Hiring a van on an automatic licence

Plenty of drivers learn and pass their test in an automatic car. Some of them later need a van, for a house move or a weekend job.

This page explains which vans an automatic licence covers and what to check before you collect one. It follows GOV.UK guidance for licences issued in England, Scotland and Wales.

What an automatic licence covers

If you pass your car test in an automatic or semi-automatic car, you can drive only automatics afterwards. GOV.UK calls this category B auto. You can drive any vehicle in category B, as long as it is an automatic.

The restriction appears as code 78 on the back of your photocard licence. DVLA uses that code for "restricted to vehicles with automatic transmission".

Which vans count as automatic

Driving examiners work to a definition set in regulations. A vehicle is automatic when the driver can change the gear ratio only by using the accelerator or the brakes. In general, examiners treat a vehicle without a manual clutch as an automatic.

Some vans have a gear lever but no clutch pedal. For tests and licences, examiners count these semi-automatics as automatics.

Electric vans have no conventional gearbox and no clutch. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) classes them as automatic too.

A van with a pedal-operated clutch is a manual, even if it also has a centrifugal clutch.

How big a van you can drive

Category B covers vehicles with up to 8 passenger seats. A petrol, diesel or hybrid van can have a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500kg. For an electric or hydrogen van, the limit is 4,250kg.

The maximum authorised mass is the weight of the van with the heaviest load it can safely carry. Makers list it in the owner's manual, and it is normally shown on a plate or sticker on the van. Some vans are "down-plated" to a lower weight.

Before you collect the van

A hire company may ask to see your driving record. You can view yours on GOV.UK and create a check code to share with them. The code lasts 21 days.

The hire company enters the code with the last 8 characters of your licence number. Each code works once, so make a new one for each check.

When you book, ask the hire company to confirm that the van has an automatic gearbox. Ask again at the counter, before you sign for the keys.

If you want to drive manual vans later

You can upgrade an automatic licence by passing a driving test in a manual car. You do not need another theory test or a new provisional licence.