What is the difference between C2 and C1 driver's licenses?
2 Answers
The difference between C1 and C2 driver's licenses can be simply summarized as: C1 is for manual transmission vehicles, while C2 is for automatic transmission vehicles. C1 is a license for small manual transmission vehicles, and C2 is a license for small automatic transmission vehicles. Vehicles that C2 permits to drive can all be driven with a C1 license, but not all vehicles that C1 permits to drive can be driven with a C2 license. Vehicles permitted with C1 license: The C1 driver's license allows the holder to drive small and micro passenger vehicles, as well as light and micro cargo vehicles; light, small, and micro special-purpose vehicles; and small passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of 9 or fewer people. Vehicles not permitted with C1 license: The C1 license does not permit driving large buses, tractors, city buses, medium-sized buses, large trucks, ordinary three-wheeled motorcycles, ordinary two-wheeled motorcycles, light motorcycles, wheeled self-propelled machinery, trolleybuses, or trams. Additionally, a C1 license holder cannot drive vehicles with more than 9 seats or trucks with a total length exceeding 6 meters.
The difference between C1 and C2 driver's licenses is something I've experienced deeply in actual driving, especially over the years driving various vehicles. With a C1 license, you can drive manual transmission cars, which require operating the clutch and shifting gears. During driving lessons, you need to practice this more, and the test is harder because stalling is common. A C2 license, on the other hand, is only for automatic transmission cars, making starting and driving simpler since you don't need to worry about the clutch, and you can learn faster with fewer operations. From a practical standpoint, most family cars today are automatic, like SUVs or electric vehicles, so a C2 license is sufficient. However, a C1 license gives you more control when driving older manual cars or off-roading. In daily city traffic, a C2 is noticeably easier and reduces fatigue, while on long road trips, a C1 can be more fuel-efficient but requires more skill. For young people, I recommend starting simple with a C2—it saves time and effort. But if you want a challenge, choosing C1 is pretty cool too.
