Vehicle categories
Vehicles are categorised by a letter that indicates their intended use.
Your vehicle is categorised by a letter that indicates its intended use. It’s important that you know your vehicle’s category to understand your motor tax and testing requirements.
Passenger vehicles
| Category | Description |
| M1 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers and comprising no more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat e.g. cars, people carriers. NCT tested. |
| M2 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers, comprising more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and having a maximum mass not exceeding five tonnes. Generally, this includes small buses and minibuses. CVRT tested annually. |
| M3 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers, comprising more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and having a maximum mass exceeding five tonnes e.g. large buses. CVRT tested annually. |
Commercial vehicles
| Category | Description |
| N1 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass not exceeding 3,500 kg. e.g. light vans and trucks. CVRT tested annually. |
| N2 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass 3,500 kg and not exceeding 12,000 kg e.g. larger vans and trucks. CVRT tested annually. |
| N3 | Vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of goods and having a maximum mass exceeding 12,000 kg e.g. trucks. CVRT tested annually. |
Commercial trailers
| Category | Description |
| O1 | Trailers with a maximum mass not exceeding 750 kg, e.g small car trailers. |
| O2 | Trailers with a maximum mass exceeding 750 kg but not exceeding 3,500 kg e.g. larger car trailers and most trailer caravans. |
| O3 | Trailers with a maximum mass exceeding 3,500 kg but not exceeding 10,000 kg. CVRT tested annually. |
| O4 | Trailers with a maximum mass exceeding 10,000 kg e.g. heavy trailers including articulated trailers. CVRT tested annually. |
Motorbikes, Mopeds, Trikes and Quads
L-category vehicles is a term covering a wide range of different vehicle types with two, three or four wheels, e.g. powered cycles, two and three-wheel mopeds, two and three-wheel motorcycles, motorcycles with side-cars, road quads used on public roads and mini-cars. Motor cycles are not currently subject to roadworthiness testing.
| Category | Description |
| L1e | Light two-wheel powered vehicle |
| L2e | Three-wheeled moped |
| L3e | Two-wheel motorcycle |
| L4e | Two-wheel motor cycle with side-car |
| L5e | Powered tricycle |
| L6e | Light quadricycle |
| L7e | Heavy quadricycle |
Agricultural tractors
Category T comprises all wheeled tractors; each wheeled tractor category is supplemented at the end of an 'a' or 'b' index according to its design speed:
- 'a' for wheeled tractors with a maximum design speed below or equal to 40 km/h.
- 'b' for wheeled tractors with a maximum design speed above 40 km/h.
| Category | Description |
| T1 | Wheeled tractors with the closest axle to the driver having a minimum track width of not less than 1,500 mm; with an unladen mass in running order of more than 600 kg and with a ground clearance of not more than 1,000 mm. |
| T2 | Wheeled tractors with a minimum track width of less than 1,150 mm, with an unladen mass in running order of more than 600 kg; with a ground clearance of not more than 600 mm if the height of the centre of gravity of the tractor measured in relation to the ground divided by the average minimum track for each axle exceeds 0.9 the maximum design speed shall be restricted to 30 km/h |
| T3 | Wheeled tractors with unladen mass in running order of not more than 600 kg. |
| T4 | Special purpose wheeled tractors with a maximum design speed of not more than 40 km/h: |
| T4.1 | High clearance tractors |
| T4.2 | Extra-wide tractors |
| T4.3 | Low clearance tractors |
Agricultural trailers
Category R trailers are intended mainly to carry loads or to process agricultural materials. Each trailer is supplemented at the end by an 'a' or 'b' index according to its design speed:
- 'a' trailers with a maximum design speed below or equal to 40 km/h
- 'b' trailers with a maximum design speed above 40 km/h.
For example, R1a or R2b.
| Category | Description |
| R1 | Comprises trailers, the sum of the technically permissible masses per axle of which does not exceed 1,500 kg. |
| R2 | Comprises trailers, the sum of the technically permissible masses per axle of which exceeds 1,500 kg but does not exceed 3,500 kg. |
| R3 | Comprises trailers, the sum of the technically permissible masses per axle of which exceeds 3,500 kg but does not exceed 21,000 kg. |
| R4 | Comprises trailers, the sum of the technically permissible masses per axle of which exceeds 21,000 kg. |
Special purpose vehicles
| Category | Description |
| M1S | For all categories of incomplete vehicles and for completed vehicles belonging to category M1, the letter ‘S’ shall be added as suffix to the letter and numeral identifying the vehicle category. Most M1S vehicles are NCT tested e.g. hearses |
| N1S, N2S, N3S, M2S, M3S, O1S, O2S, O3S, O4S | Special purpose vehicles is a vehicle that belongs either to category M, N or O having specific technical features in order to perform a function which requires special arrangements and/or equipment e.g. motor caravans, armoured vehicles, ambulances and mobile cranes. CVRT tested annually. |
Off-road vehicles - category G
An off-road vehicle is a vehicle that belongs to either category M or N having specific technical features which permit its use on or off normal roads. The letter 'G' shall be added as a suffix to the letter and numeral identifying the vehicle category.