Towing a Trailer or Caravan with a Car – New Rules Autumn 2021

As many of you will have heard, it has been announced that the rules for towing a trailer or caravan with a car will be updated from autumn this year. So, what are the new rules for towing a trailer with a car? Well, this depends on when you originally passed your car driving test.

If you passed your car driving test BEFORE 1st January 1997:

If your licence was issued 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.

If you passed your car driving test AFTER 1st January 1997:

If your licence was issued from 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.

The exact date the law will change has not yet been confirmed, but it is anticipated that it will be later this Autumn. In the meantime, car and trailer driving tests will be stopping before the law changes so you will no longer be able to book or take a car and trailer driving test from 20th September 2021.

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 in the year.

I have a car and trailer driving test booked, what should I do?

If your test is booked before the 20th September 2021 then it will still go ahead. You can cancel your appointment if you no longer wish to go ahead. If your test is up to and including Tuesday 14th September 2021, you’ll need to contact the DVSA after you’ve cancelled your test to get a refund. If your test is from Wednesday 15th September to Sunday 19 September 2021, you’ll automatically get a full refund when you cancel your test.

What does this mean if I have previously passed a car and trailer driving test?

Unfortunately, if you have previously taken a car and trailer driving test you cannot get a refund or any kind of compensation for any training or tests you took in relation to car and trailer driving test.

You can sign up to get updates on when 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.