Where is code 97 printed?

Column 12 on the back of the photocard, on the same row as the category it applies to. A code against one category does not apply to the others, so you can be restricted on a car and unrestricted on a motorbike.

Is code 97 a UK code or a European one?

It is from the harmonised European set, so it reads the same on a licence issued anywhere that set applied. DVLA publishes it in one flat list with the UK codes and does not label which is which.

What happens if I drive outside a code?

It is driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, endorsement code LC20, which carries 3 to 6 penalty points. It can also affect an insurance claim, because the policy assumes you were entitled to be driving.

Licence code

Code 97

Not allowed to drive category C1 vehicles which are required to have a tachograph fitted

Code

DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)

Harmonised

Code set

DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)

Column 12

Where it is printed

DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)

Checked on 20 December 2024.DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)

What does licence code 97 mean?

Not allowed to drive category C1 vehicles which are required to have a tachograph fitted. Applies to grandfather rights C1 entitlement. It keeps the holder out of vehicles used commercially under drivers' hours rules.

The wording above is DVLA's own. The explanation is what it means in practice for somebody holding the licence.

Where this code sits

Code 97 and the codes either side of it
Code	Meaning
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
101	Not for hire or reward, that is, not to make a profit

Common questions

What does code 97 mean on a driving licence?: Not allowed to drive category C1 vehicles which are required to have a tachograph fitted. Applies to grandfather rights C1 entitlement. It keeps the holder out of vehicles used commercially under drivers' hours rules.
Where is code 97 printed?: Column 12 on the back of the photocard, on the same row as the category it applies to. A code against one category does not apply to the others, so you can be restricted on a car and unrestricted on a motorbike.
Is code 97 a UK code or a European one?: It is from the harmonised European set, so it reads the same on a licence issued anywhere that set applied. DVLA publishes it in one flat list with the UK codes and does not label which is which.
What happens if I drive outside a code?: It is driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, endorsement code LC20, which carries 3 to 6 penalty points. It can also affect an insurance claim, because the policy assumes you were entitled to be driving.

Sources

DVLA, Driving licence codes (as of 20 December 2024)

What does licence code 97 mean?

Where this code sits

Common questions

Sources

Related pages