Last Updated on What Driving Licence do I need for a Campervan or motorhome?
With motorhome ownership becoming more attractive for us Brits (after all, we’re world renowned explorers, aren’t we?) you may find it useful to know what types of vehicles you can drive on your licence.
The UK driving licence terms can sometimes be difficult to understand, but in this article, we’d like to straighten things out as it’s not as complex as it might seem.
It’s basically down to 2 things – weight (the vehicle, not you) and age (you, not the vehicle) …
So, When did you pass your test?
Firstly, the key to all of this is the date you passed your driving test. Was it before or after 1st January 1997? To drive certain types of vehicles, you’ll need an ‘entitlement’ for that category on your driving licence. and that date signifies the transition between the different entitlements you received.
If you can gather together the following information, then you can use the GOV.UK web site to give you loads of useful licence and vehicle category information.
You’ll need 3 things:
- Your Driving Licence Number
- Your National Insurance Number. If you don’t know it then click the following link to find a lost NI No. Find a lost NI number
- The postcode on your driving licence
When you’ve got that information together then click on the following link check online to see what vehicles you can drive and then follow the process by clicking on the big green button labelled START NOW.
There will be 4 tabs of information displayed. The second tab will list all the ‘Vehicles you can drive’.
Here’s what the page should look something like.
If your results are different to those above, then you may find that it’s due to an age restriction and a change in the rules. Let us explain…
Did You Pass Before 1 January 1997?
If you passed your Driving test before 1 January 1997 you will automatically have category C1 entitlement on your licence as you can see below.
As you can see in the table above, this will allow you to drive vehicles with a Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) up to 7,500kg. As you will also automatically get C1E you can tow a trailer of up to 750kg – see below.
This limit will enable you to drive all but the largest American-RV-style motorhomes, but we’ll deal with those special cases further down this post.
Your driving licence will show the categories you are entitled to drive. If you have the older-style paper licence they are clearly listed on the front of your licence. On newer two-part licences, they are given on the back of the pink photo card. Like this:
Did You Pass After 1st January 1997
The standard driving licence issued to a driver passing his or her test today (after 1 January 1997 of course) covers categories B and B1. This means you can drive a vehicle with a MAM of up to 3,500kg (B) and tow a trailer up to 750kg behind it. Your licence may well look more like this figure below. Many new motorhomes are built with a MAM of less than 3,500kg so that almost anyone with a full licence can drive them.
Driving a larger motorhome over 3500kg
If you want to drive a larger motorhome (over 3500kg), you will need to pass an additional driving test to add the C category to your licence. In the commercial world this is an entry-level HGV licence and is referred to as either Rigid Body, Class 2 or an LGV, but you cannot add a trailer (or tow a car) unless you pass a further test for the upgraded CE license
Driving a really large American RV-style motorhome
If you want to drive a really large motorhome like an American RV (and possibly tow a car too) then you may need to have passed both the C and CE tests to gain those categories and is referred to as a Class 1 Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) licence.
Further Information on driving licence categories can be found – www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories
Licence Requirements In A Nutshell…
A Date to remember
Your licence entitlement depends on when you passed your driving test and the key date to remember is 1st January 1997 (01/01/1997). Your available categories are more limited if you passed ON or AFTER this date.
Maximum Authorised Mass
Maximum authorised mass (MAM) means the total weight of a vehicle or trailer INCLUDING the maximum load that can be carried safely when it’s being used on the road.
This is also known as gross vehicle weight (GVW) or permissible maximum weight.
It will be listed in the owner’s manual and is normally shown on a plate or sticker fitted to the vehicle.
The plate or sticker may also show a gross train weight (GTW), also sometimes called gross combination weight (GCW). This is the total weight of the tractor unit plus trailer plus load.
GOV.UK
Here is a link to the GOV.UK website that explains vehicle weights more concisely. Vehicle Weights Explained – GOV.UK but I’ve included it here in summary.
