6.1 Licence Classes & Required Documents
Key Takeaways
DVLA licence classes include Class A for motorcycles, Class B for light cars, Class D for heavy goods vehicles and buses, Class E for agricultural and road-construction equipment, and Class F for heavy articulated vehicles.
DVLA publishes minimum ages of 18 for Classes A and B and 21 for Class E; check the current class-specific eligibility before applying.
A learner's permit holder must be accompanied by a licensed driver, display L-plates front and rear, and may never carry passengers for reward
Every driver must carry a valid driver's licence, vehicle registration, a valid roadworthiness certificate, and valid motor insurance
Third-party motor insurance is the legal minimum cover required by Ghanaian law
6.1 Licence Classes & Required Documents
Quick Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) licences drivers by vehicle class — Class A for motorcycles up to Class F for large articulated vehicles and Class E for agricultural and road-construction equipment. Learners must be supervised and display L-plates. On the road you must always carry your driver's licence, vehicle registration, roadworthiness certificate, and proof of at least third-party insurance, and show them to police on request.
The DVLA and the Class System
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is the state body that tests drivers, issues learner's permits and driver's licences, and registers vehicles in Ghana. Because riding a motorcycle, driving a family saloon, and hauling a loaded articulated truck demand very different skills, the DVLA does not issue one generic licence. Instead, it issues licences in classes, and your licence is only valid for the classes printed on it. Driving a vehicle outside your licensed class is treated much like driving without a valid licence — an offence that can bring a fine, vehicle impoundment, and prosecution.
Ghana Driver's Licence Classes
| Class | Vehicle Category | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | Motorcycles, including tricycles | Minimum age 18 |
| B | Private cars and light vehicles up to a set weight | Minimum age 18; the class most private drivers hold |
| C | Medium goods vehicles and minibuses | Requires demonstrated competence beyond Class B |
| D | Heavy goods vehicles and buses | For large rigid trucks and passenger buses |
| E | Agricultural and road-construction equipment | DVLA lists a minimum age of 21 |
| F | Heavy articulated vehicles | Check the current DVLA class requirements before applying |
The class must match the vehicle you intend to drive. Do not infer the class from vehicle size alone: Class E covers machinery, while Class F covers heavy articulated vehicles.
Minimum Ages and Experience
- 18 years is the minimum age to hold Class A (motorcycles) or Class B (private cars and light vehicles).
- DVLA publishes 21 years or older for Class E (agricultural and road-construction equipment). Check the current eligibility for Class F separately before applying to drive a heavy articulated vehicle.
- Age and experience requirements vary by class. Confirm the current DVLA requirements for the specific vehicle rather than assuming a simple A-to-F progression.
The Learner's Permit
The DVLA issues your learner's permit during the application stage — together with your L-plate, the syllabus, and the Highway Code — before you sit any test. You then train under supervision and take the DVLA-scheduled theory examination; passing it is what qualifies you to proceed to the practical in-traffic driving test. The permit is issued for a limited period (commonly three months) and is renewable while you continue training. While driving on a learner's permit you must obey strict conditions:
- Be accompanied at all times by a qualified, licensed driver sitting beside you who can guide and, if necessary, intervene.
- Display L-plates clearly at the front and rear of the vehicle so other road users know an inexperienced driver is at the wheel.
- Never carry passengers for reward — a learner may not operate any form of commercial passenger service.
Breaking these conditions can cost you the permit and delay your full licence.
Documents You Must Always Have
Ghanaian law requires every driver to have four documents in order whenever the vehicle is on the road:
- A valid driver's licence — unexpired and covering the class of vehicle you are driving.
- Vehicle registration documents — proof the vehicle is registered with the DVLA.
- A valid roadworthiness certificate — evidence the vehicle passed its safety inspection; private vehicles are inspected annually, so an expired certificate is a common checkpoint failure.
- Valid motor insurance — third-party insurance is the legal minimum under Ghanaian law. It covers injury or damage you cause to other people and their property; it does not repair your own vehicle. Comprehensive cover is optional but broader.
Keep these documents where you can reach them quickly — many drivers keep clear, legible copies or laminated originals in the glove compartment.
Presenting Documents to the Police
Officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) routinely run checkpoints, and you are legally obliged to produce your documents on request. Two exam-worthy points follow. First, being properly licensed is not enough if you cannot show the licence — driving without your documents is itself an offence even when the documents exist at home. Second, an officer who finds expired or missing papers may fine you or impound the vehicle on the spot.
Finally, remember your ongoing duty to the DVLA: if you change your residential address, you must notify the DVLA so your licence record stays accurate, and a standard private licence card must be renewed before it expires (the card carries a maximum validity of about six years).
Common Exam Traps
Keep these distinctions straight, because question writers exploit them:
- DVLA lists Class E at age 21, and Classes A and B at 18. Class E is machinery, not a heavy articulated truck.
- The learner's permit conditions work together: supervision, L-plates front and rear, and no passengers for reward. An option that drops any one of the three is wrong.
- Third-party insurance is the minimum, not comprehensive. The question is not asking what is best — it is asking what the law demands.
- Carrying documents is a duty in itself: having a valid licence at home does not excuse not showing it at a checkpoint.
Use the class table to match vehicles to licences, then check the required documents and learner conditions against current DVLA guidance.
A 24-year-old driver who has held a heavy goods vehicle licence for several years wants to start driving a large articulated truck. Which licence class must the driver obtain?
Class E, for agricultural and road-construction equipment
Class B, because articulated trucks are treated as light vehicles
Class F, for heavy articulated vehicles
Class A, because it is the first step for every new vehicle type
Which type of motor insurance does Ghanaian law require as the minimum cover before a vehicle may be used on the road?
Comprehensive insurance that also repairs the driver's own vehicle
Fire and theft insurance only
Third-party insurance covering injury or damage caused to others
Personal accident insurance for the driver
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.