Driving licence
Driving licence codes
The numbers in column 12 are conditions, not qualifications. Each one attaches to a category and says what has to be true before you drive it.
52
35
17
Checked on 20 December 2024.DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)
What do the codes on a driving licence mean?
They set the conditions you must meet to drive the category they sit against. Some are about you, such as needing glasses. Some are about the vehicle, such as an automatic restriction or an adaptation. A few, like the organ donor marker, are not restrictions at all.
Codes that exist in the European annex but are not on DVLA's page are deliberately absent here. A code nobody in the UK is issued does not belong on a page about UK licences.
Harmonised codes
| Code | DVLA wording |
|---|---|
| 01 | Eyesight correction, for example glasses or contact lenses |
| 02 | Hearing or communication aid |
| 10 | Modified transmission |
| 15 | Modified clutch |
| 20 | Modified braking systems |
| 25 | Modified accelerator systems |
| 30 | Combined braking and accelerator systems |
| 31 | Pedal adaptations and pedal safeguards |
| 32 | Combined service brake and accelerator systems |
| 33 | Combined service brake, accelerator and steering systems |
| 35 | Modified control layouts |
| 40 | Modified steering |
| 42 | Modified rear-view mirrors |
| 43 | Modified driving seats |
| 44 | Modifications to motorbikes |
| 44 (1) | Single operated brake |
| 44 (2) | Adapted front wheel brake |
| 44 (3) | Adapted rear wheel brake |
| 44 (4) | Adapted accelerator |
| 44 (5) | Adjusted manual transmission and manual clutch |
| 44 (6) | Adjusted rear-view mirrors |
| 44 (7) | Adjusted commands, such as direction indicators and the braking light |
| 44 (8) | Seat height allowing the rider, sitting on the machine, to have both feet on the ground and balance it when stopping and standing |
| 44 (11) | Adapted foot rest |
| 44 (12) | Adapted hand grip |
| 45 | Motorbikes only with sidecar |
| 46 | Tricycles only |
| 70 | Exchange of licence |
| 71 | Duplicate of licence |
| 78 | Restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission |
| 79 | Restricted to vehicles in conformity with the specifications stated in brackets on your licence |
| 79 (2) | Restricted to category AM vehicles of the three wheel or light quadricycle type |
| 79 (3) | Restricted to tricycles |
| 96 | Allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer where the trailer weighs at least 750kg, and the combined weight of the vehicle and trailer is between 3,500kg and 4,250kg |
| 97 | Not allowed to drive category C1 vehicles which are required to have a tachograph fitted |
UK national codes
| Code | DVLA wording |
|---|---|
| 101 | Not for hire or reward, that is, not to make a profit |
| 102 | Drawbar trailers only |
| 103 | Subject to certificate of competence |
| 105 | Vehicle not more than 5.5 metres long |
| 106 | Restricted to vehicles with automatic transmissions |
| 107 | Not more than 8,250 kilograms |
| 108 | Subject to minimum age requirements |
| 110 | Limited to transporting persons with restricted mobility |
| 111 | Limited to 16 passenger seats |
| 113 | Limited to 16 passenger seats except for automatics |
| 114 | With any special controls required for safe driving |
| 115 | Organ donor |
| 118 | Start date is for earliest entitlement |
| 119 | Weight limit for vehicle does not apply |
| 121 | Restricted to conditions specified in the Secretary of State's notice |
| 122 | Valid on successful completion of the Basic Moped Training Course. This does not apply to trial e-scooters |
| 125 | Tricycles only |
Common questions
- Where are the codes on my licence?
- Column 12 on the back of the photocard, on the same row as the category they apply to. A code against one category does not apply to another, so you can be restricted on a car and unrestricted on a motorbike.
- What does code 78 mean?
- You passed your test in an automatic, so you may only drive automatics in that category. Every electric car counts as an automatic, which is why more recent passes carry this code than ever before. Passing again in a manual removes it.
- What is the difference between the low numbers and the 100 series?
- Everything below 100 comes from the harmonised European code set and reads the same on a licence issued anywhere it applied. The 100 series is UK only. DVLA publishes them as one flat list without saying which is which.
- Is driving outside a code an offence?
- Yes. A code is a condition on the entitlement, so driving without meeting it is driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, which is endorsement code LC20 and carries 3 to 6 points.