Category B1 driver's license: what does it mean and what vehicles can be driven

19.11.2020

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Category B1 on your driving license allows you to drive exotic vehicles such as tricycles and quadricycles. Drivers who already have category A or B can automatically add B1 to their license. Persons who do not have a license will have to attend a driving school and pass exams at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate before driving such vehicles.

What is the B1 rights category for?

Having received a category “A” license, which is permission to drive motorcycles, the driver does not have the right to drive a motorcycle with three or more wheels, which are now equivalent to a passenger car.

The new B1 license category, in contrast to A, gives the right to drive quadricycles and tricycles. The driver of such a vehicle without the appropriate category of license will receive a fine in the amount of 5 to 15 thousand rubles, according to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation, which is equivalent to driving a vehicle without a license.

On the new “crusts” there is a special column about the assignment of category B1. If you have an old-style license, you will have to contact the traffic police to replace it. This category can be assigned either with passing the appropriate exam, if there is a lower category, for example, A1, or without it, if category “A” is already open.

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Why was the B1 category introduced?

The development of technology has led to the fact that previously one-piece copies of unusual vehicles, such as tricycles and quadricycles, have become available to a large number of drivers.

Having a large engine and a weight greater than that of a motorcycle, they become full-fledged road users, on a par with passenger cars.

The B1 category of driver's license is designed to improve road safety, equating such vehicles to passenger cars, because the skills of driving a scooter or moped will clearly not be enough to fully control a wider vehicle that occupies an entire lane.

Thus, the primary reason for the introduction of a new subcategory is concern for road safety and bringing the categories into line with European standards, where full-size motorcycle-powered vehicles are quite common and have equal rights.

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Category "B1"

In addition to traditional modes of transport, unusual vehicles on three and four wheels can increasingly be seen on the roads. We are talking about tricycles and quadricycles.

They are equipped with motorcycle engines of different power, and the legality of driving them guarantees the availability of rights of the appropriate category. B1 category of rights gives the owners of tricycles and quads the right to drive these vehicles. You can open the category by completing a training course at a specialized driving school at the Presidential Academy, and its branches are scattered throughout Moscow.

First of all, I would like to distinguish between such different concepts as an ATV and a quadricycle.
They are only united by the same number of wheels, but to drive an ATV you must have a category A license, and holders of category B1 can drive quadricycles. It is characteristic that until recently, owners of quadricycles with a motorcycle engine had to have a license of category A, and if the vehicle had elements of automobile control, its owners had to open category B. Category “B” (passenger cars)

Starting from April 1, 2014, the issuance of driver's licenses with new categories began, resulting in the B1 category of rights. It gives the right to drive tricycles and quadricycles with motorcycle and car control options. This universal category can be obtained by completing special courses, including theoretical training and practical driving. The theoretical part of the course addresses general issues of studying the design of a vehicle, traffic rules and methods of providing first aid. Driving allows you to put theory into practice.

Open category B1 and driving licenses are issued based on exam results. First of all, this is an exam taken by driving school specialists, and only after successfully passing it do you get the opportunity to take a theory and driving exam in a specialized department of the traffic police. Having passed it successfully, you are guaranteed to receive a category B1 license.

Driving in category B1

A B1 license allows you to drive quadricycles and tricycles. These vehicles are still exotic for Russians. It will probably be useful for many to know the official formulation of these concepts.

• A tricycle is a vehicle with an engine of up to 50 cc and three wheels. In any case, such vehicles must be registered with the traffic police.
• A quadricycle is a four-wheeled version of a motor vehicle, limited only by its curb weight, which should not exceed 550 kg.

Both one and the second equipment require registration with the traffic police and obtaining a driving license in the form of category B1. In both cases, if the rated speed of a motor vehicle is less than 25 km/h, it falls into another “weight category”, mopeds, and does not require such qualifications - category M is sufficient.

Note that electric motors are increasingly used in such vehicles, therefore, unlike internal combustion engines, power does not depend on the engine capacity, but on the traction force. A tricycle with an electric motor should not consume power more than 10 kW, and a quadricycle - more than 15 kW, otherwise the equipment becomes an “electric vehicle”.

An ATV should not be confused with a quadricycle, because the first does not have the right to travel on public roads, and is subject to registration with Technical Supervision, not being, in fact, a vehicle. In addition, an ATV does not have a cabin, while a quadricycle, as a rule, is equipped with a full-fledged cabin.

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Category B1 driver's license: what does it mean and what vehicles can be driven

Examples: 1) Vehicle weight without load: 700 kg Permitted maximum trailer weight: 730 kg Category “B” license required (since the permissible maximum trailer weight is less than 750 kg)

2) Weight of the vehicle without load: 750 kg Permitted maximum weight of the trailer: 950 kg A driving license of category “BE” is required (since the permitted maximum weight of the trailer is more than 750 kg, and also greater than the weight of the vehicle without load)

3) Weight of the vehicle without load: 2800 kg Permitted maximum weight of the trailer: 850 kg A license category “BE” is required (since the permissible maximum weight of the trailer is more than 750 kg, and the total permissible weight of the trailer and the car is more than 3500 kg)

4) Vehicle weight without load: 2800 kg Permitted maximum trailer weight: 740 kg Category “B” license required (since the permissible maximum trailer weight does not exceed 750 kg)

5) Weight of the vehicle without load: 1600 kg Permitted maximum weight of the trailer: 2000 kg A license category “BE” is required (since the permissible maximum weight of the trailer exceeds the weight of the car, and the total permissible weight of the trailer and the car is more than 3500 kg)

6) Weight of the vehicle without load: 1450 kg, carrying capacity of the vehicle: 600 kg Permitted maximum weight of the trailer: 1430 kg A license of category “B” is required (since the maximum permissible weight of the trailer is less than the curb weight of the car and the total permissible weight of the trailer and the car is less than 3500 kg)

7) Weight of the vehicle without load is 1650 kg, load capacity of the vehicle is 750 kg Permitted maximum weight of the trailer: 1425 kg A license of category “BE” is required (since the permissible maximum weight of the trailer is less than the weight of the curbed vehicle, but the total permissible weight of the trailer and the car is more than 3500 kg ).

