Category BE in Jelgava
Category BE lets you drive a category B towing vehicle coupled to a trailer or semi trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg. In practice you need it once the trailer is heavier than category B allows, for example a boat trailer, a horse trailer or a plant trailer. At STNIG the category BE training takes place in Jelgava, at Savienības iela 2, and the course lasts two weeks.
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Price
- 260 €
Category BE upcoming groups
Category BE courses at STNIG
The category BE course is for people who already hold a category B licence and need to tow a heavier trailer. You already know the traffic regulations, so the course is shorter than category B and most of it is spent behind the wheel. The focus is on what changes once there is a trailer behind you: manoeuvring in tight spaces, reversing, and coupling the trailer to the towing vehicle. Those are exactly the things the CSDD checks in the driving exam.
When do you need category BE, and what may you drive?
The line between category B and category BE is drawn by maximum authorised mass. Category BE is what people usually mean by a trailer licence. Below are three cases as the CSDD sets them out, and a fourth on where to find your own figures.
What category BE allows
Category BE is a category B towing vehicle coupled to a trailer or semi trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg. That figure is the one to go by when choosing a category.
Where category B stops
Category B covers vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg and no more than eight seats besides the driver. Once the trailer and the towing vehicle together go past that limit, category B on its own is no longer enough.
A combination of up to 4250 kg and code 96
If the trailer's maximum mass is over 750 kg and the whole combination is over 3500 kg but not over 4250 kg, the CSDD requires an additional driving exam and a licence endorsed with code 96. That is not a separate category but a note against category B.
How to find your own figures
The maximum authorised mass of the trailer and of the car is printed on their registration certificates. If you are not sure which category you need, call 29 806 300 with both figures and we will tell you.
Category BE price and costs
Category BE course price
260
4 driving lessons at €40 each and the theory at €100. CSDD fees and the medical assessment are not included.
What extra costs should you expect?
On top of the course price there are the CSDD fees. Category BE has no theory exam, so two fees remain: 58.57 € for the driving exam and 22.41 € for issuing the licence, 80.98 € in total. You can add every cost up in the calculator on the prices page.
Category BE theory training
How do the theory lessons work?
There is no CSDD theory exam for category BE. You learned the traffic regulations when you took category B, and for category BE the CSDD lists only the driving exam. The training still has to be done at a driving school, and the lessons are held in Jelgava, at Savienības iela 2.
Category BE theory timetable
- The date, days and time of the next category BE group are in the groups section of this page. Group details change, so they are not written into the text.
Category BE driving lessons
Driving lessons with an instructor
The driving lessons are about the things you never had to do with a car alone. A trailer changes the length of the combination, the turning radius and the way it behaves in reverse, so the lessons cover both real traffic and the set manoeuvres. In the CSDD driving exam you have to couple the trailer to the towing vehicle and uncouple it, reverse around a corner and park the combination, so those are the ones we practise most.
How to get a Category BE licence
Applying to the school
Pick a category BE group and apply on the website or by phone on 29 806 300. If you are not sure whether you need category BE or a code 96 endorsement, tell us the trailer's maximum mass and we will say.
Training at the school
Category BE training takes place at the driving school, as the CSDD requires. The course lasts two weeks and the lessons are held in Jelgava.
Driving lessons with a trailer
You drive with an instructor and practise the same manoeuvres the CSDD exam asks for. The lessons carry on until manoeuvring with a trailer stops being difficult.
The CSDD driving exam
For category BE there is only the driving exam. Once you pass it, the CSDD issues a licence with category BE on it.
Category BE exams and the CSDD
What the CSDD driving exam checks
The driving exam is held to check your driving skills and your ability to follow the traffic regulations without putting yourself or others at risk. For category BE it is taken in a CSDD car with a trailer, and a computer program decides which vehicle, which manoeuvres and which examiner you get.
The manoeuvres
The manoeuvres are coupling the trailer to the towing vehicle and uncoupling it, reversing around a corner and parking the combination. Each one has to be done in no more than two attempts.
Driving in traffic
Driving in traffic lasts about 40 minutes and includes at least five minutes of driving on your own to a destination the examiner names. You can register for the exam at a CSDD customer centre, in e-CSDD or by phone.
Requirements
- A category B licence. Category BE is added to a licence you already hold, so the training starts with category B in hand.
- Training at a driving school. The CSDD states that category BE training must be done at a driving school and followed by a driving exam.
- A medical certificate.
Why choose STNIG in Jelgava?
Easy to get to
Savienības iela 2 is walkable, on a bus route and on the way home from work.
No inflated school exams
Our job is to get you ready for the CSDD exam, not to add hurdles on the way to it.
We work at weekends too
Some instructors drive on Saturdays and Sundays, so the lessons fit into a full week too.
A short course
The category BE course lasts two weeks, because you covered the theory when you took category B.
Related categories
Category BE: frequently asked questions
What is category BE?
Category BE is a category B towing vehicle coupled to a trailer or semi trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg. It is added to a category B licence you already hold, once the trailer becomes heavier than category B allows, for example a boat trailer, a horse trailer or a plant trailer. It is what people usually mean by a trailer licence.
How heavy a trailer can you tow with category BE?
With category BE you may tow a trailer or semi trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg. Category B, in turn, covers vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg and no more than eight seats besides the driver. Both figures are printed on the registration certificates of the trailer and the car.
Do you need category B before category BE?
Yes. Category BE is a category B towing vehicle with a trailer, so it is added to a category B licence you already hold. That is also why there is no separate theory exam for category BE.
What is the difference between category BE and a code 96 endorsement?
Code 96 applies when the trailer is over 750 kg and the whole combination is over 3500 kg but not over 4250 kg. In that case the CSDD requires an additional driving exam and the endorsement is added to category B. Category BE is a category in its own right and covers a trailer or semi trailer with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3500 kg.
How much does category BE cost?
The category BE course at STNIG costs 260 €: four driving lessons at 40 € each and the theory at 100 €. On top of that there are the CSDD fees. Category BE has no theory exam, so what remains is 58.57 € for the driving exam and 22.41 € for issuing the licence, 80.98 € in total.
How long is the category BE course?
The category BE course at STNIG lasts two weeks. It is shorter than the category B course because the traffic regulations have already been covered and most of the time is spent behind the wheel.
Is there a theory exam for category BE?
No. For category BE the CSDD lists only the driving exam, because the traffic regulations were covered when you took category B. The training still has to be done at a driving school, and only then can you sit the driving exam.
What is the category BE exam at the CSDD like?
The exam is taken in a CSDD car with a trailer. The manoeuvres are coupling the trailer to the towing vehicle and uncoupling it, reversing around a corner and parking the combination, with no more than two attempts each. Driving in traffic lasts about 40 minutes and includes at least five minutes of driving on your own to a destination the examiner names.
How do you sign up for a category BE course in Jelgava?
Choose a category BE group on this page and fill in the application form, or call 29 806 300. The lessons are held in Jelgava, at Savienības iela 2. If you are not sure whether you need category BE or a code 96 endorsement, tell us the trailer’s maximum mass and we will say.