Towing a caravan on a car licence: the 2021 rule change explained (B, BE, 3,500 kg)

What changed on 16 December 2021

Since 16 December 2021, anyone in Great Britain with a full car licence (category B) can tow a trailer, and so a caravan, with a maximum authorised mass (MAM) of up to 3,500 kg. The change comes from the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2021, SI 2021/1450: they add category B+E to the entitlements that come with category B, and they ended the car and trailer test (B+E) the same day.

Before that date, a car licence passed from 1 January 1997 onwards only covered two cases:

• a trailer of up to 750 kg MAM, with no other limit than the car's own;
• a heavier trailer, as long as car plus trailer stayed within 3,500 kg MAM in total.

In practice, most family caravans (1,300 to 1,800 kg MAM) behind an SUV or a large estate went over that 3,500 kg total. Their owners had to pass the B+E test. That is no longer the case in England, Scotland and Wales.

My photocard does not show BE: can I tow?

Yes. The entitlement exists in law since 16 December 2021, whether or not it is printed on your card. The DVLA adds BE to the photocard the next time it is renewed or updated, and you do not need to wait for it to tow in Great Britain.

The limits that still apply

The licence is only one of three checks. Your caravan must also fit within what the car may tow, and within the size rules.

• The car's towing limit, given by the manufacturer in the handbook, for a braked trailer. A caravan heavier than this is illegal, whatever your licence says.
• The gross train weight: the fully loaded car plus the fully loaded caravan. It is printed on the VIN plate, under the bonnet or in the driver's door frame. If your VIN plate shows no train weight, the car must not be used for towing.
• Size: a caravan towed by a vehicle of up to 3,500 kg MAM may be at most 2.55 m wide and 7 m long, drawbar not included.
• Brakes: a trailer over 750 kg must have working brakes and a breakaway cable or secondary coupling, and carry the same number plate as the car.

Worked example. A car with a towing limit of 1,800 kg and a gross train weight of 4,100 kg, loaded to 2,200 kg on the road. Its caravan is plated at 1,500 kg MAM. Licence: fine, 1,500 kg is under 3,500 kg. Towing limit: fine, 1,500 kg is under 1,800 kg. Train weight: 2,200 + 1,500 = 3,700 kg, under 4,100 kg. All three checks pass, so the outfit is legal.

Licences passed before 1 January 1997

If you passed your car test before 1997, you generally kept wider rights: a vehicle and trailer combination of up to 8,250 kg MAM. To drive a combination of up to 12,000 kg, you need to pass the C1+E test. Nothing changed for you in 2021.

Northern Ireland: the old rules still apply

The 2021 regulations only extend to England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland licensing is separate, and nidirect still describes the car and trailer test. A Northern Ireland category B licence passed from 1 January 1997 allows a trailer of up to 750 kg, or a heavier one if the combination stays within 3,500 kg and the trailer's MAM does not exceed the car's unladen mass. To tow most caravans, you still need to pass B+E with the DVA.

No official page clearly says whether a GB licence showing BE since 2021 covers a holiday in Northern Ireland. In law it is a UK licence showing the category, but check with the DVA before you travel.

On the road: speed, lanes and mirrors

On a motorway with three or more lanes, a vehicle towing a trailer must not use the right-hand lane (Highway Code, rule 265). And you must have an adequate view of the road behind you: if the caravan is wider than the car, fit towing mirrors.

What you risk

• Towing without the right entitlement (for example a Northern Ireland B licence behind a heavy caravan): an offence under section 87 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, with a fine of up to £1,000, 3 to 6 penalty points and a possible ban. Your insurance may also refuse to pay.
• Towing without proper mirrors: up to £1,000 and 3 points.
• Using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, which can include an overloaded outfit: up to £2,500, 3 points and a possible ban.