Can a C1 License Drive Manual Transmission Vehicles?
1 Answers
A C1 driver's license allows the operation of manual transmission vehicles. According to Annex 1 of China's "Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses," which outlines the permitted vehicle types and corresponding codes, the scope of a C1 license includes small and micro passenger vehicles, light and micro cargo vehicles, as well as light, small, and micro specialized operation vehicles. Additionally, a C1 license holder can drive vehicles permitted under C2, C3, and C4 licenses, including small automatic transmission vehicles, light and micro automatic transmission cargo vehicles, low-speed cargo vehicles, and three-wheeled vehicles. Small cars are defined as those with a total mass of less than 4.5 tons, seating capacity not exceeding 9 people, and a vehicle length under 6 meters. According to the relevant provisions of the "Road Traffic Safety Law": Article 19 states that driving a motor vehicle requires legally obtaining a motor vehicle driving license. Applicants must meet the driving license conditions set by the public security department under the State Council. Upon passing the examination, the traffic management department of the public security authority issues the corresponding category of motor vehicle driving license. Drivers must operate motor vehicles within the scope of their license's permitted vehicle types and must carry their driving license while driving. Therefore, it is clear that both driving without a license and driving a vehicle that does not match the permitted vehicle type are illegal. According to the first provision of the reply from the Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council regarding the "Letter on Understanding and Applying the Legal Provisions of the 'Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China' and Its Implementation Regulations": Driving a vehicle that does not match the permitted vehicle type on the driving license is considered unlicensed driving in nature. For penalties, based on the principle of proportionality between offense and punishment, it can be appropriately mitigated under the penalty provisions for driving without a license. Therefore, both unlicensed driving and driving a vehicle that does not match the permitted vehicle type are subject to Article 99, Paragraph 1 of the "Road Traffic Safety Law": Driving without a motor vehicle driving license, or driving during the period when the license is revoked or suspended, results in a fine imposed by the public security traffic management department and may also include detention for up to 15 days. According to the "Regulations on the Business of Motor Vehicle Driving Licenses" issued by the public security department, motor vehicle driving licenses are classified into a hierarchical system, dividing licenses into 15 levels: A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C1, C2, C3, C4, D, E, F, M, N, and P. The permitted vehicle types for each license level are as follows: A1 license: Permits large passenger vehicles. A2 license: Permits tractors and heavy or medium full or semi-trailer combinations. A3 license: Permits city buses with a capacity of 10 or more passengers. B1 license: Permits heavy passenger vehicles. B2 license: Permits heavy and medium cargo vehicles, etc. C1 license: Permits small and micro passenger vehicles, etc. C2 license: Permits small and micro automatic transmission passenger vehicles, etc. C3 license: Permits low-speed cargo vehicles (formerly four-wheel agricultural transport vehicles). C4 license: Permits three-wheeled vehicles (formerly three-wheel agricultural transport vehicles). D license: Permits three-wheeled motorcycles with an engine displacement over 50ml. E license: Permits two-wheeled motorcycles with an engine displacement over 50ml. F license: Permits motorcycles with an engine displacement of 50ml or less. M license: Permits wheeled self-propelled machinery vehicles. N license: Permits trolleybuses. P license: Permits trams.
