How Many Seats Can a B1 Driving License Drive for Passenger Vehicles?
3 Answers
B1 driving license can drive passenger vehicles with more than 8 seats and less than 19 seats. The following is the relevant introduction about B1 driving license: Permitted Vehicle Types for B1 Driving License: B1 driving license can drive "medium-sized passenger vehicles" (medium-sized passenger-carrying vehicles) and small cars. According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China", passenger vehicles with more than 8 seats and less than 19 seats in China are called medium-sized passenger vehicles. Small cars refer to vehicles with a total mass of 4.5t (inclusive), a seating capacity (excluding the driver) of 9 people (exclusive), or a vehicle length of less than 6m (exclusive). Other Vehicle Types Permitted by B1 Driving License: C1, C2, C3, C4, M.
As a holder of a B1 driver's license, I've driven many medium-sized buses. According to traffic regulations, a B1 license allows driving medium passenger vehicles with 10 to 19 seats. In simpler terms, we can legally operate common 19-seat minibuses. However, it's important to note that the vehicle length must be within 6 meters - exceeding this limit classifies it as a large bus requiring an A1 license. Some drivers often confuse the difference between blue and yellow license plates - as long as it's a passenger vehicle with fewer than 19 seats, we can drive it even with yellow plates. Before driving, always check the permitted passenger capacity on the vehicle registration certificate - exceeding by even one seat counts as illegal operation.
The year I got my B1 license, the driving school instructor repeatedly emphasized: with this license, you can only drive buses with fewer than 19 seats. Common models like the Coaster minibus or company shuttle buses of this size are acceptable. Exceeding 19 seats falls under the bus category, requiring an A1 license. I've seen cases where people got heavily fined for driving a 22-seat school bus with a B1 license—12 points deducted, meaning they had to retake the test. A simple way to identify such vehicles: if the vehicle is over 6 meters long or has two emergency exits, it’s likely over 19 seats—definitely avoid driving those.
