Eye Test for Licence Class C1: Requirements and Procedure
Class C1 is the licence for the vehicles in the middle: too big for a car licence, too small for a full lorry licence. It covers motor vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, including many motorhomes, delivery vans, small removal lorries and horse transporters. If you want to drive one of those vehicles, the eye test you need is not the simple optician test from the car licence. The eye test for licence class C1 is part of a fuller medical and eye examination, with stricter standards.
This guide explains the requirements and the procedure for the C1 eye test: which vehicles class C1 covers, the stricter visual standard, how the medical examination and the eye examination work, what to bring, and how the five-year renewal works. It also explains what happens if you do not meet the standard, and when the same rules apply to class C, the full lorry licence.
Eye Test Class C1: What Is Class C1?
Class C1 sits between class B and class C. Class B covers vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. Class C covers lorries over 3.5 tonnes, with no upper weight limit. Class C1 covers motor vehicles from 3.5 up to 7.5 tonnes, with up to eight passenger seats plus the driver seat. With C1E, you may also tow a trailer over 750 kg, as long as the combination does not exceed 12 tonnes in total.
Typical C1 vehicles include motorhomes over 3.5 tonnes, larger delivery vans, small removal lorries, and vehicles used to transport horses or boats. Many people get C1 so that they can drive a large motorhome on holiday, or because their job involves a van that is heavier than a car. You can get C1 from the age of eighteen, and you need a class B licence first.
The licence is valid for five years, and it must be renewed with a medical examination and an eye examination each time. This is a key difference from the car licence, which you keep for life once you have it. The five-year rule exists because a heavier vehicle needs a driver whose health and vision are checked regularly, and because a 7.5 tonne vehicle causes more damage in a crash than a car.
The Stricter Standard for C1
For a car licence, the minimum visual acuity is 0.7 with both eyes together. For class C1, the standard is stricter: the minimum is higher, and each eye must meet a minimum on its own as well. The exact numbers are set in Annex 6 of the driving licence regulation, the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, and they are measured by an ophthalmologist, not by a simple optician test. The eye doctor checks your acuity with and without correction, your visual field, and your colour vision in a way that goes beyond the quick screening used for cars.
Glasses and contact lenses are allowed, and most C1 drivers wear them. The standard applies to your corrected vision, so if glasses bring you up to the required level, you can be passed. The codes 01.01 for glasses and 01.02 for contact lenses can be noted on your licence, which means you must wear the correction whenever you drive a C1 vehicle. The difference from the car test is not the glasses. It is that the examination is more thorough and that the numbers are higher.
Your visual field matters more for a larger vehicle, because you need to see vehicles approaching from the side and to judge the width of your van or motorhome. The field test in the C1 examination is therefore more detailed than the quick screening in the car test. If the field test shows a problem, the eye doctor will carry out a fuller test, and the result will decide whether a licence can be issued.
The Medical Examination and the Eye Examination
For class C1, you need two documents: a medical certificate from a doctor and an eye examination from an ophthalmologist. The medical certificate is based on a general examination by a doctor with an additional qualification in occupational or traffic medicine, and it covers your general health, your blood pressure, and any conditions that could affect your driving, such as diabetes or epilepsy. The eye examination is carried out separately by an eye doctor, and it measures the visual standard described in the previous section.
You can take the two examinations in either order, and you do not need a new eye test from an optician first. In fact, the eye examination by an ophthalmologist replaces the standard optician test for C1. If you take the simple optician test for the car first, it does not count for C1, so do not pay for it twice. Go straight to the doctor and the eye doctor, and ask them for the documents needed for the C1 application.
Both documents are valid for a limited time, so take them to the licensing authority promptly. The authority checks the documents, and if everything is in order, it issues the C1 licence. Our guide to the lorry driving licence eye test explains the professional examination in general, and our article on the eye test for the lorry driving licence class C covers the full lorry licence, which follows the same rules as C1.
How the Eye Test Works for C1
The eye examination for C1 is carried out in the eye doctor surgery, and it takes longer than the optician test. The doctor measures your visual acuity with a chart, and checks each eye on its own and both eyes together, with and without your glasses or contact lenses. The doctor also checks your visual field with a perimeter, a machine that flashes small lights at the edges of your vision while you look straight ahead, and checks your colour vision and the health of the front of your eye.
You do not need to prepare in any special way, but a few things help. Bring your identity card or passport, your current glasses and a spare pair, or your contact lenses and the box they came in, so that the doctor can see the strength. If you take eye drops, bring them, and tell the doctor about any eye condition you have, such as glaucoma or cataracts. If you are tired or unwell on the day, say so, because the doctor can take that into account.
The doctor writes the result on a form that goes to the licensing authority. The form states your acuity with and without correction, your visual field, your colour vision, and whether any restriction is needed. If you meet the standard, the form is a pass. If you do not, the doctor will explain what the problem is and what can be done about it, which usually means new glasses or treatment.
Glasses and Contact Lenses for C1
Glasses and contact lenses are fully allowed for class C1, and the eye test is taken with the correction you will wear when you drive. The same codes apply as for a car licence: 01.01 for glasses and 01.02 for contact lenses. What changes is that the standard is higher, so your prescription needs to be up to date and your glasses need to be the right strength. A prescription that was good enough for a car may not be enough for a 7.5 tonne vehicle.
