What kind of licence do you need to drive a van?

Driving a van with a car licence

If you have a normal "B" category car licence, you will be able to drive any van that has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) under 3.5 tonnes. It's that simple.
The gross vehicle weight is a combination of the van's own weight, plus the maximum weight of any payload. So the maximum GVW is the most that van can weigh when it's fully laden. So if the van weighs 2.5 tonnes, it can carry a maximum 1-tonne payload to still be within its maximum 3.5-tonne gross vehicle weight. Most "normal" vans you encounter are so-called "three and a half tonne" vans. This ranges in everything from normal delivery vans, through to supermarket home delivery vans, to post-delivery vehicles, and general-purpose vans. This means most vans you come across can be driven on your normal car "B" licence.

The van's "plated weight" is generally found on a metal plate on the inside of either the driver's or passenger's door. Hence the term "plated weight". This refers to the maximum possible weight of the van. In theory, a van can have any maximum plated weight, however, it must undergo necessary checks in order to make sure the vehicle is still suitable for use on the road with that extra weight. Unless it's a heavier goods vehicle, most vans' plated weight will be under 3.5 tonnes.
You may also encounter a figure known as the gross train weight or gross combination weight (GTW or GCW). These refer to the maximum weight of the vehicle and its load, in addition to the weight of and load contained within a trailer it's pulling. If you have a regular "B" licence you can only tow a trailer of up to 750kg. For larger and heavier trailers you will need to get a "B+E" categorisation on your licence, which requires an additional trailer towing test.

If your van's gross vehicle weight is in excess of 3.5 tonnes you cannot drive it without getting the relevant training and licensing. You will not be able to drive anything classed as a heavy goods vehicle on a standard car licence. There is something more complex to consider, however, namely "grandfather rights".

Grandfather rights have nothing to do with your relations, they refer in fact to the date on which you took your test and gained your licence. If you took your test before January 1st 1997 you will likely qualify for "grandfather rights". This allows you to drive a completely different set of vehicles than if you'd passed your test at a later date. If you have grandfather rights you can actually drive a van or a smaller truck with a GVW of up to 7.5 tonnes, and tow a trailer combo of up to 8250kg.
If you're unsure of when you passed your test, just look at the back of your licence. If you see "C1" as well as "B" there, you qualify for grandfather rights.

The simplest thing to do is look at the back of your driving licence. If you have a car driving licence you will see a table there, and the relevant sections of your licence will be filled in. You can see small pictures of cars, vans, trucks, buses, trailers, and bikes. These will give you a clear indication of what you're allowed to drive and what you're not. If you see a van classification box filled in, you can drive it up to the GVW as mentioned above.

Remember that if you're not permitted to drive a certain vehicle, you can still apply to take a test allowing you to do so. It depends on your purposes. If you just want a van for work, the odds are you can drive it on your regular car licence. If you're going to drive professionally, you might consider it a personal investment to get a licence allowing you to drive bigger and heavier vehicles. The more you can drive, the broader your employment opportunities will be.