Towing a Trailer or Caravan with a Car – New Rules UPDATE

Last month we shared with you the new rules on towing a trailer with a car. The government announced that the changes would be introduced from the 15th November 2021, subject to Parliamentary approval. However, the government have now announced that the change will be introduced at a later date, and as soon as possible.

The rules about what you can tow will NOT be changing on 15 November 2021!

What do the new trailer towing rules mean? Well, that depends on when you passed your test. If you…

…passed your car driving test BEFORE 1st January 1997, you will not be affected by the changes. You are already allowed to drive a vehicle and trailer combination which weighs up to 8,250kg maximum authorised mass (MAM). You are also allowed to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM. You can check your driving licence information by clicking here.

…passed your car driving test AFTER 1st January 1997, you will be allowed to tow trailers up to 3,500kg MAM when the law changes later this year. Your driving licence record will be updated by the DVLA to show that you are allowed to tow trailers – category ‘BE’ will be added to your driving licence when you get a new photocard driving licence. You do not need to contact DVLA for this to happen. It will be done automatically.

You must continue to follow the current rules on what you’re allowed to tow based on when you passed your car driving test until the law changes later this autumn.

Car and trailer driving tests have now stopped, so you are no longer able to book one. However, when it comes to towing a trailer for the first time it is advisable to have some training from a driving instructor.

You can sign up to get updates on the towing law changes on the Government website. For full information on the new rules on towing a trailer or caravan with a car visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-rules-for-towing-a-trailer-or-caravan-with-a-car-from-autumn-2021

We can supply trailer and caravan tyres at all our tyre branches, contact your local branch to discuss your trailer tyre requirements.