Driving licence category D1E

The "little" bus driving licence with trailer

The D1E category driving licence is the extension to the trailer. It allows you to drive buses with no more than 16 passengers. The trailer may exceed the weight of 750 kg. In addition to the D1 driving licence, this requires special proof of physical aptitude and the ability to work under pressure from an occupational physician's report or a medical-psychological examination. You will also need proof of your eyesight, which can be issued by occupational physicians, among others. In addition to the driving licence, bus drivers who transport people commercially have to comply with the requirements of the Professional Drivers Qualification Act since 10.09.2008.

General information about the D1E driving licence

  • Minimum age: 21 years, or 18 years for persons during or after ''specific'' vocational training. You can take the theory exam 3 months before, the practical exam 1 month before you reach the age of 21 or the majority.
  • Previous possession: Driving licence category D1
  • Documents: Biometric passport photo, identity card/passport, certificate of participation in first aid course and proof of a personal aptitude test consisting of an examination of performance and medical examination of visual acuity
  • Limitation: The D1E driving licence is issued for 5 years. It can be extended for 5 years after the initial qualification if the relevant requirements are met. In the case of an extension beyond the age of 50, a new aptitude test must be taken.
  • Examination: For the D1E driving licence you only have to pass a successful practical examination. A theory test is not planned for this driving licence category.
  • You will automatically receive these driving licence categories with your D1E driving licence: if you hold C1, you will also receive C1E category.
  • You can drive this with a D1E driving license: Buses and coaches for a maximum of 16 persons other than the driver. In addition, a trailer may be towed up to a permissible total weight of over 750 kg.

All you need to know about D1E training

Theory and practice

Theoretical training is not intended for the D1E training, but a practical one. During the driving lessons, you can slowly touch your "extension". How many of these driving lessons are needed depends primarily on your learning progress. However, a minimum number of driving hours is required. Here you need four driving lessons of 45 minutes each in the basic training as well as three cross-country drives, a motorway drive and a drive in the dark.


When you are ready for the exam, your driving instructor will let you know and give you valuable tips for your exam in the final lesson. In most cases, this takes about 70 minutes.

Tip: Have a look at your difficult spots from your test area in the Drivers Cam App.

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With driving licence class D1E you may drive minibuses with trailers.

Find your bus driving school

If you need a permit to drive a trailer over 750 kg in addition to the "small" bus driving licence, you can find the appropriate driving schools in your area in our search and start directly with the D1E training.

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