There are new rules coming into force for towing a trailer or caravan. At present, the rules on what you can tow different depending on when you passed your driving test.
If your driving license was issued before 1 January 1997, you will not be affected by this change as you are currently allowed to drive a vehicle with a trailer up to 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). You can also drive a minibus with a trailer of over 750kg MAM.
The MAM is the limit on how much the vehicle can weigh when it is fully loaded.
For those with licences issued after 1 January 1997 to 18 January 2013, you can currently drive:
For any license issues after 19th January 2018, you can currently drive:
If your driving licence was issued after 1st January 1997, you will now be allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM when the law changes this autumn.
The DVLA will update all of the driving licence records affected by this change, to show you are allowed to tow trailers. Your new photocard licence will have a category BE added to reflect this change.
Car and trailer driving tests are stopping from 20th September 2021 and you can no longer book one of these tests. Just be mindful that the law does not change until after this date so you must continue to follow the current rules about what you are allowed to tow based on your current licence. Penalties for towing illegally include fines up to £1,000, a driving ban and 6 penalty points on your licence.
Any car and trailer driving tests will be cancelled after 19th September 2021. The DVLA will automatically cancel your test and issue a full refund. If your driving instructor booked your test for you, you may need to get in touch with them directly to get a refund for your test.
The DVLA has confirmed that no refunds or compensation will be issued for any training taken to help prepare you for your test or get a refund for any previous car and trailer tests taken.
Date Created: 06/10/2021
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