Car driving licence in Switzerland: conditions and steps

Category B covers cars up to 3500 kg. Here are the official conditions, sourced from the Ordinance on Admission to Road Traffic (OAC).

Ce que prévoit la loi

Âge minimal: 17 ans (âge minimal pour la demande du permis d'élève conducteur et l'obtention du permis)
Poids total maximal: 3500 kg
Places assises maximales: 8 (hors conducteur)

Source : Fedlex - OAC (RS 741.51), art. 3, al. 1 (catégorie B) et art. 6, al. 1, let. cbis

Minimum age and learner licence

The minimum age to apply for a learner licence and obtain a category B driving licence is 17 years completed.

An exception exists for people following one of the vocational training programmes "Heavy vehicle driver (federal VET diploma)", "Automotive maintenance mechanic (federal VET diploma)" (commercial vehicles track) or "Automotive mechatronics technician (federal VET diploma)" (commercial vehicles track): their learner licence for categories C and CE can be issued from age 17, and they may sit the driving test for categories B, BE, C or CE at the earliest six months before turning 18, with the licence only issued once they have turned 18. An equivalent scheme exists for the "Light vehicle driver (federal VET certificate)" training (categories B or BE). In both cases, driving before turning 18 must be done accompanied by a person meeting the legal requirements.

What category B covers

The B licence authorises driving:

motor cars and motor tricycles with a total weight not exceeding 3500 kg and a maximum of eight seats in addition to the driver's;
a combination of a category B vehicle and a trailer, as long as the trailer does not exceed 750 kg;
a combination of a category B vehicle and a trailer over 750 kg, provided the total weight of the combination does not exceed 3500 kg (beyond that, a BE licence is required).

The B licence automatically unlocks sub-category B1 (motor tricycles up to 670 kg unladen and motor quadricycles) as well as special categories F, G and M.