Can a C license be upgraded to an A2 license?
3 Answers
A C1 license cannot be directly upgraded to an A2 license. If you already hold a C1 driver's license, the fastest way to obtain an A2 license is to upgrade to a B1 or B2 license after holding the C1 license for one year. After obtaining the B1 or B2 license, you must have three years of professional driving experience before you can apply for an A2 license. Therefore, upgrading from a C1 to an A2 license requires at least four years. Another method is to directly obtain a B2 license. After holding the B2 license for three years, you can then upgrade to an A2 license. This method is faster but does not involve upgrading directly from a C1 license. According to the "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses" (Ministry of Public Security Order No. 123) of the People's Republic of China, the following conditions must be met for upgrading a license: Article 14: If you already hold a motor vehicle driving license and wish to apply for an additional permitted driving category, you must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in the current scoring cycle or the most recent scoring cycle before applying. For applying to add medium-sized passenger vehicles, tractors, or large passenger vehicles to the permitted driving categories, the following additional conditions must be met: To apply for adding medium-sized passenger vehicles to the permitted driving categories, you must have held a license for urban buses, large trucks, small cars, small automatic transmission cars, low-speed trucks, or three-wheeled vehicles for at least three years and must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in the three most recent consecutive scoring cycles before applying. To apply for adding tractors to the permitted driving categories, you must have held a license for medium-sized passenger vehicles or large trucks for at least three years, or have held a license for large passenger vehicles for at least one year, and must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in the three most recent consecutive scoring cycles before applying. To apply for adding large passenger vehicles to the permitted driving categories, you must have held a license for medium-sized passenger vehicles, urban buses, or large trucks for at least five years, or have held a license for tractors for at least two years, and must not have accumulated 12 penalty points in the five most recent consecutive scoring cycles before applying. In temporary residence areas, you can apply to add the following permitted driving categories: small cars, small automatic transmission cars, low-speed trucks, three-wheeled vehicles, ordinary three-wheeled motorcycles, ordinary two-wheeled motorcycles, and light motorcycles. Article 15: The following circumstances disqualify you from applying for large passenger vehicles, tractors, medium-sized passenger vehicles, or large trucks as permitted driving categories: Being responsible for a traffic accident resulting in death with equal or greater liability; Driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol; Having your motor vehicle driving license revoked or rescinded within the past ten years. According to the "Permitted Driving Categories and Codes" (Ministry of Public Security Order No. 139) of the People's Republic of China: The A1 permitted driving category is for large passenger vehicles, which allows driving large passenger cars and also permits driving vehicles in categories A3, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, and M. According to the "Permitted Driving Categories and Codes" (Ministry of Public Security Order No. 139) of the People's Republic of China: The A2 permitted driving category is for tractors, which allows driving heavy and medium-sized full trailers and semi-trailer car trains, and also permits driving vehicles in categories B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, and M.
From my years of driving experience, a C license cannot be directly upgraded to an A2 license. You first need to obtain a B2 license. When applying for a B2 license with a C license, you must pass the theoretical exam and practical training, such as reverse parking, off-road driving, and highway driving tests, to upgrade to a heavy truck license. After holding the B2 license for at least two years without accumulating 12 penalty points, you can then apply for an A2 license upgrade, which involves specialized tests like trailer handling. The whole process takes at least two and a half years and costs several thousand yuan. You also need to attend a formal driving school to ensure you can drive semi-trailers safely without accidents. Safety first—take it step by step. Don’t rush or skip to A2, or you’ll face traffic police fines.
I've always wanted to drive a big truck, but after checking the regulations, I found that a C license can't directly upgrade to an A2 license. You need to first upgrade to a B2 license, obtain a heavy vehicle license, and train in truck driving skills. After holding the B2 license for two years, you also need to prove that you haven't received any demerit points before you can take the A2 license's trailer test. During this period, it's advisable to drive more on mountain roads to get familiar with turning large vehicles. I recommend starting with short-distance freight to practice, not just relying on book knowledge. Upgrading your license is no joke—it ensures you stay calm when driving on complex road sections. Remember to find a reliable instructor to learn safety strategies.
