Motorhomes and the law 1 - driving licences

There are a number of legal issues that you need to be aware of that relate to motorhomes in the UK. This first ‘motorhomes and the law’ post looks at driving licences.

The information in this post has been taken from the official UK government site, as well as other sources.

The UK driving licence has several categories relating to the types of vehicles that can be driven. The categories you are allowed to drive are shown on your licence.

For all but the biggest motorhomes, a standard driving licence is fine, but see below for more details. It’s also worth noting that things may change when you reach the age of 70 (again, see below).

In ensuring you have the right type of licence you need to be aware of the following: 

• What your standard driving licence covers you for.
• The weight of your motorhome – known as the Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM).
• The date you passed your driving test.

If you passed your driving test after 1^st January 1997, your standard driving licence allows you to drive vehicles in category B.

Category B covers vehicles with a MAM up to 3,500kg (3.5 tonnes) with up to 8 passenger seats. This total includes a trailer up to 750kg i.e. motorhome + trailer is no more than 3,500 kg.

You can tow a heavier trailer if the total MAM of motorhome + trailer isn’t more than 3,500kg.

If your motorhome is between 3,500kg and 7,500kg, and you passed your test after 1^st January 1997, you will need to take another driving test to cover category C1.

BUT if you passed your test before 1^st January 1997 you are automatically covered for category C1 vehicles as well.

Category C1 allows you to drive vehicles with a MAM between 3,500kg and 7,500kg (with a trailer up to 750kg).

There is more information about driving licence categories at https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories

After 70

On reaching the age of 70 drivers are required to renew their licence, and the standard renewal process will remove the C1 category from your licence (if you have it).

A way to retain the C1 entitlement is to have a medical and ask the doctor to complete a D4. These aren’t covered by the NHS so there is a charge – I’ve seen £50 quoted by private medical companies; a GP may charge less.

Motorhome sizes

A motorhome registered in the UK cannot be more than 12 metres long and 2.55 metres wide, unless it has an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) certificate.

These measurements don’t include wing mirrors or buffers at the rear.

There are no height restrictions but if the motorhome is higher than 3m, the height must be displayed in the cab where the driver can see it.