Philip Goguen
Driving your car with a trailer is a critical task, which is why it needs substantial practice and foresight. It is indeed true that you must have a specific license to drive a car with a trailer. The type of license might differ from one country to another country. However, in many regions, you will need to have a BE category license in order to tow a trailer.
Besides obtaining the required license, it is crucial for you to make sure that you are well-prepared to arrange and operate the trailer. In addition to that, you must be aware of local laws and regulations for driving your car with a trailer. Have you been interested in learning how to drive a trailer for a long time? In that case, make sure to check out this site because it will assist you in obtaining the trailer driver’s license.
Is A License Required To Drive A Car With A Trailer?
Yes. Like we said previously, if you have the required license, you can tow a trailer with your vehicle. In general, if you obtained a category B driving license (car or jeep), it is possible for you to tow a small trailer. However, if you need to tow a larger trailer, it is necessary to earn a category BE license.
Category B License Type
You are legally allowed to drive your vehicle with a trailer in the following cases:
- When the Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of the trailer is below 750 kg (you can not tow the traitor if the MAM is more than or equals 750 mg).
- If the MAM of the trailer surpasses 750 kg, but the combined Maximum Authorised Mass of the car and trailer does not exceed 3,500 kg. In this case, you can tow the vehicle.
- Keep in mind that this general category B license does not give you the permit to drive your car with a horsebox or livestock trailer.
Category BE License Type
With a Category BE License Type, it is possible to tow a trailer in the below circumstances:
- The combined Maximum Authorised Mass of your car and trailer is more than 3,500 kg but less than 7,500 kg.
- When the Maximum Authorised Mass of the trailer is more than 750 kg, you can tow the trailer.
- Remember that if your car has a towing capacity of up to 2,000 kg, it can pull out a trailer with a plated Maximum Authorised Mass of 3,500 kg as long as the trailer’s weight and inside load do not surpass the towing capacity of the towing vehicle.
What Are Different Types Of Licenses And Their Restrictions To Drive A Car With A Trailer?
There are different kinds of licenses that allow you to tow a trailer with your car. However, some of them have total weight and other restrictions, which we have incorporated below.
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Restrictions Of Category B Driving License
If you have a category B driving license, you have permission to drive the car with a trailer that weighs about 750 kg (trailer + load). As per legal instructions of category B driving license, the combined weight should not surpass 3500 kg. Besides that, the load in the trailer might not be more than your car’s weight.
For instance, if your car weighs about 1200 kg and trailer weight (including the load) is around 1300 kg, the category B driving license is not enough to tow it. In those situations, you need to shift some load of the trailer to the car so the trailer will become lighter.
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Restrictions Of Category B+ Driving License
According to the regulations of the B+ driving license, you can tow over 750 kg. Plus, you can surpass 3500 kg load as well. Under this license, it is possible to keep your car’s trailer combined weight up to 4250 kg.
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Restrictions Of Category BE Driving License
With BE driving license (trailer driving license), you can drive the maximum tow weight but not more than 3500 kg. However, if you got the BE driving license before 19 January 2013, it is possible for you to tow heavyweight trailers if they would not surpass the towing vehicle’s tractive force.
What Are The Standard Regulations And Requirements For Towing A Trailer With A Car?
You do not have to obtain formal licenses, special permits, or premium tests to tow a trailer. However, you must get a valid and up-to-date drivers’ license. If it is your first time driving your car with a trailer or planning to go on a long trip with a trailer, it is better to be aware of the local laws, regulations, and other requirements before going to drive it. Below are some of the standard and most common requirements for driving your car with a trailer:
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Safety Chains
It is a must to keep safety chains attached to the rig in order to confirm its safety. If the chains are not hooked up, there is a high risk of the trailer unlocking from your towing car, which results in severe accidents, damage, and injuries.
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Trailer Lights
Here is another component that is essential for towing a trailer. Trailer lights are compulsory to ensure road safety, which comprises the taillights, turn signals, brake lights, and mirrors on the trailer. Due to that, you need to get an electrical hookup, so your car’s braking system, turn signals, and others will be more compatible with the trailer lights.
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License Plate Light
Here is an underrated requirement, but it is relatively essential to put a legal license plate light on the trailer. Make sure that the license plate is embedded with lights so it can be lit up at night, which makes it visible to other people while you drive on the road.
Bottom Line
In short, you will need a driving license to drive a car with a trailer. However, there are different types of licenses, which allow you to carry up to a certain weight. Hence, if you want to tow excess weight, you need to get the required licenses.
