There are many categories in a tractor license, but none of them allows you to drive all types of self-propelled equipment at once. The issuance of certificates is carried out by Gostekhnadzor, which also registers special-purpose vehicles. Tractor license categories need to be known to those who are going to build a career in the construction or repair industry, because this is where rollers, excavators , and loaders are used. It is impossible to obtain a document without a package of papers: a medical certificate, a receipt, a certificate from the school on completion of courses.
Categories of driver's licenses for tractors and special equipment
The previous model of a driver's license had only a few categories. Now all possible ones have appeared - these are A, B, C, D, E and F, as well as 4 subcategories . By opening one of them, you can control certain types of equipment with different motor power. Category A gives you the right to drive all-terrain vehicles and all-terrain vehicles, but you cannot drive them on highways. Tractor category A, subcategories and their explanation of types of tractors:
- A1 - these are off-road motorized vehicles, for example, a snowmobile, ATV, all-terrain vehicle;
- A2 - off-road vehicles with a mass of no more than 3500 kg and a number of seats up to 9 (all-terrain vehicles);
- A3 - off-road vehicles with a weight of 3500 kg for special purposes (dump trucks for quarries);
- A4 - off-road vehicles used for transporting passengers with seats from 9, for example, shift buses.
It should be noted that one open subcategory does not allow you to control machines that belong to another. The remaining categories do not have subspecies. If the operator will work on municipal cleaning equipment or a mini-excavator, then he needs to open B. The next one (C) includes wheeled self-propelled vehicles with an engine with a power of 27.5 to 110.3 kilowatts. What can you drive with a category C tractor driver's license ? The drivers can operate conventional tractors or loaders .
Category D - more powerful types of special equipment , with an engine of 110.3 kilowatts or more: strong tractors, pneumatic wheel cranes. Category E includes self-propelled equipment on caterpillar tracks (engine from 27.5 kilowatts): bulldozer or excavator. F - agricultural vehicles: combines, grain harvesters.
Features of categories of rights A1-4
After assigning a specific category, the driver gets the opportunity to drive vehicles of a certain type. It is possible to increase the number of categories so that the driver can get behind the wheel of any tractor or special equipment.
Main characteristics of the categories:
- Category A1. SUVs, which belong to the group of motorcycles, can be vehicles suitable for driving on snow or off-road.
- Category A2. SUVs that have a maximum weight of 3.5 tons. The number of free seats in such a vehicle should not exceed 8. Such an off-road vehicle vaguely resembles an ordinary car, but it is used for off-road use.
- Category A3. An SUV with a total weight exceeding 3.5 tons. Exceptions are vehicles that fall into category 4.
- Category A4. This group includes various types of motor vehicles that are capable of driving off-road and have more than 8 additional seats in the cabin or body.
The last 3 groups are analogues of the categories for ordinary vehicles (B, C and D), however, such equipment is used only for off-road travel. That is why passing exams is necessary to obtain a license. Let's look at the types of tractor categories:
- B – vehicles with tracks or wheels with a total internal combustion engine power of up to 25 kW.
- C – a tractor with wheels and an internal combustion engine with a power of up to 110 kW.
- D – vehicles with wheels and an internal combustion engine with a power above 110 kW.
- E – a tractor with tracks and an internal combustion engine with a power above 25 kW.
Qualification categories
The license contains a column “Special notes” where the driver’s rank is indicated. It is located immediately under the designation of categories in the new model tractor driver’s license . The rank reflects the specialist’s qualifications and the availability of additional skills. How to decipher the digits:
- 2nd category - it is permissible to drive tractors equipped with an engine with a power of no more than 35 hp;
- 3rd category - these are special vehicles with engine power from 30 to 60 hp;
- 4th category - self-propelled vehicles with an engine power of no more than 100 hp;
- 5th category - tractors with engine power from 100 to 200 hp;
- 6th category - allows you to work on vehicles with an engine power of up to 380 hp;
- 7th category - these are tractors with an engine power of no more than 500 hp;
- 8th category - special vehicles with an engine power of over 500 hp.
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Evgeniy Viktorovich Zuevsky
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The rank increases after retraining. The decision on the category is made by the inspector of the State Supervision during the examination tests.
What special equipment can be driven after obtaining a license with category A1-A4?
Obtaining a license to drive any type of vehicle is a great advantage if you are looking for a relevant job.
