Classes & Restrictions
Virginia's CDL vehicle classes (A, B and C) and the restriction codes printed on a license — including the E restriction most searches get backwards.
3 guides
Va. Code § 46.2-341.16 sets the weight thresholds for Class A (a combination with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, towing a unit over 10,000 pounds) and Class B (a single vehicle of 26,001 pounds or more, or towing under 10,000 pounds), and it lists the restriction codes a CDL can carry. DMV's own published list is longer than the statute's, because § 46.2-341.16 C.10 lets DMV add codes by regulation — these pages say plainly which list a given code comes from.
The restriction people search for most is E, and the plain-language answer runs backward from how the question is usually phrased: E does not permit a manual transmission, it forbids one. A driver who tests in an automatic gets the E restriction and cannot legally drive a manual-transmission commercial vehicle until re-testing in one — driving against a printed restriction is a Class 2 misdemeanor under § 46.2-341.7.
All guides
- Every Virginia CDL Restriction Code, Explained
The full list of Virginia CDL restriction codes — which ones come from the Code of Virginia and which DMV added, and what each one actually limits.
- What the E Restriction on a Virginia CDL Means
A manual restriction CDL (the E code) means no manual transmission — the driver tested in an automatic and cannot legally drive a manual CMV.
- How to Get a Class B License in Virginia
A Class B license in Virginia covers single vehicles of 26,001+ pounds. Here is what qualifies, how it compares to Class A and C, and how to get one.