Code 79

Start with the vehicle category on the back of your photocard, then read every character beside it in the restrictions column. Code 79 is an instruction to read the specification in brackets. The bare number does not tell you which machine you may drive. A restriction beside category A does not automatically limit category B, and a line with no entitlement date does not become usable just because another line carries code 79.

The layout matters when several codes overflow the category table. DVLA's licence booklet shows a separate overflow area for information and restriction codes. Read that area too, then compare what you see with the vehicle details in View your driving licence. If the physical card is worn, truncated or unclear, use the online record and ask DVLA to explain the entry before relying on a guess.

The brackets may describe a vehicle type rather than an accessory you can remove. GOV.UK gives two named variants: 79 (2) confines AM to three wheeled vehicles or light quadricycles; 79 (3) confines the entitlement to tricycles. Reading 79 (3) as unrestricted motorcycle category A is the particularly costly mistake. Category A appears on the card, but the qualifier narrows it.

This can be the visible result of older tricycle rights being transferred to the newer category system. GOV.UK says a holder of category B1 entitlement for trikes and quads who renews or replaces a licence after 19 January 2013 will see B1 and A. Its guidance expressly says the A entitlement is limited to tricycles and does not confer motorcycles the driver could not previously ride. The 79 marking records that boundary rather than taking away an unrestricted motorcycle pass.

A licence replacement changes the way an old entitlement is printed. It is not a new practical test, nor proof that every kind of vehicle under the headline category is covered. Check the category's valid from and valid to entries as well as the qualifier. DVLA's INS57P leaflet explains that a category shown with lines instead of dates gives no entitlement, although a pass in a larger vehicle may still cover smaller vehicles of that type.

The distinction affects a person borrowing a bike as much as someone buying one. A three wheeled machine and a two wheeled motorcycle can both look like recreational vehicles, but code 79 (3) draws a licensing line between them. Confirm the type recorded for the machine and the actual restriction on your licence before booking a test ride. A seller's description is not your licensing authority.

No inference about a two wheeled moped should be made from that restricted AM line. GOV.UK describes 79 (2) as covering AM vehicles of the three wheeled or light quadricycle type. The shape of the vehicle is the point of the qualification. The broader AM category includes two wheeled machines, but this code removes those from the particular entitlement to which it is attached.

It is easy to confuse AM with category P or Q on an older or renewed licence. GOV.UK explains that older moped rights may be displayed under newer letters after a replacement. Read every applicable category and any restriction separately. A different, valid moped entitlement elsewhere on your licence might answer the question, but the presence of AM 79 (2) alone does not.

For a light quadricycle, do not decide by the sales name or by the fact that it has four wheels. Check that the vehicle actually meets the AM description in the official category guidance. Likewise, a three wheeled vehicle described as a trike might belong to a different category according to its design and power. The code describes the permitted part of AM, not every vehicle commonly given a similar name.

For preserved older rights, DVLA normally expresses the old entitlement in the current categories when a licence is renewed or replaced. The tricycle example is explicit in GOV.UK's motorcycle guidance: B1 may reappear as B1 plus A limited to tricycles. There is no separate application simply to request 79 (3) as a perk. A code is the way the licensing record states an existing limit.

If you want a wider entitlement, identify the vehicle category you actually need. GOV.UK's adding categories guidance says new higher categories generally require provisional entitlement and the relevant test. For an unrestricted motorcycle entitlement, follow the motorcycle test route that applies to you. A renewal or replacement by itself does not lift a tricycle restriction, and asking a hire firm to disregard it cannot change DVLA's record.

If the restriction seems wrong, compare the card with View your driving licence and gather evidence of the entitlement you believe is missing, such as the earlier licence or a test pass. Contact DVLA's driving licence enquiries service to have the record checked. Explain the exact category, the bracketed wording and the vehicle you need to drive. Do not assume an administrative correction has been made until the updated entitlement can be verified. Northern Ireland licence holders should contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency instead.

An overseas hire desk may look at the large category letter first. That does not erase the qualification beside it. Show the whole back of the card and tell the company what the brackets say before you pay for a motorcycle, trike or quadricycle booking. Ask the hirer what licence and vehicle classification it requires at the destination. Different jurisdictions and hire contracts may use their own vehicle terms; the GB code does not grant a fresh foreign entitlement.

The GB View your driving licence service can create a check code for a hire company. GOV.UK says it is valid for 21 days and the other party needs the last eight characters of your driving licence number to check the record. A check code shares the entitlement; it does not upgrade it. Bring the physical photocard as well, since an overseas business may want to inspect the restriction on the document itself.

If you have a Northern Ireland licence, the GB online service does not cover it. The Driver and Vehicle Agency publishes a separate code list, including 079.03 against category A for tricycles. Check that authority's information and the local hire firm's acceptance before travelling. Scotland and Wales use the GB record and category rules described here, with GOV.UK also offering Welsh language guidance.

The Road Traffic Act 1988 makes driving a motor vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence an offence in Great Britain. A category restricted to tricycles is not authority to ride a two wheeled motorcycle merely because the category heading is A. The same reasoning applies to an AM vehicle outside the 79 (2) description. The precise allegation and outcome depend on the facts, so do not treat a code as harmless small print.

Insurance is a separate practical concern. Before using a vehicle that sits near a category boundary, explain the licence wording to your insurer and ask it to confirm cover for that actual vehicle. Do not assume a policy or a hire contract changes the licence entitlement. If a provider refuses a vehicle because it reads the code differently, obtain the precise restriction from DVLA or DVA rather than arguing from the headline category alone.

If you discover the mismatch after arranging a journey, stop and choose a vehicle that fits the entitlement or another properly licensed driver. If the code is an error, ask the issuing agency to correct the record and retain its response. A pending enquiry is not evidence that the restriction has vanished.