What are all these rules based on, where is it written? This is written in the traffic rules. We open the Federal Law of December 10, 1995 No. 196-FZ “On Road Safety”:

“Article 25. Basic provisions regarding admission to driving vehicles 1. In the Russian Federation, the following categories and subcategories of vehicles included in them are established, for which a special right to drive is granted (hereinafter referred to as the right to drive vehicles): ... category “BE” - cars of category “B” coupled to a trailer, the permissible maximum weight of which exceeds 750 kilograms and exceeds the unladen weight of the vehicle; vehicles of category “B” coupled to a trailer whose permissible maximum weight exceeds 750 kilograms, provided that the total permissible maximum weight of such a combination of vehicles exceeds 3500 kilograms"

In addition, the categories of driving licenses are defined by the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, and specifically by paragraph 8 of Annex 6 “National Driving License” to the Vienna Convention:

8. A driver’s license may be issued to drive vehicles of the following categories:** A motorcycles;** B cars (except for vehicles belonging to category A) whose permissible maximum weight does not exceed 3,500 kg and the number of seats in which, in addition to the seat driver, does not exceed eight; a category B vehicle coupled to a trailer, the permissible maximum weight of which does not exceed 750 kg; a category B vehicle coupled to a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg, but does not exceed the unladen mass of the vehicle, and the total permissible maximum mass of such combination does not exceed 3,500 kg;** C cars, with the exception of those belonging to category D, permitted whose maximum weight exceeds 3,500 kg; category C vehicle coupled to a trailer, the permissible maximum weight of which does not exceed 750 kg;** D vehicles intended for the carriage of passengers and having more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat; a category D vehicle coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which does not exceed 750 kg;** BE a category B vehicle coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg and exceeds the unladen mass of the vehicle; a category B vehicle coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg, and the total permissible maximum mass of such combination exceeds 3,500 kg;** CE a category C car coupled with a trailer, the permissible maximum mass of which exceeds 750 kg;** DE a category D vehicle coupled to a trailer with a permissible maximum mass exceeding 750 kg.**

What does B1 rights category marked AS and MS mean?

In the third column of the driver's license category plate, additional marks are indicated that clarify what type of tricycle or quadricycle their holder has the right to drive.

• If the category B1 license is marked AS, this means that its owner has the right to drive a vehicle that is as similar as possible to a car, with a steering wheel and a full seat.
• If the category B1 license is marked MS, this means that its owner has the right to drive a vehicle that has a motorcycle seat and handlebars like a motorcycle.
• If both categories, A and B, are open, then there will be no such marks, since it is assumed that the owner of the license can drive any vehicle: a tricycle or a quadricycle.

Rights category B: subcategories B1 and BE

How to open category B1 on a driver's license?

Getting category B1 is quite simple, but it is worth taking into account some characteristic features, which will be discussed in detail below.

1. To obtain subcategory B1, you will first need to pass exams in category B or A. It is important to note that when opening category B, subcategory B1 is assigned with the mark AS, which implies admission to vehicles with an automobile control system. And in the case of category A, the mark will be MS; it is quite logical that underneath it hides a vehicle with controls identical to those of a motorcycle. If both categories are open, then subcategory B1 opens without any marks.
2. In case of license replacement, experienced car owners will not need to retake the exam. When receiving a new document, the subcategory will be assigned in accordance with the existing categories.
3. It is not possible to obtain B1 separately; delivery occurs only together with categories B or A.

Differences between category B1 and B and BE

A license of category B1 does not provide the right to drive a passenger car, as category B, and especially a passenger car with a trailer, as provided by category BE. Although, very often, those with category B1 receive it along with B.

But if this is not indicated on the license, driving a passenger car is strictly prohibited. And further. It is prohibited to use a trailer with a carrying capacity of more than 750 kilograms without having subcategory BE, even if the main category B is open.

Concept category B1

For many drivers who have not had their license replaced, this term can be misleading, because the old-style driver’s license simply does not contain such items. However, in reality everything is simple, the fact is that the category familiar to everyone

It has acquired several subcategories, let’s look at them in more detail.

1. The category itself is quite familiar to car enthusiasts; it allows driving a passenger car whose weight does not exceed three and a half tons, while the number of passenger seats should not exceed eight.
2. Subcategory BE is completely identical to B, with the only exception that it is allowed to use a trailer provided its maximum weight is 750 kilograms. Previously, obtaining a subcategory was not required, and those who had category B could use a trailer without any problems.
3. And finally, subcategory B1 - makes it possible to control a tricycle or quadricycle with an engine whose volume is more than fifty cubic centimeters, subject to a mass of less than 550 kilograms.

What cars can you drive with category B1?

When receiving this category from the traffic police, it is worth mentioning that you are also going to open the M category for driving motor vehicles. Otherwise, your document will be marked “ML” - that is, driving mopeds is prohibited.

As mentioned above, with category B1 you can ride a quadricycle or tricycle. The restriction for tricycles is that the engine capacity is no more than 500 cc, the speed can exceed 50 km/h. For quadricycles, speed is limited to 50 km/h, and weight is limited to 550 kg.

Also, having received category B, the driver can drive a passenger car, and with a category B1 license, also with an automatic transmission, plus B1 gives the right to drive a two-wheeled motorcycle.

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