You've got a trailer, caravan or horsebox in mind and you want to know if your car can pull it. Good news: you can find out in a few minutes. Here are the three places to look, and how to read what you find.
Check towing capacity by reg Enter your registration number to see your vehicle details.
The quick answer
What can my car tow, and how much can my car tow? Your car's towing capacity is usually listed in the handbook or specification sheet. The gross train weight is on the VIN plate. You can also check your towing capacity by reg with our free checker to get a starting figure, then confirm it against the plate and handbook.
Check towing capacity by reg
This is the fastest way. Enter your registration number on our towing capacity checker and we'll identify the vehicle, then email you the towing figures.
A reg check is handy when the car's not in front of you, or when you're thinking about buying one. But it's a lookup by model and engine, so it won't know if your car has been modified. Always confirm with the VIN plate or handbook.
One thing to know: the official DVLA vehicle enquiry service on GOV.UK doesn't show a towing limit. It shows things like tax, MOT, weight, engine size and fuel type. Towing figures come from manufacturer data, which is where a towing capacity checker gets them.
Find it on the VIN plate
The VIN plate (vehicle identification number plate) is a metal or sticker plate fitted by the manufacturer. You'll usually find it under the bonnet or inside the driver's door.
GOV.UK says the plate gives four weights:
- Weight 1: the maximum weight of the car on its own (the gross vehicle weight, or MAM).
- Weight 2: the maximum weight of the car and trailer combined (the gross train weight).
- Weight 3: the maximum weight for the front axle.
- Weight 4: the maximum weight for the rear axle.
All of these include passengers, luggage, fuel and anything else on board.
To work out the heaviest trailer you can pull, take weight 2 and subtract weight 1. That gives you the most the loaded trailer can weigh, as a rough guide, if the car is fully loaded. Your handbook towing limit may be lower, and if so, use the lower figure.
If your VIN plate doesn't list a gross train weight, GOV.UK says you shouldn't use your vehicle for towing.
Find it in the handbook
GOV.UK says most cars have a maximum towing weight, and it's usually in the handbook or specification sheet. Look in the technical data section for "towing", "trailer" or "towable mass".
No handbook? Most manufacturers put owner's manuals online, and a main dealer can confirm the figures from your VIN.
Braked and unbraked towing capacity
You'll usually see two figures.
- Braked towing capacity is how much the car can pull when the trailer has its own working brakes.
- Unbraked towing capacity is how much it can pull when the trailer has no brakes. It's always lower.
The rules for unbraked trailers are tight. GOV.UK says a loaded unbraked trailer mustn't weigh over 750kg, and it also shouldn't weigh more than 50% of your car's weight. A trailer that weighs over 750kg when loaded must have a working brake system.
Other numbers you'll come across
- Kerb weight: the car with fluids and a full tank but without driver, passengers or luggage. It's used for caravan matching.
- Maximum noseweight (towball limit): the most downward force the trailer can put on the towball. Check your handbook and the tow bar's plate.
- Payload: how much you can load into the car itself. Towing a heavy trailer with a full car can push you over the gross train weight.
- MAM: maximum authorised mass, the legal weight limit of a vehicle or trailer when loaded.
Your car's limit is not the only limit
Even if your car can pull it, you also need to stay within:
- your driving licence entitlement (see towing licence rules);
- the trailer's own MAM;
- the towbar's limits (it must be type approved if your car was first used on or after 1 August 1998, according to GOV.UK); and
- width and length limits. The maximum trailer width is 2.55 metres. If your car's MAM is 3,500kg or less, the trailer can't be longer than 7 metres, not counting the A-frame.
If you tow a caravan, see our caravan matching guide too. And do tell your insurer you're towing, because not every policy covers it automatically.
A worked example (made-up numbers)
Say your VIN plate shows weight 1 as 2,000kg and weight 2 (the gross train weight) as 3,900kg. Take 2,000 from 3,900 and you get 1,900kg. That's the most a fully loaded trailer can weigh if the car is also fully loaded.
Now say your handbook gives a braked towing limit of 1,500kg. That's lower, so 1,500kg is your ceiling. Always go with the lowest figure.
These numbers are examples only. Don't use them for your own car.
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong figure. Towing limits can differ by engine, gearbox and year, so don't copy a number from a different version of your model.
- Forgetting the load in the car. The gross train weight includes passengers, luggage and fuel.
- Mixing up kerb weight and MAM. Kerb weight is the empty car. MAM is the loaded maximum.
- Assuming your licence matches your car. Your licence has its own limits, and so does your car. You need to be inside both.
- Ignoring noseweight. A trailer that's within the weight limit can still overload the towball.
Quick FAQs
How do I check towing capacity by registration?
Enter your reg in the towing capacity checker. We'll identify the vehicle and show its basic details straight away. Our team then prepares your full towing report and emails it to you, so it isn't instant. Treat the result as a guide and confirm it on your VIN plate or in the handbook, because those are the official figures for your vehicle.
What's the difference between braked and unbraked towing capacity?
Braked towing capacity is how much your vehicle can pull when the trailer has working brakes. Unbraked is for trailers without brakes, and it's lower. GOV.UK says a loaded unbraked trailer mustn't weigh over 750kg, and it shouldn't weigh more than 50% of your car's weight.
What is gross train weight?
Gross train weight is the most that your fully loaded vehicle and fully loaded trailer can weigh together. It's on the VIN plate, and it must not be exceeded. If your VIN plate doesn't list a train weight, GOV.UK says you shouldn't use the vehicle for towing.
Where can I find my car's towing limit if I haven't got the handbook?
Look at the VIN plate, usually under the bonnet or inside the driver's door, for the gross train weight. The handbook or specification sheet normally gives the towing limit. You can also check by reg here, or ask a main dealer to confirm the figures for your exact vehicle.
How accurate are the figures?
They're a guide. We match your reg to the towing data for that make, model and engine, but modifications and variants can change a vehicle's real limits. The VIN plate and handbook on your own vehicle are the final word, so check them before you tow.
Ready to check your car? Enter your reg here.