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The
driving
licence
you
need
to
tow
a
caravan
or
trailer
The
ability
to
tow
a
caravan
or
trailer
will
depend
on
the
driving
licence
you
hold.
The
category
entitlement
on
your
driving
licence
will
determine
the
type
of
trailer
you
can
tow.
Construction
and
use
This
article
relates
to
driver
licensing
matters
only.
For
details
on
the
construction
and
use
requirements
regarding
weights
and
dimensions
for
trailers
please
contact:
Vehicle
Standards
Engineering
5,
Department
of
Transport,
Zone
2/01,
Great
Minster
House,
76
Marsham
Street,
London,
SW1P
4DR
Telephone:
020
7944
2064.
Maximum
authorised
mass
(MAM)
In
this
article
reference
is
made
to
the
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
licences
held
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.
They
also
have
entitlement
to
drive
a
minibus
with
a
trailer
over
750kgs
MAM
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Drivers
who hold subcategory C1+E - limited to 8.25 tonnes
MAM, may apply for provisional entitlement to the
new subcategory C1+E, in order to take and pass the
test which will increase their combined vehicle and
trailer entitlement to 12 tonnes MAM. It is not necessary
to gain subcategory C1 entitlement first but drivers
have to meet higher medical standards, and pass both
the category C theory test and the subcategory C1+E
practical test.
Large
goods vehicle and passenger carrying vehicle licences
held before 1 January 1997
Since
1 January 1997 all drivers who hold category C or
D entitlement have been limited to trailers up to
750kgs MAM; Category C+E or D+E must be held in order
to tow trailers in excess of this.
Car
driving licence first obtained since 1 January 1997
Drivers
who passed a car test on or after 1 January 1997 are required
to pass an additional driving test in order to gain entitlement
to category B+E and all larger vehicles. In addition to the
new driving tests, drivers of vehicles which fall within subcategories
C1, C1+E, D1 and D1+E also have to meet higher medical standards.
Upgrading
entitlement for trailers
In
general, an additional driving test is required for each category
or subcategory of entitlement. But there are certain exceptions
to this where drivers have already passed one test which involves
trailer entitlement for a larger or equivalent sized vehicle.
This
means that passing a test for subcategory C1+E or D1+E upgrades
category B entitlement to B+E. A test pass for subcategory
C1+E upgrades subcategory D1, if held, to D1+E. But a test
pass for subcategory D1+E does not upgrade subcategory C1
to C1+E because the trailer size required for a subcategory
D1+E test is smaller than that required for a subcategory
C1+E test.
Passing
a test for category C+E upgrades category B entitlement to
B+E and also confers entitlement to subcategory C1 and C1+E
and, if category D or subcategory D1 is held, these are upgraded
to category D+E or subcategory D1+E. A test passed for category
D+E upgrades category B and subcategory D1 to category B+E
and subcategory D1+E respectively. But it does not upgrade
category C or subcategory C1 entitlements because the trailer
size required for a category D+E test is smaller than that
required for a category C+E or subcategory C1+E test.
Provisional
trailer entitlement
Since
1 January 1997 drivers are no longer able to sit a test in
a heavy vehicle/trailer combination (eg category C+E or D+E)
unless they have first passed a test and obtained a full licence
in the corresponding rigid vehicle (eg category C or D).
This
means that although drivers may have been driving a vehicle
and trailer combination legitimately, under L plates, they
are not permitted to sit a trailer test using such a combination
until a test has been passed in a rigid vehicle and a full
licence obtained for that category.
This
information is not intended to be a definitive statement of
law.
|
Find
out Towing Capacities of vehicles
Guide to reversing while
towing
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