Towing and the Law From The .Gov Website 

DRIVING LICENCE RULES AND WHAT YOU CAN DO 

The rules on what you can tow are different depending on when you passed your driving test. 

LICENCES HELD FROM 1 JANUARY 1997 

If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either: 

This is the weight of a vehicle or trailer including the maximum load that can be carried safely when it's being used on the road. 

You also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM. 

TOWING HEAVIER COMBINATIONS 

If you want to tow heavier combinations, you'll have to first apply for provisional entitlement to the new C1+E entitlement. You'll then have to pass the category C theory test and C1+E practical test. 

Once you've done this you can drive vehicles and trailers with a combined weight of up to 12 tonnes MAM. 

CAR TOWING WEIGHT AND WIDTH LIMITS 

Most cars have a maximum weight of what they can tow. It's usually listed in the handbook or specification sheet. 

Alternatively, the vehicle's GROSS TRAIN WEIGHT may be listed on the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate on the car. This is normally under the bonnet or inside the driver’s door. The gross train weight is the weight of the fully-loaded car plus fully-loaded trailer and must not be exceeded. 

If your VIN plate doesn't list a train weight, you should not use your vehicle for towing. 

WIDTH AND LENGTH 

The maximum trailer width for any towing vehicle is 2.55 metres. The maximum length is 7 metres for a trailer towed by a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tonnes (3,500 kilograms). 

The rules are different if you're using a larger vehicle to tow a car e.g. motorhome towing a car 

TRAILERS, CARAVANS AND TOWING EQUIPMENT SAFETY STANDARD 

The equipment you use with your trailer or caravan must meet certain safety standards and used correctly. (You can be fined up to £2500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition). 

Carry out safety checks to make sure you're using the trailer and equipment legally. 

TOWING BARS 

If you get a tow bar for your car, it needs to be 'type approved'. This means it meets EU regulations and is designed for your car. 

A type-approved tow bar will have a label with an approval number and details of the vehicles it's approved for. 

If your car was first used before 1 August 1998, your tow bar doesn't need to be type-approved. 

TOWING MIRRORS