It is important to understand that a standard driver's license for driving a passenger car does not confirm qualifications for driving a tractor or any other special equipment. If you get a job as a tractor driver, you should study the relevant theory and pass another exam. Next, you need to enroll in courses to assign a category. In this article we will talk about tractor licenses of category A1/2/3/4. This document gives the right to drive vehicles whose speed does not exceed 50 km/h. This means you can drive snow removal equipment, pond dehumidifiers, all-terrain vehicles and other types of off-road vehicles. This type of document also makes it possible to operate self-propelled vehicles intended for road repairs and construction work. Tractors of this type do not use rails, but some models may be equipped with tracks instead of wheels.
Vehicles of this type operate due to an independent drive. Engine volume does not exceed 50 cm3. Vehicles can be equipped with an electric motor whose power exceeds 4 kW. This category does not include tractors used for driving on roads and capable of reaching speeds of more than 50 km/h. Assignment of category A3 does not give the right to operate military equipment. Like automobiles, A3 tractor licenses have corresponding categories. We suggest considering their characteristics.
New sample certificate
license is a laminated document containing information about the driver. The main side contains personal data (full name, date of birth, where the person lives), who issued the document and until what time the document is valid. The identification code and photograph of the driver must be present. The reverse side is reserved for categories and marks. The document is certified by the signature of the Gostekhnadzor inspector and seal.
How to check for authenticity
Recently, you can check the a tractor driver’s It is enough to send a request on the website by entering the document data (ID code, when issued and the owner’s full name). If it was obtained legally, it will be displayed in the database. However, the service does not work in all regions, so it is better to check the authenticity with Gostekhnadzor.
Some signs will help you identify a fake right away. The fake may differ in color (have a bright blue or burgundy tint), font, and type of printing. If the data is printed unevenly, blurred or even handwritten, the photo is pasted unevenly, the text is hard to read, most likely it is a fake license.
What types of tractors are there?
There is a separate type of vehicle. This is self-propelled equipment, which includes machines for road and agricultural work. This category includes trackless vehicles that have their own internal combustion engine with a volume of at least 50 cubic cm or an electric motor with a power of at least 4 kW, as well as an independent drive. These types of vehicles include excavators, loaders, snowmobiles, and tractors. A tractor is an agricultural vehicle with differences in traction characteristics. Taking into account the characteristics of the movement surface, a distinction is made between wheeled and tracked tractors, light and heavy. The following groups of agricultural machinery are found:
- Mini tractors. Designed for cultivating soil in small areas, and can also be used for transporting goods;
- Universal units. Used for a wide range of agricultural work, including sowing, watering, plowing, and storing goods;
- General purpose machines. Designed for energy-intensive work, such as cultivation, plowing and others;
- Special equipment that has a specific specialized direction. This includes vegetable growing and cotton processing machines;
- Units on self-propelled chassis.
Driving a tractor, like other self-propelled vehicles, requires certain skills. The specificity of the use of technology implies limited conditions for its use. In the Russian Federation, the rules for issuing a tractor driver's license are regulated by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 12, 1999 No. 796 and Decree of May 6, 2011 No. 351. According to the documents, persons with a special certificate issued by state supervision authorities are allowed to drive a tractor and other special-purpose vehicles for the technical condition of self-propelled vehicles.
How to get a license for a tractor
The issuance of certificates is carried out by Gostekhnadzor, where you need to apply, providing the necessary documents. Self-preparation is unacceptable, so the inspection requires a certificate confirming completion of the courses. There are age restrictions:
- A1 is open from 16 years of age;
- A2 and A3 - from 19 years old;
- A4 - after 22 years;
- B, C, E and F - at 17 years old;
- D – after adulthood.
Only those who already have a driver's license with any open category will be able to obtain category A. Another condition is that the driver must not be involved in an accident for at least one year.
List of documents
To issue rights, Gostekhnadzor requires a package of documents. You need to prepare not only a certificate of completion of studies, but also the following documents:
passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and its copy;
application (filled out in the authority or online);
individual driver card, which indicates successful completion of examination tests (issued along with the diploma);
2 photos measuring 3 by 4 cm, can be color or black and white;
receipt of payment of state duty.
Expert opinion
Zuevsky Evgeniy Viktorovich
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You can get a tractor license either at the department at your place of residence or at your place of study . After submitting the documents, you need to wait 7-10 days until the certificate is produced and can be picked up.
What medical certificate is needed?
A medical certificate is required to confirm that the future driver does not have any diseases that could interfere with driving. It must be in form 003-В/у, suitable for all types of rights. The only thing is that they will make notes on the required categories in the certificate.
