How to Get a Category C Driving Licence in Austria?

A Category C driving licence (in German, Führerschein Klasse C) is the Austrian full truck licence — the qualification that lets you drive a heavy goods vehicle over 3,500 kg and the heart of a professional driving career. Most haulage and logistics employers in Austria ask for it, and it opens the door to well-paid work. This guide explains what Class C covers in Austria, the important age and Code 95 rules, the medical and first-aid requirements, the training and exams, the time-limited validity, and how Class C launches a career on the road.

In Austria, a driving school (Fahrschule) conducts training and testing, while the licensing authority (the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or, in cities, the Landespolizeidirektion) issues the licence. Our pages on driving licences in Austria and licence eligibility are good starting points.

What is a Class C licence in Austria?

Class C lets you drive goods vehicles (other than buses) with a maximum authorised mass over 3,500 kg with no upper limit, designed to carry no more than eight passengers in addition to the driver, plus a trailer up to 750 kg. These are rigid trucks of any size. A Class C licence also includes the AM, C1 and F entitlements. For heavy trailers and articulated lorries, you add CE.

C, C1 and CE: how they fit together

• C1 — medium goods vehicles from 3,500 kg up to 7,500 kg, with a trailer up to 750 kg.
• C — goods vehicles over 3,500 kg with no upper limit, with a trailer up to 750 kg.
• CE — a Class C vehicle with a heavy trailer, for articulated lorries and drawbar combinations.

You must hold Class B before adding Class C, and Class C before adding CE.

What can you drive with a Class C licence?

A Class C licence covers rigid trucks of any weight above 3,500 kg: large rigids, box trucks, tippers, refuse vehicles, tankers, fire appliances and concrete mixers. It is the most common professional truck licence in Austria and the foundation for most goods-transport jobs. To pull a heavy trailer or drive an articulated lorry, you add CE on top.

The age rule and Code 95

This is the most important point for new drivers in Austria. You can be issued a Class C licence from 18 (with training from 17 and a half), but how much you can drive depends on your qualification:

• Without the professional qualification, the licence is restricted to C1 (trucks up to 7.5 tonnes) until you turn 21, when it automatically extends to full Class C.
• With the Code 95 professional qualification (the Fahrerqualifizierungsnachweis) or a completed professional-driver apprenticeship, the restriction does not apply — you can drive full Class C trucks from 18.

Because most people who get a Class C licence intend to drive professionally — and therefore need Code 95 anyway — many take the two together and gain unrestricted Class C from 18.

Do you need Code 95?

For commercial goods transport with a truck over 3.5 tonnes, yes — you need the Code 95 qualification (Fahrerqualifizierungsnachweis). It includes an initial qualification, followed by 35 hours of periodic training every five years (five days of seven hours), and Code 95 is added to your licence with an expiry date. You can often take the practical Code 95 test with your Class C test. If you only drive a truck privately or in an exempt role, you do not need Code 95. Read our guide to Code 95 in Austria, and note that professional driving also brings tachograph rules.

The medical examination

Class C requires a medical certificate (ärztliches Gutachten) confirming you are fit to drive heavy vehicles, including an eyesight check. Arrange it before training and submit it before the exam; it must not be more than 18 months old when the licence is granted, and the medical for the C categories costs around €50. Importantly, the medical is also needed at every renewal — without it, Class C is downgraded to C1. A stricter 0.1 alcohol limit applies when driving Class C vehicles.

The first-aid course

You must show proof of a six-hour first-aid course in life-saving measures, unless you already completed it for an earlier licence,e such as your car licence.

Training and exams

You complete theory and practical training at a driving school and pass a theory exam (computer-based multiple-choice) and a practical driving exam in a truck, covering safety checks, vehicle control, manoeuvring and driving in traffic. Because C1 training is the same as Class C, Austrian schools generally train and test directly for the full Class C. Training can begin up to six months before the minimum age.

Time-limited validity and renewal

As with all truck classes in Austria, Class C is issued on a limited basis, normally for five years, reducing to two years from age 60. Each renewal requires a new medical certificate. If you renew within 18 months of expiry with a valid medical, you don’t need a new driving test; if you let it lapse longer, you may need a practical test. A separate 15-year limit applies to the card document itself, but the Class C driving entitlement is the time-limited one to watch.

How is your licence issued?

You apply through your chosen driving school, which submits the application to the licensing authority. After you pass the exams and pay the fees, you receive a temporary licence so you can drive straight away, and your card licence (Scheckkartenführerschein) is posted to you, normally within about five to ten days.

CE for trailers and articulated lorries

Class C covers rigid trucks only. To pull a heavy trailer or drive an articulated lorry, you need a CE licence, which adds a heavy trailer to your Class C entitlement and covers the largest combinations on the road. To get a CE, you must hold a C licence and pass an additional practical test, and it is where the best-paid long-distance work tends to be.

Your route into a driving career

Class C, combined with Code 95, makes you employable as a professional truck driver in Austria and across Europe, where demand is strong, and the driver shortage means good opportunities. From Class C, you can add CE for articulated work and specialist tickets, such as ADR for dangerous goods, to expand your options. Explore current driver jobs and live vacancies to see what employers are paying and asking for.

Tips for getting your Class C licence in Austria

• Plan Code 95 alongside your licence Class. You can drive full Class C trucks from 18.
• Arrange your medical early, and remember it is required at Class C renewal; otherwise, the class is downgraded to C1.
• Watch the five-year expiry and book your renewal medical well in advance.
• Practise reversing and manoeuvring, where many candidates lose marks.
• If you want the best-paid work, plan to add CE after Class C.

Start your truck driving career.

A Class C licence is the gateway to professional truck driving in Austria. Add Code 9,5, and you can be paid to drive full-size trucks from 18; progress to C, E, E, and you can move into articulated and long-distance haulage. When you are ready, register in the driver section, explore vacancies, and see what employers are hiring for on FastDriver.eu.

Declaration

This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Licence categories, weight limits, ages, medical standards, validity periods, training requirements and fees can change and may vary by case and by authority in Austria. Always confirm the current rules with the official Austrian government sources before making decisions. The authoritative information is on the government’s oesterreich.gv.at driving licence and licence categories pages, and the EU framework is in the EUR-Lex text of Directive (EU) 2025/2205. FastDriver.eu accepts no liability for actions taken based on this information.