UK towing rules since 16 December 2021
Towing capacity checker: can your car tow that trailer?
Since 16 December 2021, a full category B (car) licence lets you tow a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM, but your car's own towing limit, the trailer's brakes and the plate weights still decide whether a specific combination is legal. Run the checker for a straight verdict: fine to tow, check the plate, or not permitted.
750kg
loaded weight above which a trailer must have a working brake system
50%
of your car's weight, the most an unbraked trailer should weigh, on top of the 750kg cap
Question 1
What driving licence do you hold?
Check your test pass date on your licence or at gov.uk/view-driving-licence.
Email me this result
We will send you these figures and a link back to them. One email, nothing else unless you tick the box.
Scope of this checker
- Licence entitlements: category B after the 16 December 2021 rule change
- Pre-1997 grandfather rights (vehicle and trailer combinations up to 8,250kg MAM)
- Trailer MAM against your car's braked towing capacity
- The 750kg braked and unbraked trailer rules
- The 85% kerbweight rule of thumb, flagged as a rule of thumb rather than law
- Based on gov.uk/towing-with-car; verdicts are guidance, not a legal determination
Towing Capacity Checker is an independent information site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with DVLA, DVSA or any government body, and its verdicts are guidance, not legal advice or a legal determination. Towing entitlements and vehicle limits vary by licence and vehicle variant: confirm yours at gov.uk/towing-with-car and on your car's plate before towing.
UK car towing rules at a glance
Last updated
The licence, weight and braking rules that decide whether a car and trailer combination is legal in the UK, the same logic the checker walks through.
Compiled from gov.uk/towing-with-car (including its weight-and-width and towing-equipment sections) and gov.uk's towing safety checks guidance, read on 15 August 2026. Licence rows reflect the 16 December 2021 rule change. The 85% row is a towing rule of thumb: it has no statutory basis and we could not find an official published source for it, so it is labelled as a rule of thumb rather than sourced.
| Situation | Verdict | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Full category B licence, trailer up to 3,500kg MAM | Licence covers it | Rule change of 16 Dec 2021; applies whenever you passed your car test |
| Car test passed before 1 Jan 1997 | Licence covers combinations up to 8,250kg MAM | Grandfather rights; check categories on your licence |
| Trailer MAM above the car's braked towing limit | Not permitted | Manufacturer limit and gross train weight; overloading offence |
| Unbraked trailer over 750kg when loaded | Not permitted | A trailer must have a working brake system if it weighs over 750kg loaded |
| Trailer over 3,500kg MAM behind a car | Not permitted on B/BE | Needs C1E/CE entitlement and a rated tow vehicle |
| Towing capacity unknown | Check the VIN plate | Gross train weight minus gross vehicle weight; no train weight listed = do not tow |
| Loaded trailer over 85% of car kerbweight | Legal if within the limits above | A common towing rule of thumb, not law and not published by gov.uk |
- Since 16 December 2021, every full category B licence holder in the UK can tow a trailer up to 3,500kg MAM, whatever date they passed their test.
- A car's towing capacity is the gross train weight on its VIN plate minus its gross vehicle weight; if no gross train weight is listed, the manufacturer says it must not tow.
- A trailer must have a working brake system if it weighs over 750kg when loaded, however strong the tow car; gov.uk adds that an unbraked trailer should also not weigh more than 50% of the car's weight.
Cite this page
“UK car towing rules at a glance”, Towing Capacity Checker, https://towingcapacitychecker.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-15). Compiled from gov.uk/towing-with-car (including its weight-and-width and towing-equipment sections) and gov.uk's towing safety checks guidance, read on 15 August 2026. Licence rows reflect the 16 December 2021 rule change. The 85% row is a towing rule of thumb: it has no statutory basis and we could not find an official published source for it, so it is labelled as a rule of thumb rather than sourced.
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Go deeper
Sourced, dated, kept current.
- Towing licence rules 2026: what your driving licence lets you tow
UK towing licence rules explained: the 16 December 2021 change, category B and BE limits, pre-1997 grandfather rights, and what happens if you tow beyond them.
- How to find your car's towing capacity: VIN plate, handbook, by reg
Three ways to find a car's towing capacity in the UK: the VIN plate's four weights (gross train weight minus GVW), the handbook's braked figure, and reg lookups.
- Caravan weights explained: MTPLM, MIRO, payload and the 85% rule
What MTPLM, MIRO, payload and noseweight mean for UK caravanners, how to match a caravan to your car's towing limit, and where the advisory 85% rule fits in.
The questions we get
What can I tow on a normal car licence?
A trailer up to 3,500kg MAM, since the rules changed on 16 December 2021, whenever you passed your test. Your car's own braked towing limit is usually the tighter constraint, and drivers who passed before 1997 keep rights to heavier combinations up to 8,250kg MAM.
How do I find my car's towing capacity?
Check the handbook's braked towing figure, or read the VIN plate in the door shut: gross train weight minus gross vehicle weight is the towing capacity. If no gross train weight is listed, the car is not rated to tow. Towing capacity by reg lookups match on model ranges rather than your exact variant, so confirm the figure on the plate.
What is the maximum unbraked trailer weight?
750kg when loaded: above that gov.uk says the trailer must have a working brake system. gov.uk also says an unbraked trailer should not weigh more than 50% of your car's weight, so check the handbook's unbraked figure too.
What speed can you do while towing in the UK?
Lower limits apply when towing: 50mph on single carriageways and 60mph on dual carriageways and motorways (gov.uk speed limits). Highway Code rule 265 also says any vehicle drawing a trailer MUST NOT use the right-hand lane of a motorway with three or more lanes.
Is the 85% rule law?
No, it's a rule of thumb with no statutory basis. Caravanners commonly keep the loaded caravan at or under 85% of the car's kerbweight for stability. The legal caps are the car's braked towing limit, its gross train weight, the 750kg braked-trailer rule and your licence category.
Can passengers ride in a towed caravan?
No. Everyone travels in the tow car. The Highway Code's towing rule (rule 98) requires the load to be secured and makes no provision for carrying people in a towed caravan.
Sources
- gov.uk, towing with a car
- gov.uk, towing weight and width limits
- gov.uk, trailers, caravans and towing equipment (the 750kg braking rule)
- gov.uk, tow a trailer or caravan with a car: safety checks
- gov.uk, towing: licence and age requirements
- Highway Code, Annex 5: penalties
- Highway Code, motorways (rule 265)
- gov.uk, view your driving licence information
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