Can I tow a trailer on a car licence?

A full category B licence now carries category BE automatically, allowing a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM behind a category B vehicle. Earlier licences usually retain wider C1+E rights, commonly limited to 8,250kg combined MAM. GOV.UK still tells you to check your own licence, because an individual entitlement can be restricted. The car's train weight can be lower than either licence figure.

Does the 3,500kg limit apply to the car and trailer together?

Not under the current category BE rule. The 3,500kg figure applies to the trailer MAM. The car must remain within category B and its own towing and gross train weight limits. Adding the two MAMs and comparing that with the VIN train weight is the combination check, and that check is separate from BE.

When does a trailer need brakes?

A trailer must have a working braking system when it weighs over 750kg loaded. Any brakes fitted to a lighter trailer must also be in working order. DVSA also says an unbraked loaded trailer should not weigh more than half the car's weight. A breakaway cable or secondary coupling is required whether the trailer is braked or not.

What speed limits apply while towing?

The national limits are 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual carriageway or motorway. A signed lower limit always applies. Restricted roads in Wales are usually 20mph. You must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.

Do I still need a B+E test for a caravan?

In Great Britain, no. The extra test ended on 16 December 2021 and category BE is automatic with a full category B licence. Training is still offered. The trailer, the VIN plate and the speed limits still apply. A B+E gap on an old photocard is a print lag, not a missing test, if the digital licence view shows BE or full B after that date.

What is the penalty for a dangerous towing outfit?

GOV.UK's equipment page publishes a fine of up to £2,500, a ban and 3 penalty points for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, and up to £1,000 and 3 points for towing without proper mirrors. A prohibition can stop the combination at the roadside. Insurance can refuse a claim if you were outside the licence or the plate.

Does a caravan use different rules from a trailer?

No. A caravan is a trailer in the law. Licence, MAM, train weight, brakes, mirrors, lights, number plate and the 50 and 60 mph caps all apply. There is no lighter caravan code. The caravan page collects those checks in one place. The individual pages underneath this hub are the detail.

Do these towing rules apply in Northern Ireland?

The GOV.UK towing-with-a-car guide and DVLA INF30 are Great Britain documents. Scotland and Wales are GB. Northern Ireland has its own licensing and construction rules. On a GB road the GB speed, mirror and plate rules apply to the journey. Confirm an NI licence against nidirect rather than copying the 8,250kg GB grandfather figure across.

Towing

Can I tow this in Great Britain?

Can I tow this?

For Great Britain. Enter the plated MAM figures and the trailer's loaded weight. The result checks the licence and brake limits.

Date you passed the car testCar maximum authorised masskgTrailer maximum authorised masskgTrailer's loaded weightkgThis must include the trailer and everything carried in it.The trailer has working brakesA loaded trailer above 750kg must have a working braking system.

Enter the test date

Licence and brake check

Licence entitlement: Not established
Licence covers these MAM figures: Not established
Combined MAM: Not established
Against 3,500kg combined thresholdSince 16 December 2021, going over this threshold does not by itself require a separate B+E test.: Not established
Trailer brake rule: Not established
Towing speed limitsmph. Signed lower limits apply.: 50 single, 60 dual and motorway

Calculation details

Assumptions

Licence rules: Current Great Britain category B and BE rulesGOV.UK, Towing with a car: what you can tow (as of 10 September 2026)
Brake rule: Loaded trailer thresholdDriver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Tow a trailer or caravan with a car: safety checks (as of 22 April 2024)
Speed limits: Highway Code rule 124Department for Transport, The Highway Code, rule 124 (as of 22 October 2025)

What is not included

Enter a valid test date, positive weights and a loaded trailer weight no higher than its MAM.

Summary: The licence date selects either the usual pre 1997 C1+E rights or category BE. The trailer brake threshold and the car manufacturer's limits remain separate legal checks.

