What can I tow on a normal Northern Ireland car driving licence?

What you can tow on a normal Northern Ireland car licence depends on the categories and dates shown on your licence, so check the actual entitlement rather than applying GB rules from memory.

For Northern Ireland motorists, the key is to use the NI rule rather than assuming a Great Britain article says exactly the same thing. For a category B licence, a vehicle up to 3,500 kg MAM may tow within the category-B combination limits; heavier combinations require the relevant B+E or higher entitlement. Northern Ireland has retained licensing rules that differ in important respects from the post-2021 GB position.

For this exact issue — “What can I tow on a normal Northern Ireland car driving licence?” — separate four things that are often confused: the entitlement on the NI driving licence, the trailer’s plated MAM, the towing vehicle’s manufacturer limits and the actual laden weight of the combination. Insurance and roadworthiness sit on top of those limits; meeting one figure does not make an otherwise overweight, unbraked or uninsured setup lawful.

Check the back of the licence, the trailer MAM and the towing vehicle’s plated limits. All three must permit the combination. Where the facts of a journey or vehicle differ from the ordinary case, check the exact DfI/DVA or nidirect rule before travelling rather than extrapolating from a similar situation.

Before publishing this answer, the key factual point in “What can I tow on a normal Northern Ireland car driving licence?” was checked against current Northern Ireland official guidance. That matters because road rules, licence entitlements and enforcement details can differ from Great Britain and can change over time; the sources attached below are the ones to re-check if the rule is updated.