Guide
ADR classes and modules: which ones you actually need
Updated
Most drivers are over-sold or under-sold ADR because nobody asked two questions first: what are you carrying, and is it in packages or in a tank.
The nine classes
- Class 1: explosives
- A separate 6-hour module taken with the core. Not every training centre runs it.
- Class 2: gases
- Includes flammable, non-flammable non-toxic and toxic gases. Part of group A.
- Class 3: flammable liquids
- The commonest ADR work in Great Britain, fuels above all. Part of group A.
- Classes 4 and 5: flammable solids, oxidising substances
- Class 4 covers flammable solids, spontaneously combustible substances and substances that emit flammable gas in contact with water. Class 5 covers oxidisers and organic peroxides. Both sit in group B.
- Classes 6 and 8: toxic and corrosive substances
- Both sit in group A.
- Class 7: radioactive materials
- A separate 6-hour module taken with the core, like class 1, and again not offered everywhere.
- Class 9: miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
- The catch-all class. Part of group B.
The class list is the UN classification used across road, rail, sea and air, set out in the Department for Transport's moving dangerous goods guidance. In Great Britain the carriage rules are applied by the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (legislation.gov.uk), which give ADR domestic effect.
Class by class, or by group?
Some classes share common characteristics and can be taken together, which is usually the cheaper route in hours:
| Route | Modules | Minimum hours on top of the 9-hour core |
|---|---|---|
| Group A (classes 2, 3, 6, 8) | Common characteristics + group A | 5 hours 15 minutes |
| Group B (classes 4, 5, 9) | Common characteristics + group B | 3 hours |
| Both groups (classes 2 to 9) | Common characteristics + group A + group B | 6 hours 45 minutes |
| Class 3 only | Class 3 module | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Class 1 explosives | Class 1 module | 6 hours |
| Class 7 radioactive | Class 7 module | 6 hours |
Add the packages module (1 hour 30 minutes), the tanks module (7 hours 30 minutes) or both on top of any of these. Classes 1 and 7 are taken with the core module alone; if you later want to add other classes you then have to take the packages or tanks module as well.
What else you may need alongside the card
- HGV licence and Driver CPC if transporting dangerous goods in a heavy goods vehicle is the main part of your job. There is no minimum time you must have held the full HGV licence before starting ADR training (gov.uk).
- Petroleum Driver Passport if you need access to fuel terminals where petroleum products are loaded into tankers.
- ID at the training centre: a photocard driving licence, valid passport, Driver CPC card, professional body photo ID, HM Services ID card, driver qualification card, Petroleum Driver Passport or a valid ADR card.
- Your card before you drive. gov.uk is blunt: do not transport dangerous goods while waiting for the card, because driving without it can mean court and a fine. Cards are posted within 5 working days of a pass.
Unsure which classes your loads fall into? Say so on the form and describe the goods. Approved centres deal with this daily and will tell you what you actually need rather than selling you the full ticket by default.