can you drive an artic tractor on class C licence
YES
the quiztion shuold be is it legal
and what chapter and verse
YES.
it is a rigid hgv as long as it has no trailer attached.
C licence allows you to drive a rigid hgv.
dont have chapter/verse.
but if you search its been covered many times
NO,as I recall if the unit is equipped to tow a trailer you need the relevant licence.
It was in my day anyway. Tinhat on prepared for incoming. 
DaveL:
NO,as I recall if the unit is equipped to tow a trailer you need the relevant licence.
It was in my day anyway. Tinhat on prepared for incoming.
Hows that work Dave? If a C licence holder could not drive something capable of towing a large trailer, well apply that same methology to a car with a tow bar!!
The E category means an actual trailer. Mind you i’ve heard the rumours myself, you can only drive a tractor unit on a C licence if the fifth wheel is removed and put in the passenger footwell !!
yes you can drive a tractor unit only on a class c licence. but you must remember that its different to a normal rigid in that when you select reverse you have to steer the opposite way 
I hope so, years ago i took a unit down to Manchester and picked another one up for a company when i only had a C licence.
dunno how i missed that
5 pages and the answer was in the first 2 
Mike_C.
In the late 70"s early 80’s,you needed the relevant licence to tow a vehicle.We had a fitter with a class2 (C?)who could only recover a unit on a rear lift. So motorway recovery for him was a no no.That was the law then.
I realise that rules & regs have changed over the years & I should keep up to date.
I did say that I was expecting flak.Having read the other threads I was wrong.Wrist slapped. 
update to this
when away to Stuggart with an artic
i mentioned this problem to the other driver and he said you couldnt drive tractor unless 5th wheel etc etc on a class 2 licence
i asked him what licence he had. obviously he had a HGV 1
i pointed out to him the change in licence groups and if he had a current licence it should be at least C+E to drive artics
and that to drive a rigid you need a C licence which allows you to pull trailers upto 750 kg
therefore a person could drive a tractor on a rigid licence
he then said the fifth wheel etc etc or you would need a class 1 etc etc
he told me he wasnt a lorry driver really and he had plenty of money and he got bored so he helps the company out etc etc fifth wheel class1 etc etc
no you can’t. a reletive of mine was delevering merc trucks for the dealership & he had to sit his c+e before he could deliver tractors,before you could actually drive one on a car license if you had a dummy fifth wheel.
The answer is “yes”.
A tractor unit is a rigid bodied goods vehicle. You can drive it on a Class C licence.
You don’t need a C+E licence unless a class E vehicle- a trailer- comes into the scene.
Been covered many many times here before.