Can a C1 driver's license drive vehicles specified for a C5 driver's license?

[Griffin]

No, a C1 license cannot drive C5 vehicles. According to the "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses," the scope of a C1 driver's license includes small and micro passenger vehicles, light and micro cargo vehicles, and light, small, and micro special-purpose vehicles. Small passenger vehicles must have a seating capacity of 9 or fewer. Individuals with disabilities in the right lower limb or both lower limbs can apply for a special small automatic transmission passenger vehicle driver's license, designated as C5. The vehicles they can drive include small and micro automatic transmission passenger vehicles specially designed for the disabled. The restriction to small passenger vehicles primarily addresses the travel needs of disabled individuals and does not currently include commercial cargo vehicles. The limitation to automatic transmission vehicles is due to their ease of operation, which is the international standard for disabled drivers. According to the "Motor Vehicle Driver's License Business Work Standards" issued by the relevant authorities, driver's licenses are classified into 15 levels: A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, D, E, F, M, N, and P. The vehicle types permitted for each license level are as follows: A1 license: Permits driving large passenger vehicles. A2 license: Permits driving tractors and heavy or medium-sized full or semi-trailer combinations. A3 license: Permits driving city buses with a capacity of 10 or more passengers. B1 license: Permits driving heavy passenger vehicles. B2 license: Permits driving heavy or medium-sized cargo vehicles. C1 license: Permits driving small and micro passenger vehicles. C2 license: Permits driving small and micro automatic transmission passenger vehicles. C3 license: Permits driving low-speed cargo vehicles (formerly four-wheel agricultural transport vehicles). C4 license: Permits driving three-wheeled vehicles (formerly three-wheeled agricultural transport vehicles). D license: Permits driving three-wheeled motorcycles with an engine displacement exceeding 50ml. E license: Permits driving two-wheeled motorcycles with an engine displacement exceeding 50ml. F license: Permits driving motorcycles with an engine displacement of 50ml or less. M license: Permits driving wheeled self-propelled machinery. N license: Permits driving trolleybuses. P license: Permits driving trams.

[JosieAnn]

A friend recently asked me about this, saying he got his C1 driver's license and wanted to help his disabled neighbor by driving for them, but I told him that's not allowed. A C1 license only permits driving regular passenger cars—the common manual or automatic transmission vehicles people usually drive—while C5 is specifically designed for modified vehicles with special operating devices for disabled drivers. Legally, it's illegal for a C1 license holder to drive a C5 vehicle without proper training, and in case of an accident, insurance won't cover it. I remember helping a relative look into this last year—to drive a C5 vehicle, you must first undergo a medical examination to confirm physical eligibility, then enroll in specialized training and pass the C5 license test. Those vehicles require familiarity with hand-controlled brakes and other features, which inexperienced drivers might mishandle, making it quite dangerous. So, C1 license holders should stick to driving their own regular cars and not take the risk.