You should see a therapist, ophthalmologist, psychiatrist, narcologist, neurologist and otolaryngologist; no laboratory tests are required. The document is certified by the seal of the chief physician and entered into the electronic database, which confirms the authenticity of the medical certificate. If it was issued illegally, then the tractor driver's license is invalid.
Theoretical exam
Theory in educational institutions and Gostekhnadzor is given by tickets, their quantities depend on the category. As a rule, there are 45 tickets for 8-10 questions with one correct answer. You must answer at least 80% correctly to gain access to the practical part of the exam . Increasingly, testing is carried out on computers using special programs, where the possibility of cheating is excluded. The certification result remains valid for three months.
Practical exam
Practice is divided into 2 stages - performing exercises on the training ground and working on a real route. An inspector from Gostekhnadzor must be present at the certification and record the results in the protocol. The examinee has 3 attempts to pass the practical part. If none of them were successful, the candidate is sent for repeated training.
How to obtain a category A tractor license from Gostekhnadzor?
All categories of rights, including category A3 rights, are today issued only by Gostekhnadzor. There is no other way to obtain a document of this type. This organization is responsible for ensuring that potential drivers complete a training course and practical training. The certificate is signed by a Gostekhnadzor employee.
To obtain a license to drive a tractor or vehicle that fits category A4, you must complete a special training course. The main requirement is the provision of a medical certificate that confirms the ability to drive a tractor. To gain access to perform work on one of the units, you must acquire a license issued in accordance with modern standards.
Important! Previously, it was possible to have a temporary permit, but since 2015 it has been abolished. Now you must obtain a permanent ID.
Some tractor drivers who have practiced off the roadway decide to purchase a fake copy of the tractor driver's driver's license. They do this with confidence that they have all the necessary practical skills to complete the task at hand. This misconception can lead to non-compliance with safety regulations and errors during construction or road work. Also, if the fact of having a fake license is revealed, the driver will be held accountable based on the requirements of the law. In other words, the simplest and most correct solution would be to apply for a category A1-4 license in an officially registered organization. This will allow you to get a job legally.
Important! If you have questions about the exam procedure or the theoretical part, you can always consult with a driving school employee.
Explanations for obtaining a tractor driver's license
As the head of a training center, I regularly have to deal with facts when students, and what about students - business managers who send specialists to learn how to drive a particular vehicle, do not understand what kind of certificates they need for this. Meanwhile, this issue of ensuring labor safety at the enterprise is extremely important both for workers and for the managers themselves. Indeed, in the event of any incidents at the warehouse, an investigation is carried out, and driving a self-propelled vehicle of one category by a driver who has a tractor driver’s license of another is classified as driving without a license.
In such cases, both direct executors and managers (officials) who allowed the equipment to be controlled by unauthorized personnel are held accountable, and depending on the consequences it can be even criminal. Meanwhile, understanding the categories of self-propelled vehicles and the licenses required to operate them is quite simple. We will be helped in this by Resolution No. 796 of July 12, 1999 of the Government of the Russian Federation “On approval of the Rules for admission to driving self-propelled machines and issuing licenses for tractor driver (tractor operator)”, where the types of machines and the necessary certificates are sorted out.
So, a document that allows driving a self-propelled machine and is handed to the driver is called a tractor driver’s license. It contains entries about the following categories of equipment.
Category A – motor vehicles not intended for driving on public roads or having a maximum design speed of 50 km/h or less. It includes:
• I – off-road motor vehicles (ATVs and snowmobiles fall under this category);
• II – off-road vehicles, the permissible maximum weight of which does not exceed 3.5 thousand kg and the number of seats in which, in addition to the driver’s seat, does not exceed eight (this includes the so-called swamp vehicles - four-wheeled cars with two side-by-side seats side and, as a rule, with a body);
• III – off-road vehicles whose permissible maximum weight exceeds 3.5 thousand kg (except for those belonging to category A IV). An example of a vehicle in this category would be a mining dump truck or an all-terrain vehicle of the Ural-Polyarnik type;
• IV – off-road vehicles designed to transport passengers and having more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat (in particular, an apron bus, which is used at airports).
Category B - tracked and wheeled vehicles with an engine power of up to 25.7 kW, no matter what type - be it diesel, petrol or electric. It covers both mini-tractors and mini-excavators, as well as most electric forklifts. The most common special words are “tractor driver” and “electric forklift driver”.
