# Which licence for which motorhome? The 3.5-tonne line explained

> Categories B and C1, older licences, B96 and the EU reform: what each allows, and how to check what your vehicle really weighs.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/magazine/eu-motorhome-licence-weights/

*By CampingSpirit Editors, 2026-10-01*

The figure of 3,500 kg decides more about motorhome ownership than any other number in the registration papers. It marks the border between an ordinary car licence and a heavier category, it matters for tolls and speed limits in several countries, and it is the reason many manufacturers sell models that are officially limited to 3.5 tonnes, sometimes at the price of a very small payload.

Driving licence rules are national, but they follow a common EU framework, so the principle is the same from Portugal to Finland: what counts is the maximum authorised mass of the vehicle, not its length, its price or its number of berths. The sections below cover the categories, the exceptions for older licences, what the new EU directive changes and how to find out what a given vehicle actually weighs.

## Category B: up to 3,500 kg

Under the EU framework (Directive 2006/126/EC), category B covers vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg and no more than eight passenger seats in addition to the driver. A motorhome that stays within that limit can be driven by anyone holding an ordinary car licence, with no extra test. The relevant figure is the permitted maximum laden mass printed in the registration document, not the weight of the empty vehicle. A van-based camper on a 3.5-tonne chassis is therefore a category B vehicle, while the same body on a reinforced 4.5-tonne chassis is not.

## Category C1: 3,500 to 7,500 kg

Heavier motorhomes need category C1, which covers vehicles between 3,500 and 7,500 kg. C1 requires a further test, a medical check and, in the EU framework, a minimum age of 18. Licences carrying C1 are valid for a shorter period than a car licence, five years under the directive, and must be renewed with a medical report. Most coach-built and integrated motorhomes of 7 to 8 metres sit in this class, and a motorhome above 7,500 kg needs category C. Holders of C1 also drive the common 3.5-tonne vehicles without any restriction.

## Older licences and the B96 misunderstanding

Many drivers hold more than they think. In Germany, the old class 3, issued before 1999, includes vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. In the United Kingdom, licences passed before 1 January 1997 carry C1 entitlement automatically, and GOV.UK lists the current category B rules for newer licences, including a 4,250 kg limit for zero-emission vehicles only. Such rights can lapse or be restricted, for instance if a medical report is not supplied at renewal, so the licence itself should be checked rather than assumed. The B96 extension, available in several countries after a short training, is often confused with a weight upgrade. It only raises the permitted combined mass of car plus trailer to 4,250 kg. It does not allow a motorhome heavier than 3,500 kg.

## What the new EU directive changes

A new directive on driving licences (Directive (EU) 2025/2205) entered into force on 25 November 2025. Among its changes, the European Commission describes category B being extended to heavier alternatively fuelled vehicles up to 4.25 tonnes, and a possibility for category B holders to drive heavy motor caravans after targeted training or testing, the details being left to each member state. Member states must transpose the directive by 26 November 2028, and the rules apply from 26 November 2029. Until a country has done so, the current national rules apply, and conditions such as the training length or the required driving experience will vary. A driver planning to buy a 4-tonne motorhome on a car licence should therefore ask the national licensing authority what is in force today, not what is announced.

## Checking the real weight

Two numbers matter. The first is the maximum permitted mass, shown in the registration certificate and on the manufacturer's plate. In the EU registration format these appear as fields F.1 (technically permissible) and F.2 (permissible in the country of registration), with the mass in running order in field G. The second is the real mass of the loaded vehicle. The running-order figure assumes a driver of 75 kg and a fuel tank filled to at least 90 %, so passengers, luggage, bicycles, awning, food, gas bottles and any later accessories all consume payload. An officially increased permitted mass, for example a technical uprating by the manufacturer, can change the category, so a vehicle should not be modified before the licence question is settled.

A public weighbridge, for example at a quarry or a recycling yard, weighs the loaded vehicle for a small fee, and the axle weights should be checked as well as the total, since a rear axle can be overloaded while the total is still within limits. Overloading brings fines in most countries and can complicate an insurance claim after an accident.

## Rented vehicles and borders

EU and EEA licences are recognised across the EU, and the category rules apply by vehicle weight in every country. A rental company asks for the licence and checks the category against the vehicle, so renters of a 4.5-tonne or 6-tonne motorhome need C1 even if the hired vehicle looks like an ordinary camper. Practical steps before departure: read the category and any restriction codes on the licence, find the maximum permitted mass of the vehicle in its papers, check that the licence has no expired C1 entitlement, and keep a printed copy of both documents with the vehicle in case of a roadside check. Drivers holding a licence from outside the EU should ask the rental company and the authority of the first country on the route whether an international driving permit is expected.

## Sources

- [Driving licence categories (GOV.UK)](https://www.gov.uk/driving-licence-categories)
- [Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32006L0126)
- [Directive (EU) 2025/2205 on driving licences (EUR-Lex)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32025L2205)
- [Commission welcomes provisional agreement on modernised driving licences rules (European Commission)](https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/commission-welcomes-provisional-agreement-modernised-driving-licences-rules-2025-03-25_en)
- [Driving licences: summary of Directive (EU) 2025/2205 (European Parliament Legislative Observatory)](https://oeil.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/en/document-summary?id=1858724)