# The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999, Regulation 17: Meaning of “qualified driver"

Extent: E+W+S

(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (2A), a person is a qualified driver for the purposes of regulation 16 if he—
(a) is 21 years of age or over,
(b) holds a relevant licence,
(c) has the relevant driving experience, and
(d) in the case of a disabled driver, he is supervising a provisional licence holder who is driving a vehicle of a class included in categories B, C, D, C+E, or D+E and would in an emergency be able to take control of the steering and braking functions of the vehicle in which he is a passenger.
(2) In the case of a person who is a member of the armed forces of the Crown acting in the course of his duties for naval, military or air force purposes sub-paragraphs (a) and (c) of paragraph (1) shall not apply.
(2A) For the purposes of supervising the holder of a provisional licence driving a vehicle of a class included in sub-category C1, C1+E, D1 or D1+E (“the learner vehicle”) which the holder is authorised to drive by that licence, a person is not a qualified driver unless that person has, in addition to meeting the requirements specified in paragraph (1), passed a test in which the vehicle used in the practical test fell within the same sub-category as that of the learner vehicle , or such a person gained their entitlement to drive vehicles included in such sub-categories on or after 15th November 2021.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation—
(a) “disabled driver" means a person who holds a relevant licence which is limited by virtue of a declaration made with his application for the licence or a notice served under section 92(5)(b) of the Traffic Act to vehicles of a particular class;
(b) “full licence" includes a full Northern Ireland licence and a Community licence;
(c) “relevant licence” means, subject to sub-paragraph (d), a full licence authorising—
(i) the driving of vehicles of the same class as the vehicle being driven by the provisional licence holder, and
(ii) where sub-paragraph (f) applies—
(aa) where that class of vehicle is included within any sub-category specified in column 1 of the table at the end of this regulation, the driving of vehicles in the sub-category specified in column 2 which is opposite that sub-category, or
(bb) where sub-paragraph (aa) does not apply, the driving of vehicles in the category specified in column 2 of that table which is opposite the category specified in column 1 that includes the class of vehicle being driven by the provisional licence holder;
(d) in the case of a disabled driver who holds a licence authorising the driving of vehicles in category B, a relevant licence must authorise the driving of a quadricycle or vehicles in sub-category B1 (invalid carriages);
(e) ... a person has relevant driving experience if—
(i) where sub-paragraph (c)(i) only applies, he has held the relevant licence for a period of 3 years, or
(ii) where sub-paragraph (c)(ii) applies, he has held the relevant licence authorising the driving of vehicles—
(aa) of the same class as the vehicle being driven by the provisional licence holder for a minimum period of 1 year, and
(bb) in the category or sub-category specified in column 2 described in sub-paragraph (c)(ii) for a minimum period of 3 years;
(ea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(f) this sub-paragraph applies where—
(i) a person holds a full licence authorising the driving of vehicles of the same class as the vehicle being driven by the provisional licence holder;
(ii) that class is included in a category or sub-category specified in column 1 of the table at the end of this regulation, and
(iii) that person has held that licence for less than a minimum period of 3 years;
(g) for the purposes of sub-paragraphs (e) and (f), the minimum period of time for holding a full licence may be met either by holding that licence continuously for that period or for periods amounting in aggregate to not less than that period.
TABLE
Column 1
Column 2
Categories and sub-categories which include the vehicle being driven by the provisional licence holder
Categories and sub-categories authorised by the relevant licence
C
C + E, D and D + E
C1
C1 + E, D1 and D1 + E
C+E
C and D + E
C1+E
C, C1, and D1 + E
D
C, C + E and D + E
D1
C1, C1 + E and D1 + E
D+E
C + E and D
D1+E
C1 + E, D and D1

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/2864/regulation/17 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/motor-vehicles-driving-licences-regulations-1999/regulation-17
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.