For drivers of electric forklifts, a tractor driver's license with open category B and special O is sufficient, or, if the machine has a power of up to 4 kW, a certificate issued by a training center
Category C – wheeled vehicles with an engine power from 25.7 to 110.3 kW. This is perhaps the most popular category: it includes both most diesel forklifts and front-end loaders, ranging from their mini version - the Bobcat - to some Amkodor models. The most common special words are “excavator operator” and “tractor driver”. Special marks may be the same as in category C.
Category D – wheeled vehicles with an engine power exceeding 110.3 kW. Powerful front loaders of brands such as Dresta, Volvo, Caterpillar, etc., designed for reloading large-capacity sea containers, are representatives of this category. Special marks may be the same as in category C.
Category E – tracked vehicles with an engine power exceeding 25.7 kW. The most common are the special o and “tractor driver”.
Category F – self-propelled agricultural machines.
The clauses of the resolution determine what entries and marks are allowed to be made on the certificate:
5. In order to ensure control over the compliance of the work performed with the assigned qualifications, a restrictive or permissive entry about the availability of qualifications (qualifications) is made in the special marks column of the tractor driver (tractor operator) certificate.
6. If there is a permit mark (o, “C”, “D” and “E” in the tractor driver’s (tractor driver’s) license, no additional entries are required to perform work that corresponds to the tractor driver’s qualifications.
Car mechanics who use the ancient Rokhla hardly suspect that they must also be Category C tractor drivers.
What are special marks? The fact is that all tractor drivers, like any workers, are trained in educational institutions according to certain programs. There are training programs for tractor drivers, there are for excavator drivers, and there are for loader drivers. There are others, but these are the most common. It is believed that during the training, students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to safely operate a loader, tractor or excavator. That is, it is not enough for the driver of a loader or stacker to have a license of the appropriate category: in order to be allowed to work, he also needs a corresponding special mark in the certificate. Paragraph “6” of the Rules states in which case it may not exist - if the driver has open categories B, C, D and E.
Is it possible not to study for 2.5 months (namely, this is the duration of training to become a tractor driver)? -Yes, I have. If you have forklifts with an engine power of up to 4 kW, you do not need a Gostekhnadzor license to drive them. It is enough to have a driver’s license for an electric forklift or stacker with a power of up to 4 kW. Training for this specialty takes less time and costs less. But such a certificate has one drawback: while holders of ordinary tractor driver’s licenses simply change them once every 10 years, then for drivers of loaders with a power of up to 4 kW, annual recertification is provided. It can be completed both at the training center and at the enterprise commission.
Is it necessary to have a separate license to drive a forklift with a power of up to 4 kW if the driver already has a category B license with a special license? -No, don't. After all, such a driver’s license says: “wheeled and tracked vehicles with an engine power of up to 25.7 kW.” There is no mention of equipment “from 4 kW” there. How to determine the power of an electric forklift, since it has an electric motor for the movement mechanism, and often more than one, an electric motor for the hydraulic system, which can be even more powerful than electric drive motors, and a separate electric power steering motor? By engine power or total power of the vehicle’s movement engines.
The engine power of these loaders is more than 150 hp. or 110.3 kW - therefore, to control them you need category D
So, we have decided on the necessary (but not sufficient) documents to work on a loader or stacker. Let's summarize.
For those who operate equipment with a power of up to 4 kW, a certificate issued by the training center is sufficient. Recertification – once a year.
If an employee operates an electric forklift with a power of more than 4 kW, but not more than 25.7 kW, then he must have a tractor driver’s license with an open category B and a special o. The certificate of completion of training courses requires a record of the assignment of 3rd category.
Category C tractor driver's license with special certificate
A candidate for diesel forklift driver must have a category C tractor driver license, 4th category and a special certificate. But only if the loader is no more powerful than 110.3 kW, and speaking in Russian - no more than 150 “horses”.
One more point: all warehouse workers who operate forklifts, electric pallet trucks and stackers (reach trucks) must have valid medical certificates. Those who have a tractor driver's license must have one like that of a car driver, with a note indicating that there are no contraindications for driving self-propelled machines. They must say: “fit to drive tractors and other self-propelled agricultural machines.” It should be explained to the staff that, when passing the driver’s commission, the employee can and must inform the commission about the category of “regular” driver’s license he has. Why go through a commission 10 times if the absence of medical contraindications to driving cars and motorcycles, as well as self-propelled vehicles, can be reflected in one medical certificate?
For workers operating equipment with a power of up to 4 kW, regular certificates issued at any clinic are also suitable. Personnel using forklifts, trolleys and stackers have certificates for the right to operate them and medical certificates - necessary, but far from sufficient conditions for safe work.
