What is the penalty for driving a C1 vehicle with a C2 license?

[IslaAnn]

According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law": Driving a C1 vehicle with a C2 license is considered driving a vehicle type that does not match the license. It will be classified as driving without a license, resulting in a 12-point deduction from the original driver's license and a fine ranging from 20 to 200 yuan. In severe cases, the offender may also face detention. C license levels: C1: Small cars and C2, C3 (Passenger vehicles with fewer than 9 seats, such as sedans, are considered small cars) C2: Small automatic transmission vehicles C3: Low-speed trucks and C4 C4: Three-wheeled vehicles C5: Small automatic transmission passenger vehicles specially designed for disabled individuals (referring to five categories of people: those with right lower limb disabilities, lower limb disabilities, hearing impairments, missing right thumb, or finger end defects)

[AlinaDella]

I've seen this happen before. A guy with an automatic transmission license was driving a manual car, got pulled over by the traffic police, had 12 points deducted on the spot, was fined over 800 yuan, and his car was towed away. It was a huge loss. This kind of thing is quite common. Many people think there's not much difference between automatic and manual, but as soon as the police check the license type, it's easy to get caught. The law states that driving a vehicle type that doesn't match your license is considered unlicensed driving, which can lead to serious consequences like license revocation or even a few days in detention. I always remind my friends now to check if they have a C1 license before borrowing a car. If you can't drive a manual and stall or roll back on a hill, you could cause an accident in no time, harming yourself and others. It's better to spend more time getting a C1 license than to regret it later.

[OGavin]

As a car enthusiast, I must say driving a manual transmission vehicle with a C2 license is a big problem. Manual transmissions require pressing the clutch to shift gears, which is completely different from operating an automatic. Without proper skills, you simply can't drive it. If caught by the police for this violation, you'll immediately lose all 12 points and have to retake the driving test from scratch, with fines ranging from 200 to 2,000 yuan. Your vehicle will also be temporarily impounded pending further handling. The key issue is that this kind of driving easily leads to traffic accidents - like getting distracted while shifting or accidentally slipping into the wrong gear on the road, which is extremely dangerous. I've seen beginners trying manual transmissions end up scraping other vehicles, resulting in even costlier compensation. To avoid this, either stay away from manual transmissions altogether or properly learn with a C1 license and practice thoroughly before hitting the road.

[ColemanAnn]

In my opinion, driving a manual transmission car with a C2 driver's license is definitely a violation. According to traffic regulations, this is called driving a vehicle that does not match the permitted license type, and the penalties are severe: 12 points deducted, suspension of the license, and a fine ranging from 200 to 2000 yuan depending on the circumstances. The vehicle may also be impounded for a period of time. This situation often occurs because some people seek convenience or want to test their driving skills, but the risks are extremely high, and a bad driving record can affect future attempts to obtain higher-level licenses. If stopped by the police, it's best to honestly admit the mistake and go for a C1 license. Otherwise, after the penalty, you'll still have to return to driving school for retesting, which wastes time.