The driving licence you need to tow a caravan or trailer
There is often some confusion over what type of driving licence you require to tow a caravan or trailer. Below are some guidelines to what you need to know, as provided by Directgov. If in any doubt over your entitlement, please consult the Driving Licencing Agency, or the Directgov website. If you tow a large caravan and passed your test after 01/01/1997 please pay particular attention to the rules
Car driving licences obtained before 1 January 1997
All drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 retain their existing entitlement to tow trailers until their licence expires. This means they are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM. ( maximum authorised mass (MAM) of vehicles and trailers - this should be taken to mean the permissible maximum weight, also known as the gross vehicle weight )
Car driving licences first obtained AFTER 1 January 1997
If you passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 you're limited to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes maximum authorised mass towing a trailer up to 750kgs, or a vehicle and trailer combination up to 3.5 tonnes MAM providing the MAM of the trailer doesn't exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle.
You will need to pass an additional driving test in B+E if you wish to tow a caravan or trailer combination which exceeds these weight limits.
Additional B+E car and trailer practical driving test
The car and trailer test (B+E) is based on the lorry driving test and lasts for approximately one hour. Please note that B+E tests are conducted at vocational (bus and lorry) driving test centres.
The towing test (B+E) includes vehicle safety questions, an off-road reverse manoeuvre, a controlled stop, uncoupling and coupling of the trailer and driving on the road.
This article is meant only as a guide and was correct at the time of publishing. You are responsible for ensuring all regulations are met, and laws correctly adhered to. If in any doubt over your entitlement, please consult the Driving Licencing Agency, or the Directgov website below.
For more information, or if you have any questions, please visit the DirectGov website
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