What does category E driver's license mean and how to get such a license?

A driver's license, issued to a person after completing training and passing exams, reflects not only personal information about the owner, but also a list of vehicles that the driver has the right to drive.

Dear readers! The article talks about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is individual. If you want to find out how to solve your particular problem , contact a consultant:

8 (800) 700 95 53

APPLICATIONS AND CALLS ARE ACCEPTED 24/7 and 7 days a week.

It's fast and FREE !

The specified list is reflected in the document in the form of open categories. In November 2020, a new law “On Road Safety” came into force, which clearly indicates and describes all available main categories, subcategories and special categories.

Driver health requirements

Driving license categories from 2020 can only be opened after receiving an appropriate medical certificate.

People are not allowed to drive vehicles belonging to category BE:

• with visual acuity worse than acceptable parameters (0.6 units in one eye and 0.2 units in the second);
• with chronic diseases of the eye membranes that lead to vision impairment;
• with inflammation of the lacrimal sac, which cannot be treated for a long time, as well as with profuse lacrimation;
• those suffering from color blindness;
• with a violation of the review of perception by more than 20%;
• within 3 months after eye surgery;
• for glaucoma;
• in the absence of limbs or phalanges on the fingers;
• suffering from neuralgic diseases;
• with diseases leading to disturbances of the vestibular apparatus;
• with certain heart diseases. The issue of admission is decided individually and, most often, when getting permission to drive, it becomes necessary to undergo a medical examination annually.

To open the CE category you must:

• have vision of at least 0.8 and 0.4 units per eye;
• do not have diseases that prevent you from driving vehicles classified as BE;
• do not suffer from diabetes;
• have a height of more than 150 cm;
• not be pregnant or lactating.

To drive vehicles classified as DE, you must meet the medical requirements for category CE.

A more detailed list of diseases that make it impossible to drive vehicles of one category or another can be found in the Order of the Ministry of Health dated 04/12/11.

What does category E mean on a driver's license?

Before this document came into force, each driver had the right to open access to category E, which gave the right to drive tractor-trailers. This category was predominantly opened by professional drivers.

Currently, the category under consideration is divided into three subcategories:

• BE. Allows you to drive vehicles belonging to category B (passenger cars weighing less than 3.5 tons and no more than 8 passengers), equipped with trailers whose weight is more than 750 kg or more than the weight of the tractor itself, calculated without load;
• SE. Provides access to control of road trains, the tractor of which belongs to category C (vehicle weight is more than 3.5 tons, but provided that the vehicle does not belong to category D), and the trailer weighs more than 750 kg;
• C1E – road trains with category C restrictions. C1 allows the operation of vehicles weighing 3.5t – 7.5t. The weight limit determines a separate subcategory of vehicles;
• D.E. Gives the right to drive category D vehicles (vehicles for transporting people with more than 8 seats, not including the driver’s seat), equipped with trailers weighing more than 750 kg;
• D1E. The subcategory gives restrictions on the number of seats for passengers. If D allows you to drive a vehicle with more than 8 seats, then the subcategory in question limits the number of passengers to 16 people.

How to prepare for the traffic police exam yourself?

Even if you get into a very good driving school, self-preparation for the traffic police exams is not canceled. You can only work on the practical part with an instructor, but the theory is quite accessible for learning at home. To do this, you just need to use our convenient service, thanks to which you can not only download ready-made tickets, but also practice passing the theoretical exam - it will look exactly the same for you as in the traffic police.

Our service will allow you to master all the tickets as simply and quickly as possible, and as a result, you will feel more confident in the real exam.

Sign up for the traffic police exam through State Services

Driver knowledge and skill requirements

To open subcategories with the letter E, in addition to obtaining medical access, you must undergo training at a driving school and pass an exam, which consists of two parts:

• checking maneuvering in a closed area. The exam consists of several exercises that the driver must complete without errors. The set of exercises is determined by the examiner at his own discretion;
• checking proper driving on public roads within city limits. The exam is conducted in the presence of an instructor and an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate. To successfully pass, you must score less than 5 penalty points.

There is no requirement to take a theoretical course on traffic rules, since this part is considered to be well known to every driver.

In addition, there are other requirements for opening subcategories E. To obtain rights to categories BE, CE and C1E you must:

• reach the age of 19 years;
• have a confirmed driving experience in the relevant vehicles, that is, those belonging to B, C and C1 for at least 12 months.

To open categories DE and D1E you need:

• reach the age of 22, since the opening of the corresponding categories for a tractor is possible only after reaching the age of 21;
• similar to the previous situation, have at least 12 months of experience driving tractors.

An exception to driving experience is time spent in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

At what age is it possible to obtain category A1 driver's license, is described in the article: category A1 driver's license. Read here how to avoid a trial for deprivation of your driver's license.

