What is an A3 driver's license?

[DiVera]

A3 is a city bus driver's license, which requires a minimum passenger capacity of 10 people. Holders of an A3 license can also drive C1 - small cars, C2 - small automatic transmission cars, C3 - agricultural four-wheeled vehicles, and C4 - agricultural three-wheeled vehicles, but they cannot drive B1 - medium-sized buses or B2 - large trucks. More details about the A3 driver's license are as follows: 1. According to the 'Regulations on the Application and Use of Motor Vehicle Driver's Licenses,' the requirements for applying for an A3 license include: being between 20 and 50 years old, having a height of at least 1.55 meters, no motor dysfunction in limbs, uncorrected or corrected vision reaching at least 4.9 on the logarithmic visual acuity chart, no color blindness, and no criminal record. Applicants can directly apply or apply for an upgrade after holding any driver's license for at least one year. 2. Note: Many people might think that city buses and city coaches fall under the scope of an A3 license based on vehicle size and passenger capacity, but this is incorrect. City buses and city coaches are fundamentally different, and an A3 license only permits driving city buses, not city coaches.

[DeBeckett]

During my time as a trainer at the driving school, I encountered quite a few people asking about this. The A3 driver's license is specifically for operating city buses. To obtain it, you need to practice large passenger vehicle driving techniques. The theoretical exam focuses on bus driving safety regulations, while the practical test requires driving a bus over 10 meters long to complete tasks like parking at stops and making turns. With this license, you can only drive city buses; other types of coaches require an A1 license. For those planning to take the test, I recommend finding a certified driving school in advance, as the training period lasts at least two months.

[VanIsabel]

Having worked at the vehicle management office for over a decade, I've handled all kinds of driver's license applications. The A3 license is exclusively for bus drivers, completely different from the regular C-class license. It requires drivers to be at least 21 years old, with a minimum height of 1.55 meters, and corrected visual acuity of 5.0. It only permits driving urban buses with a capacity of 10+ passengers - operating tourist coaches would constitute driving beyond the licensed vehicle type. The test must be taken using buses over 10 meters in length, though nowadays electric training vehicles have replaced them.

[Valentina]

When I first got my A3 license, the instructor kept emphasizing that this type of license has only three purposes: driving buses, driving buses, and still driving buses! At our training ground, we practiced daily with 12-meter-long Yutong buses, navigating through width-restricted gates and making U-turns on narrow roads. I particularly remember the rainy day of the test—when parking at the station, the water splashed from a puddle almost touched the marking line, and the scoring for details was quite strict. Now, every time I drive a bus, I have to check the fire extinguisher and emergency door.