Provisional entitlement and choosing your HGV licence

What does provisional entitlement mean?

Entitlement means permission on your driving licence for a vehicle category. Provisional entitlement allows you to learn under the relevant learner rules. It is not a full qualification to drive that vehicle for work.

Do not judge entitlement by the colour of a licence card. Use the official driving licence record service and check the categories and any restrictions. If the record is unclear, ask for help before booking training.

Class 1, Class 2 and C1 in plain English

• C1: vehicles over 3.5 tonnes and up to 7.5 tonnes, with a trailer up to 750kg.
• Class 2, Category C: vehicles over 3.5 tonnes, with a trailer up to 750kg. Commonly used for rigid lorries.
• Class 1, Category C+E: Category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg. This includes articulated lorries.

For example, a local rigid-lorry vacancy and an articulated-lorry vacancy can ask for different categories. Look at the actual job requirements rather than choosing by course name alone.

Do I need Class 2 before Class 1?

There is a route from a car licence to C+E without first passing a separate Category C test. You still need the appropriate provisional entitlement, preparation and tests. Your age, current licence and intended use affect the route.

Driver CPC is a separate professional qualification requirement. A licence category alone does not answer every question about driving for work.

Bring your starting point to the conversation

Tell us which licence you hold, any tests you have passed and the kind of work you want. If you hold a licence from another country, or have an older licence with existing categories, ask for a check of your circumstances before buying a package.