Code 96

Code 96 describes the B96 combination in the driving licence regulations. The towing vehicle must be in category B, the trailer's maximum authorised mass must exceed 750kg, and the combined maximum authorised mass must exceed 3,500kg without exceeding 4,250kg. GOV.UK's short code list uses a simpler description, but the regulations make clear that these are rated maximum weights, not whatever the trailer happens to weigh on the day.

Maximum authorised mass, usually shortened to MAM, is the maximum permitted laden weight printed for the vehicle or trailer. Add the car's MAM to the trailer's MAM when checking this licence combination. Emptying a caravan does not change its MAM. The actual loaded weight matters for roadworthiness and the manufacturer's towing limit, but it is a different question from identifying the licensing category.

Read the code alongside its category. B96 cannot turn a medium lorry into a category B vehicle. Other restrictions on the towing vehicle still apply.

Usually the more useful question is whether you have full BE entitlement. GOV.UK's current towing guidance says drivers who gained a car licence from 1 January 1997 can tow a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM under BE. The 2021 amending regulations made BE automatic for anyone who has passed a category B test, and GOV.UK says DVLA will add BE to the physical card at the next renewal if it is not already printed. The current GB route is therefore not an application for a separate short B96 assessment.

The legislation still contains B96. It allows a GB licence for that class to be granted to someone who holds or has held a Community licence authorising it. This helps explain why code 96 remains in the code list and may appear in exchange or older licence histories. It does not mean a GB car driver must buy B96 training before towing a caravan whose rated combination is inside BE. Check what the issuing authority has actually recorded for you.

BE has a date distinction. An entitlement valid from before 19 January 2013 permits a trailer of any size within the vehicle's limits. A later BE start date limits trailer MAM to 3,500kg. The car's gross train rating still governs.

Begin with your licence record. Use GOV.UK's View your driving licence service and inspect the categories and any attached codes. Then find the MAM on the car and trailer plates or in their documents. Do the licence sum with those two maxima. Keep the trailer's actual laden weight and the car's towing limit for a separate safety calculation. A hire company's brochure weight is often an empty weight, which is not enough for either decision.

Next read the car's gross train weight and trailer limit, normally on its VIN plate or in its handbook. The train weight caps the loaded outfit. GOV.UK says not to tow with a vehicle whose VIN plate has no train weight. Category entitlement cannot override the car's capacity.

Finally check the hardware. The DVSA towing checklist covers the coupling and breakaway cable, tyres, lights, even loading and a secure load. A trailer without brakes has its own loaded weight restriction in that guidance. Check the towbar and nose weight against the vehicle maker's instructions. If the trailer is hired, inspect its plate before signing for it and confirm the provider has supplied working lights and the right connector.

Code 96 stops at its combination ceiling. An almost empty trailer still brings its plated MAM into the licence calculation. For a current GB car licence, check full BE next. The 2021 amending regulations give BE automatically to anyone who has passed a category B test, and GOV.UK says it permits a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM for drivers licensed from 1 January 1997. Inspect the record before treating 96 as your limit.

For a vehicle heavier than category B permits, the licence issue changes again. GOV.UK directs drivers who need to tow heavier vehicle and trailer combinations beyond their current licence towards provisional C1E entitlement, a lorry theory test and a C1E practical test. The B96 code does not stretch to a medium lorry because its definition begins with a category B towing vehicle.

Electric and hydrogen vehicles need a fresh weight check. GOV.UK now allows a qualifying zero emission vehicle up to 4,250kg MAM on category B, while the normal petrol and diesel B vehicle limit is 3,500kg. That change concerns the towing vehicle's category and does not rewrite the B96 definition or the car maker's train weight. In particular, do not assume that because a heavy electric van itself fits B, every trailer combination it can physically move fits a code 96 entry. Use the current category rules and your actual licence record.

For a hired car or trailer, ask for its MAM and train figures before collection. Check the policy and hire agreement for towing. DVSA's national driving standard notes that not all insurance policies cover towing a trailer or caravan. A hire agent handing over keys cannot grant a missing category.

A pre 1 January 1997 car test may carry wider historic rights. GOV.UK gives a usual combination limit of 8,250kg MAM, but directs drivers to check their own record. A later photocard layout does not tell the whole story.

Northern Ireland licences are issued by the Driver and Vehicle Agency. Its code list describes 096 as the code for a driver who has completed training or passed a test of skills and behaviour under the Annex V provisions. DVA publishes separate towing guidance. Use its record for a Northern Ireland licence instead of assuming the GB automatic BE entry has been applied.

For a journey abroad, check the destination's acceptance of your licence and the trailer paperwork. GOV.UK says trailers over 750kg must be registered to travel in or through most European countries, with specified exceptions including Ireland. Registered trailers need their own registration plate and a certificate available for inspection. That duty is about international trailer identification, not a licence upgrade. The fact that you hold code 96 does not register the trailer for you.

For overseas hire, ask what licence evidence the firm requires. A GB check code lasts 21 days. Take the photocard and trailer documents too.

In Great Britain, section 87 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 makes it an offence to drive otherwise than in accordance with a licence. A driver whose only relevant trailer entitlement is B96 cannot use that code to authorise a combination beyond its ceiling. A separate BE or higher entitlement may change the answer, so check the official record before accepting that there is an offence. Driving an overloaded or unsafe outfit can raise different offences even where the category is right.

DVSA warns that a dangerous vehicle can bring a fine, a ban and penalty points. That warning concerns condition, not the punishment for exceeding code 96. If the trailer snakes, ease off gently. The Highway Code bars trailers from the right hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.

If a check reveals a problem before travel, change the vehicle, trailer or driver and recheck all relevant plates. A missing category entry on the photocard should be checked online before buying another course or attempting to tow. If the DVLA record itself appears wrong, contact the agency and give it the category and test history. A pending query is no substitute for a valid entitlement on the road.