Towing and the Law

If you intend to tow a boat (or any other kind of trailer for that matter) there are a number of legal issues that you should be aware of. Remember, ignorance of the law is no defence!

Driving Licence

As a driver you must not tow more than your licence permits you to and you must not overload your vehicle or trailer. The following information on licences is taken from DVLA Fact Sheet INF 30 “Requirements for Towing Trailers in Great Britain”:

All drivers who passed a car test before 1 January 1997 retain their existing entitlement to tow trailers until their licence expires. This means they are generally entitled to drive a vehicle and trailer combination up to 8.25 tonnes MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass, also referred to as permissible maximum weight (pmw) or gross vehicle weight (gvw)). They also have entitlement to drive a minibus with a trailer over 750kg MAM. However, one element that has apparently caught out many long-term licence holders has been where a replacement licence has been issued if the original licence was lost or destroyed. Your new licence will not include the B+E element (see below). Those who have altered their licence due to name or address changes should find that their original entitlements are transferred.

 

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