The rules on towing changed and a lot of published advice never caught up, which is why searching this topic returns confident, contradictory answers. Here is the current position, and the cases where you genuinely still need a test.
The separate car-and-trailer test — the B+E test — was scrapped in Great Britain in December 2021. Drivers who hold a full car licence can now tow trailers up to 3,500kg without taking an additional test, and the B+E entitlement is added to licences automatically.
That removed the test, but it did not remove the skill. Towing a large trailer badly is genuinely dangerous, and the change was accompanied by an expectation that drivers would seek voluntary training instead.
The change applies to cars. It does nothing for the heavier categories, and this is where people get caught.
If the towing vehicle is between 3,500kg and 7,500kg — a 7.5 tonne horsebox or tipper — and the trailer is over 750kg, you need C1+E. If the towing vehicle is over 7,500kg and you are towing a trailer over 750kg, you need C+E, the Class 1. Both are proper DVSA tests with an uncoupling and recoupling exercise.
Minibuses follow the same pattern with D1+E.
For anyone towing a caravan or a loaded horse trailer for the first time, honestly yes — not for the certificate, but because reversing an unbraked trailer on a busy site is a skill nobody has by instinct.
Accredited voluntary schemes exist and some insurers recognise them. Look for training that includes reversing, manoeuvring in a confined space, loading and weight distribution, and coupling checks, rather than a road drive alone.
The most common towing mistake has nothing to do with licences: it is loading. A trailer that is fine empty can be over its plated weight, or dangerously nose-light, once it is loaded — and a nose-light trailer is what snakes at speed.
Check the plated weights on both vehicle and trailer, load heavy items over the axle, and weigh the outfit if you are anywhere near the limit. Enforcement takes trailer weights seriously, and so does physics.
No. The car-and-trailer test was scrapped in Great Britain in December 2021, and full car licence holders can tow trailers up to 3,500kg without an additional test.
A car and trailer combination up to 3,500kg for the trailer, within the towing vehicle’s manufacturer limits and the combination’s train weight.
When the towing vehicle is between 3,500kg and 7,500kg and the trailer is over 750kg — for example a 7.5 tonne horsebox towing a trailer. Combined weight is capped at 12,000kg.
For anyone towing a caravan or loaded horse trailer for the first time, yes — reversing and manoeuvring a trailer is a learned skill, and some insurers recognise accredited voluntary training.
Loading, not licensing. A trailer can be over its plated weight or dangerously nose-light once loaded, and a nose-light outfit is what snakes at speed.
If the towing vehicle is over 3,500kg you are into C1+E or C+E territory, and those are real tests. Call 01634 907 229 and we will tell you which one your outfit needs.
Read the C1+E guide · Transparent course pricing · Funding and payment plans · Find your nearest centre · Call 01634 907 229
The C1+E licence explained · The Class 1 licence (Category C+E) explained · The C1 licence (7.5 tonne) explained · HGV and LGV licence categories explained · How to get your HGV licence — every step · All HGV and PCV guides