Can a B1 Driver's License Drive a 7-Meter 10-Seater Vehicle?
3 Answers
A B1 driver's license cannot drive a 7-meter 10-seater vehicle. Below are the relevant details about the B1 driver's license: 1. Introduction: The permitted vehicle types for a B1 license are medium-sized buses, defined as vehicles not exceeding 6 meters in length, with a rated passenger capacity of 10 (inclusive) to 19 (inclusive) people. Other permitted vehicle types include C1 (small cars), C2 (small automatic transmission cars), C3 (low-speed trucks), C4 (three-wheeled cars), and M (wheeled self-propelled machinery). It is important to note that the B1 license does not include B2. If a holder of a B1 license wishes to drive large trucks, they can upgrade their license to a B1B2 license (or A1, A2, A1A2, etc.). 2. Conditions for Upgrading to B1: The applicant must have held a (C1) license for more than three years and be between 21 and 50 years old. They must also have no record of a full score (12 points) in the current scoring cycle (this year) and the most recent scoring cycle (last year) before applying. They can then apply for an upgrade at the vehicle management office in their registered residence, as regulations stipulate that the upgrade (B1) can only be processed at the vehicle management office in the driver's registered residence, not in temporary residence locations.
I've thought about this before. When I was getting my B1 license, the instructor mentioned the scope of vehicles you're allowed to drive. A medium-sized bus refers to a vehicle no longer than 6 meters with 10-19 seats. Your 7-meter-long 10-seater exceeds the length standard for medium-sized vehicles, so it should be classified as a large bus. According to regulations, you need an A1 license to drive it. I have a friend who works at the vehicle management office and has seen cases like this—people with B1 licenses driving oversized vehicles got caught, resulting in 9 points deducted, a 500-yuan fine, and having to find a qualified driver to take the vehicle away. My advice is, if you want to drive this kind of vehicle, you should upgrade to an A1 license. Don't risk big losses for small gains.
From the perspective of vehicle classification, this matter is quite clear. In China, the classification of passenger vehicles is primarily based on vehicle length and passenger capacity. A 7-meter, 10-seater vehicle exceeds the length limit and is definitely classified as a large passenger vehicle. I remember studying the regulations the year I got my driver's license - a B1 license only permits driving medium-sized passenger vehicles under 6 meters in length. Just the other day at the driving school training ground, I saw a case where a student took the test in a 5.9-meter, 19-seater coach vehicle, which was considered compliant. But anything exceeding this size requires a different license. I recommend checking the permitted vehicle types chart on the Traffic Management 12123 platform - don't just focus on the number of seats, pay special attention to the vehicle length data. If you really need to drive this type of vehicle, the safest approach is to properly obtain an A-class license.
