NEW RULES FOR TOWING A CARAVAN OR TRAILER
On 16th December 2021, England, Scotland and Wales introduced new rules for towing a caravan or trailer with a car. In this article we’re going to look more closely at these rules and how they affect you.
Please note: There’s separate guidance for Northern Ireland and we discuss that in more detail below.
What were the previous towing rules?
What you were permitted to tow depended on when you passed your driving test. Here’s what the towing rules were in England, Scotland and Wales before 16th December 2021.
Car driving test passed before 1st January 1997
If you passed your test before 1st January 1997, you were usually able to drive a car to tow a caravan or trailer with a combined maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 8,250kg. It was also possible to drive a minibus and trailer with a MAM of over 750kg.
Important: MAM is the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be safely carried when it’s in use.
Car driving test passed between 1st January 1997 and 18th January 2013
If you passed your test between 1st January 1997 and 18th January 2013, you could drive a car with a MAM of 3,500kg to tow a caravan or trailer with a MAM of up to 750kg (up to 4,250kg in total). You could also tow a trailer over 750kg MAM, assuming it was no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (up to 3,500kg in total).
A further requirement was that you needed to take a car and trailer test if you wished to exceed this capacity.
Important: Unladed weight is the weight of a vehicle when it isn’t carrying any passengers or goods.
Car driving test passed from 19th January 2013
If you passed your test after 19th January 2013, you could drive a car with a MAM of 3,500kg to tow a caravan or trailer with a MAM of up to 750kg (up to 4,250kg in total). You could also tow a trailer over 750kg MAM providing the combined total MAM of the trailer and car did not exceed 3,500kg.
As with those with older licenses, you needed to take a car and trailer test if you wanted to tow anything heavier.
How did the towing rules change?
Two key rules changed from 16th December 2021, relating to towing capacity and the car and trailer driving test.
Amended towing capacities
What you can tow still depends on when you passed your driving test, but the towing weights have changed for some categories.
Car driving test passed before 1st January 1997
If you passed your driving test before 1st January 1997, your towing weight limitations remain the same as before 16th December 2021. See the section above for full details.
Car driving test passed after 1st January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1st January 1997, the new rules mean you’re now able to tow caravans or trailers of up to 3,500kg MAM.
The DVLA will also have automatically updated your driving records to show that you have permission to tow trailers. When you next apply for a new driving license, category BE (which illustrates this) will be added to it.
No more car and trailer tests
Since 20th September 2021, car and trailer driving tests have no longer been required in order to tow a caravan or trailer.
If you are unsure about your current towing capacity, you can check your driving license information on the government website.
Northern Ireland rules for towing a trailer
In Northern Ireland, what you can tow is affected by the category of your vehicle and when you passed your car driving test.
Category B
Category B vehicles are up to 3,500kgs MAM and have up to eight passenger seats.
Category B vehicles can tow a trailer over 750kg MAM, so long as the total weight of the vehicle and trailer doesn’t exceed 3,500kg MAM. Alternatively, they can tow a trailer of up to 750kgs MAM so long as the total weight doesn’t exceed 4,250kgs MAM.
Category B+E
Category B+E vehicles can be up to 3,500kgs MAM and can be combined with trailers that are more than 750kg MAM (but must not exceed 3,500kg MAM). The total weight of the vehicle and trailer can’t surpass 7,000kgs MAM.
Category B license holders who took their car driving test before 1st January 1997 already hold category B+E entitlement. Drivers who took their test on or after 1st January 1997 must take a further practical test in order to enter the B+E category.
If you want to know more about the towing rules in Northern Ireland, you can find further information here.
Tips to safely tow a caravan or trailer
When towing a caravan or trailer with a car, it’s essential to:
- Not overload the caravan or trailer
- Check your car can handle the weight of the caravan or trailer (take your caravan or trailer to a local weighbridge if you’re unsure of the weight)
- Ensure that the total weight of the loaded car and caravan or trailer doesn’t exceed your car’s maximum train weight (i.e., the total allowable weight of the car plus the trailer plus the load).
For more tips and advice, read our dedicated article on how to safely tow another car.
For more information on the new towing rules in England, Scotland, and Wales, please head over to the government website or visit Halfords.com for our range of towing accessories.
We also offer mobile tow bar fitting, where we come to you at home or work and fit high quality Brink tow bars.
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