Can a C1 License Drive Yellow Plate Vehicles?
2 Answers
Yellow plate vehicles cannot be driven with a C1 license. Yellow plate trucks require a B2 license to operate, while blue plate trucks can be driven with a C1 license. Since the B2 license covers vehicle types permitted by C1, holders of a B2 license can drive both blue and yellow plate trucks. Yellow plates are further categorized into large yellow plates and small yellow plates. Low-speed trucks permitted under the C3 license class use small yellow plates. The advantage of yellow plate trucks lies in their higher loading capacity, but this comes with corresponding trade-offs. Firstly, a B-class license is required to operate them. Secondly, yellow plate trucks are prohibited from entering urban areas and cannot obtain an H permit. Additionally, annual insurance premiums and vehicle usage taxes for yellow plate trucks are higher compared to blue plate trucks.
I was so excited after recently obtaining my C1 driver's license that I wanted to try driving a large vehicle, but my friend told me that yellow license plate vehicles are completely off-limits. The C1 license only permits driving small blue license plate vehicles, such as private cars or MPVs with fewer than nine seats. Those with yellow license plates are usually trucks, buses, or overloaded trucks, which require a Class B or Class A license to drive legally. I checked online and found that if I were to drive a yellow license plate vehicle without the proper license, the police could charge me with unlicensed driving: a fine of one to two thousand yuan, deducting all 12 points leading to immediate license revocation; in case of an accident, the insurance company wouldn't cover the damages, leaving me to bear the losses myself. I immediately reconsidered—safety first—and decided to consider getting a B2 license before attempting to drive larger vehicles. By the way, a reminder: don't guess the meaning of license plates based solely on their color; you can check the vehicle's manual or registration certificate to verify the type.