Learning process

Many drivers are interested in how long it takes to study for category E? On average, the theoretical course takes 3 weeks. Practical classes - another 1-2 weeks, depending on the number of academic hours for the selected subcategory.

Since it is assumed that the driver is already familiar with the features of a particular type of transport, training takes place at an accelerated pace. Not much time is devoted to traffic rules and the basics of driving, although they are also present. First of all, drivers are told about the features of driving a car with a tractor and possible pitfalls.

Particular attention is paid to legal requirements regarding the weight of transported cargo, its packaging, permissible dimensions, etc., and drivers are also taught to react correctly in unusual situations.

The cost of training for a license in category E is 15-20 thousand (amounts are current as of May 2020), depending on the region. These are the most expensive courses available. However, they pay for themselves. Transporting a tractor weighing more than 750 kg without the corresponding mark on the license is punishable by a fine of 5 to 15 thousand rubles (amounts are current as of May 2020). Moreover, such a violation is a reason for legal proceedings and further deprivation of rights.

How to get

To open the necessary categories on your driver’s license you must:

• pass a medical examination and receive a certificate of admission to driving road trains of the relevant subcategories. Passing a medical examination is the basis for admission to training and passing exams. Contains honey. the commission includes 7 different specialists, each of whom must give a positive opinion;

It should be noted that the average cost of a medical examination is 2,000 – 3,500 rubles, depending on the region of Russia.

• undergo training at a driving school. The choice of a training center must be approached with extreme care. Each driving school must have a license to operate. When choosing an institution for training, it is worth paying attention to such a factor as the percentage of successful examinations relative to the total number of students. The higher this parameter, the better training is provided;
• successfully pass the required exams;

If you fail to pass the exam the first time, then retaking it is possible only after 7 days, and so on. If during the first exam only one part was passed, that is, driving a road train in a closed area, then you do not need to retake it again.

• pay the state fee for obtaining a new license. Currently, the fee for a Russian license is 2,000 rubles (Tax Code of the Russian Federation, Article 333.33). You can pay the duty with a minimum commission through Sberbank of Russia.

Commissions in other banks correspond to the standards of the credit institution. You can find out about the amount of the commission fee at any branch of the selected bank.

You can also pay the state fee online. The main thing is to print out a receipt after payment, which must be provided when obtaining your license.

In addition to a medical certificate and a receipt for payment of the state fee, to obtain a driver’s license with the new categories you must:

• fill out an application, the form of which can be obtained from the examination department of the traffic police. There, on the information stand, you can see a sample of filling out the document;
• provide a passport as an identification document;
• provide the driver's license that needs to be replaced. The old document will be cancelled. Instead, the driver will be issued a new license, with all available categories and subcategories.

If a driver's license with category E was previously received, then when it is replaced due to expiration or for other reasons, the driver will automatically be given all relevant subcategories (without undergoing training and passing exams).

For example, the driver received categories B, C, D. The new license will include categories B, B1, BE, C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE, D1E.

What is Category E

As you know, since January 1, 2014, this category, in fact, has ceased to exist. If previously it was considered separate, today three categories are already used instead: CE, BE and DE. The first of these categories gives the right to drive trucks with a trailer. The second category is for passenger cars and the third category is for articulated buses. The DE category is usually in demand only in large cities and administrative centers.

Sample of a new driving license with categories BE, CE and DE

Price

The cost of obtaining rights with open subcategories E consists of:

• medical commission prices, which depend on the region of residence and the selected medical center. As mentioned earlier, the average cost of a certificate is 2,000 – 3,500 rubles ;
• the amount of the state duty, which is uniform throughout the Russian Federation and amounts to 2,000 rubles ;
• tuition fees.

To undergo training in subcategory E in the regions of Russia you will have to spend:

Previously, category E was considered the highest qualification for a driver. Currently, various subcategories give the right to drive various road trains, starting with trailers for cars, which is the most popular. The division into subcategories gives drivers more flexibility in their actions.

To open the necessary subcategories for the first time, you need to complete training and pass exams. If category E was previously opened, then when you change your driver’s license, all categories related to the letter E will automatically be available.

Replacing an international driver's license in 2020 is described in the article: replacing an international driver's license. The list of documents for replacing a driver's license in 2020 is on the page.

Find out where to quickly get a medical examination for a driver's license from the information.

Subcategory D1

1. Theoretical exam. The set of traffic rules exam tickets for the theoretical exam coincides with the set of tickets for category B.

2. The practical test on the two-wheeler circuit consists of 3 exercises: (from September 1, 2016, the description of the exercises is given here)

• Exercise No. 1 – overall figure eight, snake, high-speed maneuvering, overall corridor;
• Exercise No. 2 – parking and leaving a parking space;
• Exercise No. 3 - stopping to safely board or disembark passengers.

