Towing weight versus driving licence B and BE: what the figures mean

Whether a combination of car and trailer falls within driving licence B is a calculation with figures from the registration certificate, not a property of the car alone. This guide explains which figures set the limit. We give no legal or buying advice; the registered values and the current regulations are leading.

The figures that determine the category

Two mass figures do most of the work:

• Permissible maximum mass (PMM) of the car: listed on the registration certificate and in the RDW register.
• Permissible maximum mass of the trailer: the PMM of the trailer itself, not the actual laden weight at that moment.

The European system links driving licence B roughly to a combination up to 3,500 kg permissible maximum mass of car plus trailer together, with an additional limit around 750 kg for the trailer without extension (EU driving licence directive; indicative, consult the current text and the RDW). The B+ extension (code 96) widens the combination to approximately 4,250 kg permissible maximum mass of the combination, and category BE shifts the limit further still (EU driving licence directive; indicative, exact limits and conditions via the RDW). Which figure applies to your situation depends on the exact PMM values for the registration numbers, not on the model type.

Note the difference between the permissible maximum mass and the weight on the weighbridge. The driving licence category looks at the registered PMM values, not at how heavily the trailer is loaded at a particular moment. An empty trailer with a high PMM counts for the driving licence question with that high PMM. For the actual loading rules the real weights apply again; those are two separate tests you must both be able to read.

Braked towing weight is a different quantity

The maximum braked towing weight of the car is a technical limit from the type approval (see also the guide on the registration certificate). That is separate from the driving licence category. A car may technically be allowed to tow 1,800 kg while the driving licence category limits the combination sooner, or the other way round. Both limits apply at the same time; the lower one is binding. So always work through both:

• technical: braked towing weight, maximum combination mass, nose weight (factory specification and RDW registration)
• legal: PMM car plus PMM trailer against the driving licence limit (EU system, indicative)

A concrete reading example without invented model names: suppose a registration certificate states a PMM of the car around 2,200 kg and a caravan a PMM of 1,500 kg, then the combination comes to ~3,700 kg permissible maximum mass. That is above the common 3,500 kg limit of driving licence B, even if the braked towing weight of the car is 1,800 kg and the caravan therefore technically “fits”. The figures here are illustrative; the actual values you read on the registration certificate and in the RDW register, and the applicable limit in the current regulations.

Why the brochure is not enough

A brochure often states the highest achievable towing weight across all trims and says nothing about your driving licence. EV and heavy trims sometimes have a higher PMM, which pushes the combination over the driving licence limit sooner despite a generous braked towing weight (factory specification, varies per trim; RDW shows the registered value per registration number). In the specs catalogue we show the stated braked towing weight and the mass data per trim where those are reliably established; if a trim-specific figure is missing, it shows n.b. instead of an estimate.

What we deliberately do not do is generate a “may I tow this” outcome or offer a form that combines your driving licence and trailer into a yes/no. That is a personal legal conclusion and falls outside what this specs catalogue delivers. We show the spec facts with source and reference date; the test against your driving licence and the current rules stays with you, the RDW and, if needed, a driving school or lawyer. Owner forums contain a lot of experiential knowledge about towing with specific combinations; that is an additional signal, not a replacement for the registered values.

Indicative, not legal or buying advice. Driving licence categories and mass limits follow from the regulations and the registered values for the registration number. Check that with the RDW and the current rules.

Continue with the data: read the guide towing weight on the registration certificate, put trims side by side in the comparator, search precisely via the search engine with filters or look up terms in the glossary.