In Portugal, there are driving licence categories that cannot be renewed indefinitely, with an age from which some drivers can no longer drive certain vehicles. According to the Regulation on Legal Driving Entitlement (RHLC), approved by Decree-Law No. 138/2012, categories D1, D1E, D and DE cease to be valid when the driver turns 67, meaning it is no longer possible to renew these categories again.
This rule applies primarily to categories associated with driving heavy passenger vehicles, such as buses and other vehicles intended for transporting people. From the age of 67, drivers can no longer legally drive these vehicles, even if they remain fit to drive vehicles of other categories.
The CE category also has a limitation at 67, although in a different way. This category does not disappear automatically, but becomes limited to driving vehicle combinations with a maximum authorised weight of up to 20 tonnes, which represents a significant restriction for professionals who drive heavy goods vehicles.
The fact that these categories cease to be valid does not mean the driver is left without a driving licence. If they have, for example, category B and meet the legal requirements for renewal, they can continue to drive light cars. The 67-year limit should be understood as a specific restriction for certain professional or heavy vehicle categories, and not as a general maximum age to drive in Portugal.
