Vehicle documents
For the licence, does the trailer’s actual weight or its stated mass count?
B, B96 and BE are chosen using maximum authorised masses, even when the trailer is empty today.
For the licence category, use the trailer’s maximum authorised mass in its documents and add it to the car’s maximum authorised mass. The load’s actual weight does not replace that calculation, though actual load limits still apply.
The category follows approved figures
When choosing between B, code 96 and BE, use the maximum authorised masses of the car and trailer, not what they weigh on one particular trip. Maximum authorised mass is the documented limit for the vehicle when loaded. That is why an empty caravan can still fall under a licence category determined by the mass recorded in its documents.
Category B covers a trailer up to 750 kg and certain heavier-trailer combinations when the total authorised mass does not exceed 3,500 kg. If the trailer exceeds 750 kg and the combination exceeds 3,500 kg without going above 4,250 kg, code 96 and its practical test are required. Above 4,250 kg, BE may apply, subject to that category’s own limits. Read each document and add the figures before setting off.
Example: a car has a maximum authorised mass of 2,100 kg and a caravan 1,400 kg. For the licence calculation the combination is 3,500 kg, even if the caravan currently weighs 1,050 kg because it carries few bags. The actual weight still matters for staying within the permitted mass, payload and axle limits. These are separate checks: licence category based on authorised masses, and safety of the load actually carried.
Do not confuse licence limits with today’s load
Check the mass fields in the documents rather than an empty weight in an advertisement. Add the car’s and trailer’s maximum authorised masses, then compare the total with Article 116. In a second step, check how much you can actually load: stay within maximum mass, remaining payload, axle limits and the vertical load allowed by the hitch. Overloading is still prohibited even when the licence category is correct.
The car’s towing capacity is another limit and appears in its vehicle documentation. A higher licence does not override it. If the trailer has been downrated or carries special data, use the current figures on its documents and ask the competent office if they conflict. Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps you review the definitions and quiz questions on licence categories and towing.
Quiz Patente Ufficiale helps you review quizzes on authorised masses and towing categories, with study chapters and a review of incorrect answers.
Frequently asked questions
If the trailer is empty, can I drive it with category B?
Not necessarily. The licence calculation uses the documented maximum authorised mass, not only the scale reading on that trip.
Does the actual load never matter?
It matters for maximum mass, payload and axle limits. It simply does not replace the B, B96 or BE category calculation.