1. Theoretical exam. The set of tickets for the theoretical exam is the same as the set of tickets for category A.

3. Practical exam in the city.

1. Theoretical exam. The set of tickets for the theoretical exam of category C is the same as the set for category D.

2. Practical exam on a racing track, which consists of 5 exercises (six on an automated racing track) at the examiner’s choice:

• Exercise No. 4 – stopping and starting movement on the rise;
• Exercise No. 5 – maneuvering in a confined space (turns 90 degrees, turning in a confined space, snake). 2 exercises selected by the examiner are given;
• Exercise No. 6 – entering the box in reverse.
• Exercise No. 7 – parallel parking in reverse;
• Exercise No. 8 – driving through a controlled intersection.

1. Theoretical exam (exam papers).

2. Practical exam at the race track, which consists of four exercises: (the number of exercises has been increased to four from September 1, 2016, you can find out more about them here)

• Exercise No. 9 – coupling and uncoupling a trailer with a tractor;
• Exercise No. 10 – stopping for safe boarding or disembarking of passengers;
• exercise No. 11 - entering the box in reverse;
• exercise #12 - parallel parking at a loading dock.

Do not forget that to obtain category E you must have a license for at least 1 year in which the corresponding category is open (B, C or D) or all of the listed categories at the same time.

For example, to open category DE, you must have at least a year of experience driving a category D bus.

If the driver’s old license had category E, then BE should be entered automatically when replacing the driver’s license with a new one. In other cases, you will have to undergo special training and pass an exam at the traffic police. More on this below.

More on the topic Credit conditions

A mandatory requirement for candidates wishing to drive vehicles with heavy trailers is to have an open category B license for at least 1 year from the date of issue. If you have less driving experience, adding e to b on your license will not work. This requirement is based on improving road safety and reducing accidents involving newcomers to the road.

First, you must undergo a medical examination and obtain a medical certificate indicating that there are no contraindications to driving a car with a trailer. The list of necessary doctors is described in the corresponding article, so we will not focus on it. We recommend that you follow this sequence and obtain a medical certificate before visiting a driving school with money and an enrollment kit, since if you have health problems, you will have to forget about the category of BE license, and with it the training.

Obtaining the right to drive a car with a trailer will take a little time - the training period for category BE is on average 1 month and includes:

• Taking a theoretical course. Since “B” is already open on your driver’s license, you can improve your knowledge on your own without visiting a driving school. The choice is up to the student.
• Teaching the skills of driving a car with a trailer and performing specific exercises on the race track;
• Passing an internal exam and receiving a certificate of successful completion of training. This document is the basis for admission to testing knowledge and skills in the traffic police.

The cost of training for a BE license depends on your region of residence. If we take the average figure for the country, then the above services cost around 15,000 rubles, taking into account teaching the practice of driving a vehicle with a trailer.

The State Traffic Inspectorate provides for a three-stage knowledge test of future motorists. Each level eliminates persons who have insufficient knowledge to obtain the BE category of rights.

Subcategory A1 allows you to drive motorcycles with a small engine capacity and low maximum power.

I note that drivers with a category A license can also drive vehicles of subcategory A1.

An important difference between subcategory A1 is that it can be opened at the age of 16.

In 2020, detailed information on vehicles in category B1 is not available.

Please note that “quadcycle” and “quadcycle” are not the same thing. Therefore, a regular ATV driver's license will not work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2c8NwOFrw

Subcategory C1 includes medium-sized trucks, the permissible maximum weight of which is in the range from 3.5 to 7.5 tons.

This subcategory also allows you to transport a light trailer (up to 750 kg).

Drivers with main category C can also drive vehicles of subcategory C1.

There is also an additional subcategory C1E, which allows you to drive cars of subcategory C1 with heavy (more than 750 kg) trailers. In this case, the total permitted maximum weight of the truck and trailer must not exceed 12 tons.

Drivers with a senior CE category can also drive vehicles of subcategory C1E.

Subcategory D1 allows the driver to drive small buses with 9 to 16 seats. This category also allows the use of a light trailer weighing up to 750 kg.

This category includes small minibuses, for example RAF-2203 or GAZelle-3221, which were previously widely used as minibuses. Currently, minibuses of foreign brands are widespread, which have more than 16 seats, and for which subcategory D1 is not enough to drive.

Please note that the trailer, firstly, should not be designed to transport passengers, and secondly, the total permissible maximum weight of the bus and trailer should not exceed 12 tons.

More on the topic What documents does the traffic police inspector have the right to demand, and what can he be denied?

I note that drivers with category D can drive buses of subcategory D1, and drivers with category DE can drive buses with trailers of subcategory D1E.

Good luck on the roads!