Nepal Driving Licence Categories Explained (A, A1, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K)

A Nepali driving licence (sawari chalak anumati patra) is not a single all-purpose permit: it authorises you to drive only the specific class of vehicle printed on your smart card. The classes are lettered A, A1, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K, and each corresponds to a defined family of vehicles. Riding a scooter, driving a private car and driving a passenger bus each require a different category, which is why 'which licence category do I need?' is one of the most-searched questions among Nepal's millions of new applicants.

The categories are administered by the Department of Transport Management (DoTM), an office under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, through its network of Transport Management Offices and the online portal at applydlnew.dotm.gov.np. The legal foundation is the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 2049 BS (1993 AD) and the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Rules, 2054 BS (1997 AD), which empower the government to classify motor vehicles and to prescribe the categories, tests and conditions for driving licences.

Because the scheme has evolved over time, you will see two lettering conventions in circulation. In everyday DoTM practice today, the commonly issued categories are A, A1, B, C, D, E, H and K, with F, G and I appearing in the fuller statutory schedule for construction, tractor and power-tiller vehicles. The mapping of letters to vehicles below reflects current DoTM usage; always confirm the exact wording on your Transport Management Office's form, because the category descriptions are the authoritative reference.

If you searched for the 'license category for scooter', the answer is Category A. Category A is the everyday two-wheeler licence covering motorcycles and scooters, and it is by far the most applied-for class in Nepal. Category K is used for low-powered two-wheelers such as mopeds (commonly those under 50cc); in practice many riders simply hold Category A, and A and K are frequently grouped together for fees. Category A1 denotes higher-capacity or heavy motorcycles above the ordinary threshold, where that distinction is applied.

The minimum age for a two-wheeler licence (A or K) is 16 years, the lowest age bar of any category. Applicants must pass a written (likhit) test on traffic rules and road signs and a practical trial on a two-wheeler. Because the scooter and motorcycle share Category A, a rider licensed for a geared motorcycle can generally also ride a scooter of the same class.

Prospective riders should note a pending reform: a Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Bill under consideration proposes raising the two-wheeler minimum age from 16 to 18 and extending licence validity from five to ten years, among other changes. Until any such bill is enacted, the operative minimum age for A/K remains 16.

Category B is the licence most people mean when they talk about a 'car licence'. It authorises private, non-commercial light four-wheeled vehicles: cars, jeeps, SUVs and vans up to the light-vehicle limit. If you searched 'category B license nepal', this is the class you need to drive a private car for personal use.

The minimum age for Category B is 18 years. Applicants sit the written test and a practical trial conducted on a light vehicle, typically including manoeuvres such as reversing and hill starts. Many applicants take Category A and Category B around the same time; DoTM allows applying for A and B together, and the smart-card fee for the combined A+B is charged at the higher (Category B) rate.

Category B is a private licence. Driving passengers or goods for hire, or operating heavier commercial vehicles, requires the relevant commercial category and usually a professional (public service) endorsement, additional age, and in some cases prior driving experience.

Above the private car licence sit the commercial and heavy classes. Category C typically covers three-wheelers and small commercial vehicles such as tempos and light goods vehicles. Category D is the heavy commercial licence for buses and trucks; if you searched 'bus chalaune license category', Category D is the class most commonly associated with driving a full-size passenger bus or heavy truck in current DoTM practice. Category E covers heavy equipment and construction vehicles such as excavators, dozers, cranes and other earth-moving machinery.

The specialist agricultural and works classes complete the schedule: Category F is associated with construction machinery and earth-movers where separately lettered, Category G with tractors, Category H with rickshaws and small vehicles (including e-rickshaws and tractors in some listings), and Category I with power tillers used in farming. Because different DoTM materials and the older statutory schedule assign some of these letters differently, always read the vehicle description on the official form rather than relying on the letter alone.

The minimum age for heavy passenger and goods categories (heavy vehicles such as buses and large trucks) is 21 years. These licences generally require passing both a written test and a practical trial on the relevant heavy vehicle, and commercial driving additionally involves a professional licence and, for public transport, health and character checks. A proposed bill would set even higher age bars for public transport driving (for example 23 for large commercial vehicles) and bar new large public-transport licences from age 60, but those are proposals, not current law.

The three age thresholds are the backbone of the category system: 16 years for two-wheelers (A and K), 18 years for private light four-wheelers (B) and most light categories, and 21 years for heavy vehicles such as buses and large trucks. These minimums are set by DoTM and the transport rules, and an applicant below the age bar for a category cannot sit that category's trial.

Every applicant must submit a medical fitness certificate. The medical check confirms adequate eyesight (with or without corrective lenses), tests for colour blindness, and verifies that the applicant does not have a condition that would make driving unsafe; a nominal medical fee applies at the Transport Management Office. For general (private) licences there is no strict academic qualification beyond being able to read and understand road signs and traffic rules, but professional and commercial driving is moving toward a minimum education requirement — the proposed bill would require at least grade 8 for commercial driving licences.

Applicants also provide standard documents: citizenship certificate, passport-size photographs and the completed application form. A general licence is currently valid for five years from issue (a proposed reform would extend this to ten years), while professional licences carry shorter validity and require periodic renewal.

Fees are set administratively and are best treated as indicative because they are revised periodically and can vary by office. As a durable guide, the written exam and practical trial are commonly charged at about Rs 500 each, and the medical checkup is a nominal charge of around Rs 15. The smart-card issuance fee is category-dependent: it is lower for two-wheeler classes (around Rs 1,500 for A/K) and higher for the car category (around Rs 4,000 for B, which also applies when A and B are taken together). Always confirm the current figures on the DoTM portal or at your Transport Management Office before paying.

You do not have to re-do your whole licence to drive a new class of vehicle — DoTM lets you add a category to an existing licence. Through the online portal you log in, choose 'Add Category', pick your medical-checkup location and the category you want, select a trial date and submit the printed form; you can also do it in person at a Transport Management Office. You must already meet the age and eligibility rules for the new category, and you generally add one category at a time.

Whether a written test is needed when adding a category depends on the class. For many additions the practical trial is the main requirement, but adding heavier or specialist categories (such as D, E, F or G) commonly requires passing a written exam as well. This 'add category to license' route is how most drivers progress — for example from a Category A scooter licence to Category B for a car, and later to a heavy category for professional driving.

Match your vehicle to its category before you apply, because you can only sit the trial for a category you are old enough and eligible for. The table below summarises the common cases people search for. When a vehicle could fall under more than one lettering, treat the vehicle description on your Transport Management Office form as the final word.

As a rule of thumb: two wheels means Category A (or K for a moped); a private car, jeep or van means Category B; a tempo or small commercial vehicle means Category C; a bus or heavy truck means Category D; construction and earth-moving machinery means Category E; and tractors, power tillers, rickshaws and similar are covered by the specialist classes G, H and I.