750 kg trailer: is B96 required if the combination exceeds 3,500 kg?

No. Under Italian Article 116, the B96 extension applies to specified combinations with a trailer whose maximum authorised mass exceeds 750 kg. If the trailer is rated at 750 kg or less, the ordinary B rule applies even when the sum of the car and trailer ratings exceeds 3,500 kg. The car must still be technically approved to tow it.

The 750 kg threshold changes the calculation

For an Italian category B licence, Article 116 provides a specific allowance for a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 750 kg. The rule is distinct from the branch for a heavier trailer. For a trailer over 750 kg, B can cover combinations whose authorised total does not exceed 3,500 kg; code 96 is needed for the specified combinations above 3,500 kg and up to 4,250 kg. BE covers combinations above that threshold within its own limits. The word ‘750’ refers to the trailer’s authorised maximum, not what it weighs on a particular trip.

Example: a car has a maximum authorised mass of 2,900 kg and the trailer is rated at exactly 750 kg. Their sum is 3,650 kg. The trailer still falls in the up-to-750 kg branch, so the sum alone does not create the B96 requirement. However, the car must be approved to tow that trailer and the actual load must remain within the technical limits. If the trailer were rated at 751 kg, the heavier-trailer branch would apply, so the combination would need a fresh licence check.

This rule concerns Italian licences and the vehicle’s documents. Do not substitute the empty trailer’s measured weight for its authorised maximum mass, and do not infer that every car can tow a 750 kg trailer.

Check both licence and vehicle limits

Read the maximum authorised masses in the registration documents for the car and trailer. Identify the trailer rating first, then apply the corresponding Article 116 branch. Separately check the car’s maximum towing mass, the hitch approval, axle loads and any limits shown for the exact model. A licence category does not increase the towing capacity approved for the car.

If the documents show a different value from the trailer’s plate, resolve the discrepancy with the manufacturer or Italian motor vehicle authority before towing. The trailer’s actual load also must stay within its payload and axle limits, even though it does not change the licence calculation. Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps you review common licence categories and towing rules through quizzes and error review; it does not verify a particular vehicle combination.

Quiz Patente Ufficiale offers quizzes and error review to help you revise licence categories and common towing rules.