A category B licence allows driving vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of up to 3.5 tonnes and a maximum of nine seats including the driver; motorhomes are subject to the same rule. The GVWR is shown on the registration document in field F.2, and it is this figure, not the kerb weight, that counts. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes generally require a C1 licence, which covers vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes; the only notable exception is holders of a B licence issued before 20 January 1975, who must have code 79 added to drive abroad. EU Directive 2025/2205, in force since late November 2025, allows member states to permit B licence holders to drive motorhomes up to 4.25 tonnes subject to specific training or a test; France has until the end of 2028 to transpose the text and set the conditions, and until then the 3.5-tonne limit remains.
