What licence do you need to drive a motorhome?

Last checked 20 October 2026

It depends on one number: the motorhome's maximum authorised mass (MAM), the most it is allowed to weigh fully loaded. Up to 3,500 kg, a normal car licence covers it. Above that, you need category C1, unless you passed your car test before 1 January 1997, in which case you probably already have it.

This covers licences in Great Britain. Northern Ireland's categories differ. Rules checked against GOV.UK on 20 October 2026; the sources are listed at the end.

Find your motorhome's weight first

Licence rules use the MAM, not what the van weighs on the day. GOV.UK defines it as "the total weight of the vehicle when 'laden' (loaded)". It is set by the manufacturer and shown on the vehicle's weight plate. Many motorhomes, particularly van conversions and smaller coachbuilts, are plated at 3,500 kg so that they can be driven on a car licence. Larger coachbuilts and A-class models are often heavier.

Up to 3,500 kg: a car (category B) licence

A full category B licence covers motor vehicles with a MAM up to 3,500 kg and no more than 8 passenger seats, with a trailer up to 750 kg. The minimum age is 17. This is the licence most people already hold, and it covers most campervans and many motorhomes.

3,500 to 7,500 kg: category C1

Category C1 covers "medium sized vehicles" between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg MAM, with a trailer up to 750 kg. The minimum age is 18.

If you passed your car test before 1 January 1997, your licence will already show C1, along with C1E (up to 8.25 tonnes combined), D1 and D1E (not for hire or reward). Check the categories on the back of your photocard licence.

If you passed on or after 1 January 1997, you will need to add C1. That means applying for provisional C1 entitlement, which needs a D4 medical report, then passing the theory and practical tests. The Driver CPC qualification that professional lorry drivers need is not required to drive your own motorhome for personal use, rather than commercially.

Electric and hydrogen motorhomes: up to 4,250 kg

The DVLA allows category B licence holders to drive a zero-emission (electric or hydrogen) vehicle up to 4,250 kg MAM. The allowance "applies to vehicle types you can usually drive using a category B licence". Hybrids do not qualify: GOV.UK counts them with petrol and diesel vehicles, which stay at 3,500 kg.

What changes at 70

Car licences are renewed every three years from 70. C1 is treated differently. To keep C1 after 70, you must meet the higher medical standards that apply to lorry and bus drivers, which means a D4 medical report, and the C1 entitlement cannot be renewed online: it has to be done by post. If you let C1 lapse, a heavier motorhome is no longer covered even though your car licence is.

Towing with a motorhome

Towing a small car or a boat behind a motorhome brings in trailer weights as well. On a C1 motorhome, a trailer over 750 kg needs C1E entitlement. Behind a motorhome you drive on a car licence, what you can tow depends on the trailer's weight and on when you passed your test; GOV.UK's towing rules page sets out the current limits, which changed in 2021.

Quick reference

Motorhome MAM	Passed car test before 1 Jan 1997	Passed on or after 1 Jan 1997
Up to 3,500 kg	Covered	Covered
Up to 4,250 kg, zero-emission only	Covered	Covered
3,500 to 7,500 kg	Covered by C1 already on the licence	Needs a C1 test
Over 7,500 kg	Needs category C	Needs category C