Caravan: which driving licence do I need?
Travelling with a caravan means a great deal of freedom and independence. But your journey can only begin when the driver is authorised to tow a camper or caravan with their vehicle. Depending on how heavy your holiday accommodation on wheels is, whether a small trailer is sufficient or you fancy a large caravan, additional training may be required.
Category B driving licence: Is it enough for a caravan?
Since 1999, category B has been the standard driving licence. With this licence, you can already drive a large proportion of available caravans or motorhomes. However, before you hire or buy a caravan with a category B licence, you should make sure to check the figures carefully.
The following loads are permitted with a category B driving licence:
- Cars and light lorries with a permissible gross weight of 3.5 tonnes (t)
- Cars up to 3.5 t in weight plus a trailer with a permissible gross weight of up to 750 kilograms (kg); in total, this means maximum 4.25 t permissible gross weight
- A combination of car and trailer with a permissible gross weight of the entire combination of up to 3.5 t; for example, a 2 t car and a trailer with a permissible gross weight of 1.5 t.
Note: The permissible gross weight is the maximum weight a vehicle or trailer may weigh according to its vehicle documents. Simply loading the trailer with less does not suffice. What counts is the "technically permissible mass".
Upgrade with the B96 extension
If you only have a category B driving licence, it is quite straightforward to obtain the B96 extension for your licence. This simply requires a course, including both theory and practical parts, which is usually completed in one day. There is no separate test required. The B96 extension gives you a little more flexibility when driving a caravan.
The B96 regulations regarding permitted weights are as follows:
- Car with a permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 t
- Car and trailer together must not exceed a combined permissible gross weight of 4.25 t
- Agricultural tractors up to 40 kilometres per hour (km/h)
The B96 extension therefore gives you more possibilities when combining cars and caravans.
Which driving licence covers all caravans?
Even the B96 licence category is not always sufficient to drive a large caravan. But are there licence categories that let you tow any caravan?
Driving licence category 3 before 1999
If you obtained your driving licence before 1999, you benefit from the most flexibility when it comes to choosing a motorhome, as the permissible gross weights are considerably higher. Most caravans will not exceed these limits. Specifically, with a category 3 driving licence, you may drive the following vehicles and their trailers:
- Towing vehicle (car or lorry) with a permissible gross weight of up to 7.5 t
- Up to three-axle vehicle combinations with a permissible gross weight of 12 t; taking into account the maximum weight of 7.5 t for the towing vehicle
- Agricultural tractors up to 40 km/h
The main restriction with the category 3 licence is that the towing vehicle itself must be suitable for towing a heavy caravan. Apart from that, you can drive almost any caravan with this licence.
Driving licence category BE
Anyone who obtained their driving licence after 1999 can upgrade from category B to BE – or simply apply directly for a BE driving licence. To obtain the BE category on your licence, you have to take practical driving lessons and pass a test. With this, you may drive caravans and combinations with the following weight limits:
- Cars and lorries with a permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 t
- Trailers with a permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 t
- A combination of towing vehicle and trailer with a total permissible gross weight of up to 7 t
