A D1 licence allows you to drive a multiple-passenger vehicle of up to 8 metres with a maximum of 16 seats+driver. On the other hand, a D licence is a PCV licence that enables you to drive a large bus and coaches with more than 8 seats+driver without the length limit. Not to mention, both licences also allow a towing capacity of up to 750 kg trailer.
Let’s discuss how both are different in terms of the driving coverage.
Coverage Of D1 Licence
A D1 licence provides a very limited coverage of driving minibus vehicles of more than 8 seaters. These include minibuses with a towing capacity of a 750 kg trailer. Apart from the seating capacity, the D1 licence is limited to 8 metre long vehicles, which only covers minibuses and not large coaches.
The minimum age requirement for holding a D1 licence is 21 years old. This licence covers only a small number of trips by expert drivers, which include compact school, business or family trips of max 16 passengers along with luggage.
Coverage of D Licence
A D licence is a permit to drive not just the minibuses but also large coaches of more than 16 seaters. It is a broader coverage for large group transportation that includes buses and coaches of all kinds without the limit of the vehicle length of only 8 metres. Be it a double-decker bus, executive coaches, or 750 kg tow trailers, a D licence allows you to drive all kinds of large transport buses.
Those who intend to drive a category D vehicle must be at least 21 years old to get a D licence with a Certificate of Professional Competence.
Key Differences Between D1 & D Licence
Feature | D Licence | D1 Licence |
Vehicle size | Buses/coaches with more than 16 seats | Minibuses with up to 16 seats |
Vehicle length | No length restriction | Up to 8 metres |
Trailer weight | Up to 750kg | Up to 750kg |
Professional use | Yes (public transport, coaches) | Limited by restriction 101 unless removed |
Medical requirements | Higher medical fitness standards | Same higher medical standards |
Licence testing | Theoretical and practical PCV tests | Specific D1 driving test |
What Is The Biggest Minibus You Can Drive On A Car License?
As for the Category B car licence, you can drive a minibus of max 8 seater that also meets the weight requirements of not more than 3,500 kg. Or if you plan to drive a minibus of more than 8 seats, you will need a D1 licence.
Which Licence Do You Need?
The answer is simple: if you intend to drive a large coach of more than 8 seaters for the profession, you will need a D licence. Or if you want to drive smaller minibuses for either personal or limited commercial use, you will just need a D1 licence.
You can easily obtain these licences by applying at DVLA and passing all the exams for medical, theoretical and practical. However, it is worth noting that the procedure for the D licence is considerably different and lengthy compared to the D1 licence since the D licence requires training for commercial driving of large vehicles.
