A vehicle category classifies a land vehicle or trailer for regulatory purposes.
UNECE categories
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Information from Consolidated Resolution on the Construction of Vehicles (R.E.3), Revision 6.
Some categories have further sub classes. See Consolidated Resolution on the Construction of Vehicles (R.E.3) for further information.
Vehicles in the table listed within parentheses are examples of the vehicle in that category, e.g. (Bus).
Category notes
EU classification
In the European Union, the classifications for vehicle category are based on UNECE standards and defined by: Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013 on the approval and market surveillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles. Directive 2007/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 September 2007 establishing a framework for the approval of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
The EU general classification of vehicle categories is: Two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles: Category L1e: light two-wheel powered vehicle Category L1e-A: powered cycle Category L1e-B: two-wheel moped Category L2e: three-wheel moped Category L2e-P: three-wheel moped designed for passenger transport Category L2e-U: three wheel moped designed for utility purposes Category L3e: two-wheel motorcycle sub-categorized by performance: Category L3e-A1: low-performance motorcycle Category L3e-A2: medium-performance motorcycle Category L3e-A3: high-performance motorcycle sub-categorized by special use: Category L3e-A1E, L3e-A2E or L3e-A3E: enduro motorcycle Category L3e-A1T, L3e-A2T or L3e-A3T: trial motorcycle Category L4e: two-wheel motorcycle with side-car Category L5e: powered tricycle Category L5e-A: tricycle (mainly designed for passenger transport) Category L5e-B: commercial tricycle (utility tricycle exclusively designed for the carriage of goods) Category L6e: light quadricycle Category L6e-A: light on-road quad Category L6e-B: light quadri-mobile Category L6e-BU: light quadri-mobile for utility purposes (utility vehicle exclusively designed for the carriage of goods) Category L6e-BP: light quadri-mobile for passenger transport (vehicle mainly designed for passenger transport) Category L7e: heavy quadricycles Category L7e-A: heavy on-road quad Category L7e-A1: A1 on-road quad Category L7e-A2: A2 on-road quad Category L7e-B: heavy all terrain quad Category L7e-B1: all terrain quad Category L7e-B2: side-by-side buggy Category L7e-C: heavy quadri-mobile Category L7e-CU: heavy quadri-mobile for utility purposes (utility vehicle exclusively designed for the carriage of goods) Category L7e-CP: heavy quadri-mobile for passenger transport (vehicle mainly designed for passenger transport) Motor vehicles with at least four wheels: Category M: used for the carriage of passengers Category M1: no more than eight seats in addition to the driver seat (mainly, cars) more than eight seats in addition to the driver seat (buses): Category M2: having a maximum mass not exceeding Category M3: having a maximum mass exceeding 5 tonnes Category N: used for the carriage of goods (trucks): Category N1: having a maximum mass not exceeding Category N2: having a maximum mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding Category N3: having a maximum mass exceeding 12 tonnes Category O: trailers (including semi-trailers) Category O1: maximum mass not exceeding Category O2: exceeding 0.75 tonnes but not exceeding Category O3: exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding Category O4: exceeding 10 tonnes Symbol G: off-road vehicles Special purpose vehicles
European driving licenses
There is also a different category classification for driver licensing purposes.
The table below shows a translation of Vehicle Categories to European Driving Licence Categories, indicating which vehicle class can be driven with which category of licence.