Do I need to take an extra driving test to tow?

Your licence shows the vehicle categories you can drive, including the size of caravan or trailer that you’re allowed to tow. These rules changed in 1997 to the following:

PASSED YOUR TEST BEFORE 1 JANUARY 1997?

You’ll most likely be entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer up to a combined Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM)of 8.25 tonnes.

PASSED AFTER 1 JANUARY 1997?

Unless you’ve taken an additional driving test – the ‘B+E’ car and trailer test – you may only drive a ‘category B’ vehicle coupled to the following:

• 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 un-laden weight of the car.

Category B means a vehicle up to 3500kg Maximum Permissible Weight (MPW) with up to 8 passenger seats including the driver.