Driving minibuses with a car driving licence
There are special licensing arrangements allowing you to drive minibuses under certain circumstances without holding the Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driving licence entitlement category D1. Drivers of minibuses having nine to 16 passenger seats, in most circumstances, will need to hold a PCV licence category D1, or a category D licence to drive larger buses.
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: