight is not more than 3.5 tonnes (4.25 tonnes if fitted with specialist equipment for the carriage of passengers)

When driving a minibus under these conditions you may not receive any payment or consideration for driving other than out-of-pocket expenses. You can't tow trailers; you may only drive minibuses in the United Kingdom.

Drivers aged 70 or over will need to make a special application which involves meeting higher medical standards.

Vehicle classification for driver licensing purposes

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) can't give legal advice on how vehicles are classified but, generally speaking it depends on the weight of the vehicle or the number of passengers it can carry.

Any queries should be directed to the DVA:

• Driver & Vehicle Agency - driver licensing
• Buses and lorries you can drive and minimum ages

More useful links

• How to tell DVA about a medical condition
• The driving licence you need to tow a caravan or trailer
• FAQs on driving minibuses (PDF 145KB)(external link opens in a new window / tab)