Licences issued from 19 January 2013
From 19 January 2013, drivers passing a category B (car and small vehicle) test can tow:
small trailers weighing no more than 750kg
trailers weighing more than 750kg, where the combined weight of the towing vehicle and the trailer isnt more than 3,500kg
If you want to tow a trailer weighing more than 750kg, when the combined weight of the towing vehicle and trailer is more than 3,500kg, youll have to pass a further test and get B+E entitlement on your licence.
Youll then be able to tow trailers up to 3,500kg.
If you passed your driving test before 1 January 1997 then you will most likely be entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer up to a combined Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of 8.25 tonnes.
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 then, unless you have taken an additional driving test the 'B+E' car and trailer test you may only drive a category B3 vehicle coupled with;
A caravan up to 750kg MAM, or
A caravan over 750kg MAM as long as the combined weight of the car and caravan is less than 3500kg Gross Train Weight (GTW) and the MAM of the caravan is less than the unladen weight of the car.
More about driving licence entitlements (Direct.gov) »
The car and trailer (B+E) test
You book the car and trailer test in the same way as the standard practical test but will take it at an LGV test centres rather than a normal driving test centre.
You take the test in an unladen category B vehicle towing a suitably braked, unladen trailer of at least one tonne MAM.
The vehicle must be fitted with:
External mirrors on both sides for use by the examiner or any person supervising the test
A device (audible or visual) to show that trailer indicators are operating correctly
The trailer must have a closed box body at least as wide and as high as the towing vehicle so that the view to the rear must be by the use of external mirrors only.
More about the car and trailer test (Direct.gov) »
Tow brackets
Tow brackets must be tested to the appropriate British or European standard and use mounting points recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
Cars registered since 1 August 1998 must only be fitted with a 'type approved' bracket tested to European Directive 94/20/EC. The bracket will have a label, plate, or stamping detailing the type approval number and the vehicle for which it is an approved fitment.
Some vehicles are not rated for towing by the vehicle manufacturer no gross train weight will be shown on the VIN plate and are not able to have a towbar fitted. An example is the Ford KA which has no declared train weight, and no mounting points for a tow bar.
Check with the vehicle manufacturer if you intend to tow but are unsure if the vehicle is suitable.
For tow bracket fitting we recommend using a business approved under the National Trailer & Towing Association's (NTTA) Quality Assured scheme.
Unbraked trailers
The maximum you may tow combined weight of trailer and load using an unbraked trailer is 750 kg.
The towing vehicle must have a kerbside weight at least twice the loaded weight of the trailer.
Trailer width
Until recently UK regulations on trailer width were different to the rest of Europe the maximum width allowed here was 2.3m compared to 2.55m across the channel.
UK rules changed from April 2010 and you are now permitted to tow a trailer or caravan up to 2.55m in width behind a car or goods vehicle weighing less than 3500kg.
Towing on an A-frame
An A-frame or recovery dolly can only be used legally to recover a vehicle which has broken down.
If you tow a car that hasn't broken down using an A-frame or dolly then the law treats the combination as a trailer which must meet the appropriate braking and lighting rules.
Trailers below 750kg don't have to be fitted with braking systems, but if a braking system is fitted to a trailer of any weight as is clearly the case for a car then the braking system must operate correctly. This is not possible for normal systems fitted to cars, particularly the brake servo, which would not be working unless the engine was running.
Trailer regulations also require the fitting and use of a secondary coupling system to ensure that the trailer is stopped automatically if the main coupling separates while the trailer is in motion or, in the case of trailers, up to a maximum mass of 1,500kg that the drawbar is prevented from touching the ground and the trailer has some residual steering.
To comply with lighting regulations while being towed, the car (in its capacity as a trailer) would need triangular red reflectors and the number plate of the towing vehicle.
The simplest and safest way to tow a car behind a motorhome is to use a car transporter trailer. This can be done completely legally as long as you make sure you don't exceed the towing car's Maximum Permissible Towing Mass and the Gross Train Weight (maximum permitted weight of car and trailer combined) specified by the car manufacturer.
Weights
Caravan
The actual laden weight of the Caravan must be less than its Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass (MTPLM)1, the new term for gross weight shown on the caravan 'weight plate'.
The caravan's Maximum Technically Permitted Laden Mass (MTPLM) must not be greater than the towing car's Maximum Permissible Towing Mass (MPTW) defined by the car manufacturer.
Mass in Running Order (MRO) is the unladen weight of the standard specification caravan as it leaves the factory. From 2011 this includes some items that used to be part of the 'user payload' gas bottles, water in toilet/heating systems, hook-up and battery. Check caravan data carefully to make sure you know what's been included in the MRO figure quoted.
Tow car
You must not exceed the Maximum Authorised Mass2 (MAM) the weight of the car fully laden including passengers, luggage tow bracket and the nose-weight of the caravan.
The combined actual laden weight of the car and caravan must not exceed the Gross Train Weight (GTW) the maximum permitted weight of car and caravan together specified by the car maker.
Mass in Running Order (MRO) or Kerb Weight is defined by the vehicle manufacturer and normally includes a 90% full fuel tank, and the driver but no load other than standard equipment/tools. MRO doesn't include the weight of the tow-bracket.