If you drive a large vehicle for work, contact lenses can be a good choice, because they give a wide field of vision and do not fog up or slide down your nose. Glasses are equally fine, as long as the frames do not block your side vision. Whichever you choose, bring a spare pair on the day of the test, and keep a spare pair in the vehicle when you drive. Losing your only pair of glasses in a motorhome on a holiday is a problem you do not need.
Varifocal glasses, which let you read the dashboard and the road with the same pair, are widely used by C1 drivers, and they are allowed. If you wear varifocals, tell the eye doctor, because they affect how the acuity is measured at different distances. Our article on the eye test with glasses explains the codes and the rules in more detail.
Renewal Every Five Years
Class C1 must be renewed every five years, and each renewal needs a new medical examination and a new eye examination. Start the process a few months before the expiry date, because the doctor appointments and the authority processing can take time, and you cannot drive a C1 vehicle with an expired licence. The renewal examination is the same as the first one, and the standard does not change with age.
Many drivers find their vision changes between renewals, especially after the age of forty, when reading vision starts to weaken. That does not mean the licence is lost. It usually means new glasses, and the eye doctor will measure the new prescription and record it on the form. If a condition has appeared, such as cataracts, the doctor will explain the treatment and when a new test can be taken.
Keep the dates in mind. The authority will not remind you personally, and the expiry date is printed on the licence itself. Put the date in your calendar, and book the medical and eye appointments in good time. A renewal that is started late can leave you without a valid licence for a few weeks, which matters if you drive a motorhome or a van for a living.
What If You Do Not Pass?
Not meeting the C1 standard does not mean the end of driving. The most common reason is a prescription that is out of date, and the fix is new glasses or contact lenses. Get your eyes checked, update your prescription, and take the eye examination again. Most people pass on the second attempt.
If the problem is a medical condition, the eye doctor will explain what can be done. Cataracts can be operated on, and many drivers pass easily after the operation. A visual field problem is harder to fix, and the doctor may need to check whether the missing part of the field is one that matters for driving. In rare cases, a condition is severe enough that a C1 licence cannot be issued, but the car licence is usually unaffected, because its standard is lower.
Remember that you can still drive a car with a class B licence if C1 is not possible. For most people who need C1 for a motorhome, that is a practical fallback: a motorhome under 3.5 tonnes can be driven on a car licence. The weight limit matters, so if your motorhome is only slightly over 3.5 tonnes, you could also look at a lighter vehicle rather than giving up the holiday.
C1E and Trailers: What Changes for the Eye Test
Class C1E lets you tow a trailer over 750 kilograms with a C1 vehicle, up to twelve tonnes in total. The eye test for C1E is the same as for C1: the same medical examination and the same eye examination, with the same standard. Towing a trailer does not add a new eye test, and the licence is renewed on the same five-year cycle. The trailer itself is the only difference, and it is a difference in driving, not in the test.
What changes is the driving, not the eye test. A trailer makes the vehicle longer and heavier, and reversing with a trailer needs good depth perception and a wide view of the mirrors. If you have a visual field problem, the doctor will take it into account, but the eye test itself is identical, and the standard does not rise because you are towing. The same applies to the renewal: the medical and eye examinations are the same as for C1.
If you already hold C1, you can add C1E with a practical test and a new medical certificate, if yours is still valid. The eye examination does not need to be repeated if your C1 certificate is recent, but ask the licensing authority, because the validity of the documents can differ. As with C1, start the process in good time, keep your prescription up to date, and bring your glasses and a spare pair to the examination.
Conclusion
The eye test for licence class C1 is part of a fuller medical and eye examination carried out by a doctor and an ophthalmologist, with a stricter standard than the car licence and a five-year renewal. Class C1 covers vehicles from 3.5 to 7.5 tonnes, and it suits motorhomes, delivery vans and small lorries. Bring your current glasses, keep your prescription up to date, and start the renewal a few months before your licence expires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the eye test for class C1 the same as for a car?
No. For C1 you need a fuller eye examination by an ophthalmologist, with a stricter standard than the 0.7 minimum for a car. The simple optician test does not count for C1.
Which vehicles can I drive with class C1?
Class C1 covers motor vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, with up to eight passenger seats plus the driver seat. With C1E you can also tow a trailer over 750 kg, as long as the combination does not exceed 12 tonnes.
How long is a C1 licence valid?
Five years. Each renewal needs a new medical examination and a new eye examination. Start the process a few months before the expiry date.
Can I wear glasses for the C1 eye test?
Yes. Glasses and contact lenses are allowed, and the standard applies to your corrected vision. The codes 01.01 for glasses and 01.02 for contact lenses can be noted on your licence.
Do I need a new eye test when I upgrade from C1 to C?
You need the same kind of medical and eye examinations for class C, and the standard is the same group standard. If your C1 documents are recent, the authority may accept them, but it can also ask for new ones. Ask the authority when you apply.
What happens if I fail the C1 eye test?
Usually it means your prescription is out of date and new glasses will fix it. If there is a medical condition, the eye doctor will explain what can be done. A car licence is usually unaffected, because its standard is lower.