BE trailer driving licence, B96 driving licence or B car driving licence? Which driving licence you need to pull a trailer depends primarily on the total weight of the trailer. For example, you can drive small, light trailers without a trailer driving licence. This article tells you when you need a trailer driving licence and what you need to know about it:

 
Which driving licence class allows me to drive which trailer?

Driving licence classes B and BE as well as the driving licence or key number B96 allow you to tow trailers. For the driving licence with trailer, the permissible total weight in the vehicle documents is decisive. You can find information on the trailer load and other weight specifications in our blog article on the subject of vehicle registration certificates for trailers.

In the following graphic you will find an overview of the driving licence classes according to BMDV and their requirements for towing a trailer:

Permitted trailers with car driving licence B

• Unbraked trailers with a permissible total mass of up to 750 kg, e.g. a small low loader.  
• Total weight of the combination of car and trailer between 750 kg and 3,500 kg

Permitted trailers with driving licence B96

• Unbraked trailers with a permissible total mass of up to 750 kg
• Braked trailers with a maximum authorised mass of over 750 kg
• Total weight of the combination of car and trailer between 3,500 kg and 4,250 kg

Permitted trailers with BE trailer licence

• Unbraked trailers with a maximum authorised mass of up to 750 kg
• Braked trailers with a maximum permissible mass between 750 kg and 3,500 kg
• Particularly important for heavy trailers, e.g. UNSINN three-way tipper type UDK

Permitted trailers with driving licence class 3

The old car driving licence class 3 was issued until 1999 and permits driving with trailers without a trailer driving licence. With this class, it is permitted to drive a trailer combination with a permissible total weight of up to 7.5 tonnes. In addition, a three-axle train with a total weight of up to 12.0 t may be driven if the towing vehicle does not weigh more than 7.5 t.

If you have the old driving licence class 3 rewritten, it is usually transferred to class BE and thus the special regulations of class 3 no longer apply.

What does a trailer driving licence cost? Information and costs at a glance

How much a trailer driving licence costs depends on the scope of the test, the number of driving hours and the respective driving school. We provide an overview of the costs and the procedure for obtaining a trailer driving licence:

Info on the B96 driving licence

The prerequisite for the B96 driving licence is that you already have a B driving licence. To obtain the driving licence, you only need a course at the driving school; an examination is not required. The course to be taken consists of a theoretical and a practical part. The costs for the B96 range between 300 and 600 €.

Information on the BE trailer driving licence

There are two ways to obtain the BE trailer driving licence: either you take the trailer driving licence at the same time as your car driving licence or you take it at a later date. The quicker option is to take both licences together. In both cases, however, you must take the practical test for the trailer driving licence separately. This is because you can only start driving lessons with a trailer after you have passed the driving licence test for class B. The costs for the BE trailer driving licence are around €400 to €700, plus examination fees of €70 to €100.

Accompanied driving with a trailer

As with driving licence class B, the minimum age for class BE is set at 18. However, the trailer driving licence can be obtained at the age of 17 as soon as the learner driver participates in the "Accompanied Driving from 17" (BF17) model. Read more here.

Practical examples - Which trailer am I allowed to tow with driving licence class B?

Below you will find four examples of whether or not a trailer may be driven without a trailer driving licence:

Example 1: A trailer with a permissible total mass of 750 kg may always be towed.

Example 2 and 3: In example 2, the total weight of the combination is exactly 3,500 kg (2,000 + 1,500 kg) and therefore driving with a trailer is permitted with driving licence category B. In example 3, the total weight of the combination of max. 3,500 kg is exceeded.

For example 4: The total weight of the combination does not exceed 3,500 kg, but the permissible total weight of the car must be higher than the towed trailer load.

You can find everything about the weight specifications for trailers as well as the towing capacity in our blog article on the subject of permissible towing capacity.   

Conclusion: The BE trailer driving licence is absolutely necessary for driving heavier trailers or combinations. An inexpensive alternative to the trailer driving licence with a low time requirement is the B96 driving licence. If you own a 750 kg trailer, driving with a car driving licence is also permitted and you do not need a trailer driving licence.