Driving Licenses & Age

A 16 year old can only drive an agricultural tractor on a provisional licence going to, taking and returning from their test if they fail. If the tractor is equipped with a second seat they must be supervised by a suitably qualified driver. Until they are 17 they are restricted to a tractor with a maximum width (including trailers or attachments) of 2.45m wide and can only pull a single axle or close coupled tandem axle trailer. Close coupled means the distance between the centres of the axles does not exceed 840mm.

 

A 17 year old who passes their car Licence (Category B) is automatically issued with a tractor licence (category F). Even without passing another test a Category F holder once they turn 17 are allowed to drive up to the legal maximum road legal tractor & trailer combinations.

 

To drive an agricultural vehicle which is not a tractor (combine, telehandler, self propelled sprayer etc) you need a car licence but are subject to age related weight bands. 17 up to 3.5 tonnes, 18 up to 7.5 tonnes and to exceed 7.5 tonnes you must be 21 or over.

 

Towing: If you passed your car licence after 1st January 1997 you can tow a tractor drawn trailer but not a trailer behind an agricultural vehicle that is not a tractor and you cannot tow a trailer with a plated weight of over 750kg with a car or 4×4. To do this you need to sit and pass a B&E test.

 

To drive a vehicle steered by its tracks (Challenger but not Quadtrac as this is steered by articulation or a tracked combine) you will require to sit a test and obtain a category H licence.