Driving Licence Categories
Click here to view the GOV.UK web page regarding Driving Licence Categories. It explains in detail all the categories outlined below. We’ve left off all the non-motorhome related ones for clarity.
Smaller Motorhomes And Campervans
Category B
To drive the smaller motorhomes and campervans weighing less than 3,500kg, your car driving licence (category B) will usually be sufficient. There is a date dependent (01/01/1997) change in the category that allows drivers who passed before that date to drive any vehicle and trailer combination up to 8,250kg MAM.
Medium-sized Vehicles
Category C1
You can drive vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500kg MaM (with a trailer up to 750kg).
Category C1E
You can drive C1 category vehicles with a trailer over 750kg, but the trailer – when fully loaded – can’t weigh more than the vehicle.
The combined MAM of both can’t exceed 12,000kg.
Large Vehicles
Category C
You can drive vehicles over 3,500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg MAM).
Category CE
You can drive category C vehicles with a trailer over 750kg.
FAQs
What size motorhome can you drive on a car licence?
Motorhomes that can be driven on a car license aren’t really governed by ‘size’ they’re mainly governed by the 3500KG weight limit a modern car license has. If you took your driving test before January 1997 you will have a C1 entitlement which means you can drive motorhomes up to 7500KG. If you took your test after January 1997 you wouldn’t have been given the C1 entitlement. Also, if you have turned 70 years old and not provided the correct D4 medical form, your C1 entitlement will have been suspended. If you want to drive a motorhome over 3500KG, ensure you have a C1 entitlement on your license. If the motorhome is 3500KG or below you can drive it on any car license.
What is the heaviest vehicle you can drive on a car licence?
If the motorhome is 3500KG or below you can drive it on any car license. If you want to drive a motorhome over 3500KG, ensure you have a C1 entitlement on your license.
What vehicle category is a motorhome?
Motorhomes can fall into multiple vehicle classes as they vary from small micro campervans to large coach based vehicles. They can be classed as ‘Diesel car’, ‘Van with Windows’, ‘Motor Caravan’, ‘Private Light Goods’, ‘Private Heavy Goods’. The most important thing to pay attention to is the weight and the entitlements you have on your license.
What size motorhome can a 70 year old drive?
Age doesn’t restrict what you can or cannot drive. At 70 years old you will have to prove you are medically capable of driving vehicles which fall into some license classes or you will automatically have those entitlements suspended. Provided that you’re are medically fit, not taking medications which may affect your ability to drive, have good eyesight and provide all the necessary information on a D4 medical form; turning 70 years doesn’t affect your existing license entitlements
The information in this article was correct as of 9 Jan 2018. The information provided here is for your guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. If in doubt please do your own research.
Read more
Want to learn more about the laws and requirements to travel with your vehicle? Read our articles on using disabled badges in Europe and travelling with dogs abroad.
Seriously given your potential demographic – You have missed out the part about age discrimination- You get a lot of entitlements canceled when you hit 70, unless you go for the medicals and a stack of paper work etc.
Not sure this fits into ‘Age Discrimination’. Before this rule was brought in people were aloud to drive from getting their license until they died or decided they were no longer fit to drive. I always assumed that the rule was brought in due to older drivers having accidents towing / in heavier vehicles due to diminished ability. If you are in good health, apart from yet another cost and a load of paperwork, retaining your C1 should be a formality.
Good site! I really love how it is easy on my eyes and the data are well written. I’m wondering how I might be notified when a new post has been made. I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed which must do the trick! Have a great day!
I love the idea of living in a motorhome! What can I drive on my licence?
What Entitlements do you have on your license? If you look at the back there will be some letter and letter+number codes which let you know which classes of vehicle you can drive.
Hi, Just to clarify , i have a B1 & B License i am over 70 years of age ( I had a C1 but stupidly gave it up) , so on my B1 and B License am i authorised by DVLC to drive a Motor Home of 3500KGs MAM ? Thanks.
Jack.
That’s correct, up to 3500KG. I think you can get your C1 back if you do a medical?