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How
to
add
higher
categories
to
your
driving
licence
(staging
and
upgrading)
If
you
hold
of
a
full
car
driving
licence
(category
B),
it
may
be
possible
for
you
to
apply
for
provisional
entitlements
in
a
higher
category.
There
are
also
circumstances
that
will
upgrade
a
lower
category
on
your
licence
if
you
pass
the
driving
test
in
a
higher
category.
Staging
If
you
passed
your
driving
test
on
or
after
the
1
January
1997
and
you
want
to
learn
to
drive
a
larger
vehicle,
you
may
be
able
to
apply
for
the
higher
category.
Once
you
have
obtained
provisional
entitlement
on
your
driving
licence
you
can
take
the
test
in
that
category.
For
example,
a
driver
must
hold
a
full
car
licence
(category
B)
before
being
able
to
apply
for
a
provisional
licence
to
drive
a
lorry,
minibus
or
bus.
This
is
known
as
staging
and
will
apply
from
the
smallest
to
the
largest
vehicles.
The
table
below
shows
the
full
licence
that
needs
to
be
held
before
you
can
apply
for
provisional
entitlement
in
the
higher
categories.
| Provisional
entitlement
required |
Full
licence
to
be
held |
| B+E*,
G*,
H*,
C1,
C,
D1,
D |
B |
| C1
+
E |
C1 |
| C+E |
C |
| D1+E |
D1 |
| D+E |
D |
*
Provisional
entitlement
granted
automatically
with
full
B
licence
|
|
|
|
Upgrading
If
you pass your test for a larger vehicle category, in certain
circumstances a lower category will be upgraded. This does
not apply, however, to a driver who has already passed a test,
which involves trailer entitlement for a larger or equivalent
vehicle.
The
table below provides an indication of the vehicle category
held, the higher vehicle category that has been passed and
the vehicle category that will be upgrade as a result of the
test passed.
| Full
category held |
Additional
test passed |
Upgrading |
| B,
C1 |
C1+E |
B+E |
| B,
D1 |
D1+E |
B+E |
| B,C1,
D1 |
C1+E |
B+E,
D1+E |
| B,
C1, D1 |
D1+E |
B+E |
| B,
C1, C |
C+E |
B+E,
C1+E |
| B,
C1, C, D1, D |
D+E |
B+E,
D1+E |
| B,
C1, C, D1 |
C+E |
B+E,
C1+E, D1+E, D+E |
As
a general guideline:
- lorry
entitlements can upgrade bus entitlements
- bus
entitlements can not upgrade lorry entitlement
- both
lorry and bus entitlements can upgrade car entitlements
For
further information regarding staging or upgrading of vehicle
category entitlements, you can write to:
Customer
Enquiries (Drivers) Group
DVLA
Sandringham
Park
Swansea
SA7
0EE
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