What kind of driver's license is required to drive an 11-seater Jinbei?
3 Answers
To drive an 11-seater Jinbei, a B1 driver's license is required. A1 and A2 driver's licenses are also acceptable. Below are the relevant details: 1. Detail one: Type B driver's licenses include B1 and B2, corresponding to medium-sized buses and large trucks respectively. 2. Detail two: If a Type B driver's license holder has demerit points recorded, they must report to the traffic management department of the public security authority within thirty days after the end of the current scoring cycle for verification. During verification, they must participate in no less than three hours of study on road traffic safety laws and regulations, safe and civilized driving, emergency handling, and other related knowledge, and receive case-based education on traffic accident warnings.
Speaking of driving an 11-seater Jinbei, I know it all too well! I encountered this issue before when driving for the company. This type of vehicle falls under the category of medium-sized passenger vehicles, so a C1 car license definitely isn’t enough. You need a B1 license to drive it legally. The requirements for obtaining a B1 license are much stricter than for a C1—you must be at least 21 years old and have held a C-class license for at least 3 years before you’re eligible to upgrade. The most troublesome part is that a B1 license requires an annual medical checkup, which is more of a hassle than the C-class license’s biennial review. A colleague of mine once drove the company’s 11-seater to transport clients but got pulled over because he only had a C1 license. Not only did he get fined and penalized with points, but he was also required to find another driver to take over, which was super embarrassing.
Just took over my uncle's 11-seat Jinbei as a construction site vehicle, and I specifically checked the regulations. Vehicles with a rated capacity exceeding 9 passengers don't qualify as minibuses—the law clearly requires a B1 medium-sized bus license. If you're caught driving it with just a C1 license, it's treated as driving a vehicle beyond your license class—9 points deducted plus a fine of 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. Remember last year when a friend borrowed a similar van for moving, only to be pulled over midway when they realized the seating exceeded the limit. Before driving such vehicles, always check the 'approved passenger capacity' on the registration certificate—even if it's a blue license plate for an 11-seater, what matters is the actual approved passenger count.
