Currently there is a large number of permits and licenses that are adjusted to the different vehicles that can circulate on public roads. Sometimes it is difficult to know which of them is the one we need to drive a specific vehicle and we also have to take into account that there are certain special traffic regulations that refer to each of them. The tests and requirements that the driver must present also vary depending on the type of vehicle.
Within these special vehicles we can find the tractor. Although some may consider that it does not fall within the category of vehicles, it does, since on many occasions it has to circulate on public roads, so it has to respect certain regulations so that it can be circulated with cars.
What category do tractors belong to?
Logically, due to its special characteristics, such as size and speed, a tractor does not belong to the general categories of automobiles, but falls into a specific one, called special agricultural vehicles. According to the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) a special agricultural vehicle is one that is made specifically for carrying out agricultural work and divides these vehicles into two classes:
- Self- propelled: also called motor vehicles that, as their name suggests, have an engine that allows them to circulate by themselves. Within them, apart from the tractors, we also find all the agricultural automotive machinery, carrier vehicles and power tillers.
- Non-propelled: or without a motor, which effectively have to be towed because they cannot circulate autonomously. Within them are the trailers and semi-trailers.
In order to circulate with this type of vehicle, a license or permit is required, in addition to complying with the current regulations established by the General Directorate of Traffic
Agricultural Vehicle License – LVA tractor license
The LVA license is one of the two documents that allow the driving of special agricultural vehicles, both self-propelled, as well as adding a trailer to them, as long as the Maximum Authorized Mass (also known by the acronym MMA) with the sum of all vehicles. It is also important to know that the maximum number of people that can be transported with this license is 5, including the driver.
To obtain this document, the General Directorate of Traffic establishes the following requirements:
- You must be at least 16 years old.
- You cannot be deprived of the right to drive by court order.
- You have to pass specific practical and theoretical tests.
Specifically, the tests are made up of:
- A psychophysical exam.
- A theoretical exam of specific knowledge about the characteristics and driving regulations of the vehicle.
- A practical exam in which skills are demonstrated within a closed circuit.
When all the tests have been successfully passed, the driver’s license for special agricultural vehicles will be obtained, which has the characteristic that it is associated with a specific number of credits that are reduced if actions that have an administrative sanction are carried out.
Agricultural tractor license with trailer – driving license type B
The type B driving license, which allows driving cars, also homologates the driving of special agricultural vehicles. In addition, in the case of having this type of document, the Maximum Authorized Mass of 3,500 kg can be transferred (not in cars, but in special agricultural vehicles) and trailers can be added. The number of people that can be transported inside the vehicle also increases from 5 to 9 (with driver included), always bearing in mind that it is done according to the regulations established by the General Directorate of Traffic.
To obtain this driving license it is necessary to have reached the age of 18, as in the previous case, to be able to exercise the right to drive, and to pass three specific tests. In this case it is also a psychophysical test, a theoretical knowledge test and a practical test, in this case not on a closed circuit, but on public roads.