3,500 kg

Maximum trailer MAM with category BE

GOV.UK, Towing with a car: what you can tow (as of 10 September 2026)

750 kg

Maximum loaded weight without trailer brakes

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Tow a trailer or caravan with a car: safety checks (as of 22 April 2024)

50 mph

Maximum on a single carriageway while towing

Department for Transport, The Highway Code, rule 124 (as of 22 October 2025)

Checked on 10 September 2026.

A licence limit is not the car's towing limit

In Great Britain, a full category B licence now carries category BE, so a trailer up to 3,500 kg MAM is the usual post-1997 cap. A test pass before 1 January 1997 usually keeps C1+E rights, commonly 8,250 kg combined MAM. Those figures come from GOV.UK towing-with-a-car guidance checked in 2026 and from DVLA INF30. The tool above applies those licence and brake tests to the numbers you type.

It cannot read the car manufacturer's towing capacity or gross train weight. Maximum authorised mass is the most the vehicle or trailer may weigh when loaded, not its weight on the day. The VIN plate train weight is often the figure that fails a family car and a medium caravan even when BE would have allowed the van. Passing one check does not cancel another.

The tool checks the licence and brake thresholds from the four inputs. It cannot read the car manufacturer's towing capacity or gross train weight.
Maximum authorised mass is the most the vehicle or trailer may weigh when loaded, not its weight on the day.
The car and trailer must stay within every applicable limit. Passing one check does not cancel another.

Unbraked loaded limit 750 kg, category BE trailer MAM 3,500 kg, then the VIN train weight, which is unique to the car. Pre 1997 C1+E is usually 8,250 kg combined.

How do I check a tow before I hitch?

Work in order: licence, plates, brakes, equipment, then speed. Highway Code rule 98 is the legal list. GOV.UK's equipment page is the tow bar, mirror, brake and number plate list. DVSA's safety checks page is the walk-round, including the 1.6 mm tyre band on both car and trailer and the breakaway cable. Skip a step and the combination can still be illegal even if the calculator was green.

Read the licence categories and the date you passed the car test.
Read car MAM, train weight and axle weights from the VIN plate, and towing capacity from the handbook.
Read trailer MAM, then the loaded weight, and apply the 750 kg unbraked line if there are no brakes.
Fit type-approved tow bar hardware where required, the cable, working lights, matching plate and extra mirrors if the van is wider.
Drive at 50 mph on a single carriageway and 60 mph on a dual carriageway or motorway, unless a lower sign applies.

Towing changes the national speed limit

50 mph is the national limit on a single carriageway while towing. 60 mph is the national limit on a dual carriageway and motorway. A vehicle towing a trailer must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes. Restricted roads in Wales are usually 20 mph. Those figures are in Highway Code rule 124 and on the towing speed page.

50mph is the national limit on a single carriageway while towing.
60mph is the national limit on a dual carriageway and motorway while towing.
A vehicle towing a trailer must not use the right hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.

A 1,500 kg caravan behind a plated family car

Example

A 1,500 kg MAM caravan behind a 1,900 kg MAM car, train weight 3,200 kg

Test passed: 2004, category BE
Car MAM: 1,900 kg
Caravan MAM: 1,500 kg
Train weight: 3,200 kg
Brakes: Yes

BE allows a 1,500 kg trailer.
Combined MAM is 3,400 kg.
The VIN train weight is 3,200 kg, so a fully loaded pairing is 200 kg over.
The calculator can show the licence as covered. The plate still fails at full load.

The licence covers the caravan. Load below 3,200 kg combined, or use a car with a higher train weight.

What can the police do?

GOV.UK publishes up to £2,500, a ban and 3 points for a dangerous vehicle condition, and up to £1,000 and 3 points for improper towing mirrors. Driving outside the licence is LC20, 3 to 6 points on the DVLA list. Speeding while towing uses the ordinary GOV.UK tariff, starting at £100 and 3 points, with a court maximum of £1,000, or £2,500 on a motorway. A prohibition can hold the outfit until weight, mirrors or a cable are put right.

The MOT on the car does not weigh the caravan or inspect clip-on mirrors. The walk-round is the live test. The topic pages under this hub take each check in turn. Use the calculator first, then read the page for the limit that failed.

How do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ?

The GOV.UK towing-with-a-car guide and DVLA INF30 are Great Britain documents. Scotland and Wales are GB, so the 1 January 1997 licence line, automatic BE, the 750 kg unbraked loaded limit, the 2.55 metre width cap and the 50 and 60 mph towing speeds all apply. Wales changes the restricted-road default to 20 mph, so a caravan in a Welsh town is usually a 20 mph combination unless a 30 mph exception is signed.

Northern Ireland has its own licensing authority and its own construction and use rules. Confirm an NI licence against nidirect rather than copying the 8,250 kg GB grandfather figure across. On a GB road the GB speed, mirror and plate rules apply to that journey. A trailer over 750 kg that travels through most European countries often needs its own registration, which is a GOV.UK trailer registration check, not a change to the GB brake line.

What are the common towing mistakes?

Matching the van to the licence and ignoring the VIN train weight. Treating 3,500 kg as the car and caravan added together under current BE. Using empty weight against the 750 kg unbraked line. Skipping extra mirrors because the interior mirror still shows a slice of road. Driving at 70 mph on a motorway because the national speed limit sign is up. Leaving the old registration on the van after a private plate change. Forgetting the breakaway cable on a small trailer.

The calculator catches the licence and the 750 kg brake threshold. It cannot see the plate, the mirrors or the speed. Read the topic page for the check that actually failed, and do the DVSA walk-round every time you hitch, not only at the start of a holiday.

Common questions

Can I tow a trailer on a car licence?: A full category B licence now carries category BE automatically, allowing a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM behind a category B vehicle. Earlier licences usually retain wider C1+E rights, commonly limited to 8,250kg combined MAM. GOV.UK still tells you to check your own licence, because an individual entitlement can be restricted. The car's train weight can be lower than either licence figure.
Does the 3,500kg limit apply to the car and trailer together?: Not under the current category BE rule. The 3,500kg figure applies to the trailer MAM. The car must remain within category B and its own towing and gross train weight limits. Adding the two MAMs and comparing that with the VIN train weight is the combination check, and that check is separate from BE.
When does a trailer need brakes?: A trailer must have a working braking system when it weighs over 750kg loaded. Any brakes fitted to a lighter trailer must also be in working order. DVSA also says an unbraked loaded trailer should not weigh more than half the car's weight. A breakaway cable or secondary coupling is required whether the trailer is braked or not.
What speed limits apply while towing?: The national limits are 50mph on a single carriageway and 60mph on a dual carriageway or motorway. A signed lower limit always applies. Restricted roads in Wales are usually 20mph. You must not use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.
Do I still need a B+E test for a caravan?: In Great Britain, no. The extra test ended on 16 December 2021 and category BE is automatic with a full category B licence. Training is still offered. The trailer, the VIN plate and the speed limits still apply. A B+E gap on an old photocard is a print lag, not a missing test, if the digital licence view shows BE or full B after that date.
What is the penalty for a dangerous towing outfit?: GOV.UK's equipment page publishes a fine of up to £2,500, a ban and 3 penalty points for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition, and up to £1,000 and 3 points for towing without proper mirrors. A prohibition can stop the combination at the roadside. Insurance can refuse a claim if you were outside the licence or the plate.
Does a caravan use different rules from a trailer?: No. A caravan is a trailer in the law. Licence, MAM, train weight, brakes, mirrors, lights, number plate and the 50 and 60 mph caps all apply. There is no lighter caravan code. The caravan page collects those checks in one place. The individual pages underneath this hub are the detail.
Do these towing rules apply in Northern Ireland?: The GOV.UK towing-with-a-car guide and DVLA INF30 are Great Britain documents. Scotland and Wales are GB. Northern Ireland has its own licensing and construction rules. On a GB road the GB speed, mirror and plate rules apply to the journey. Confirm an NI licence against nidirect rather than copying the 8,250kg GB grandfather figure across.