A public campaign is urging the Labour government to overhaul driving licence regulations for motorhome owners across the UK. A petition hosted on the official Parliament website has called for a significant change to the rules governing what vehicles can be driven on a standard car licence.
The Core Demand of the Petition
The petition, which had garnered 1,590 signatures at the time of reporting, states a clear objective. It urges: "Allow license holders to drive motorhomes up to 4250kg on UK Category B License." The appeal is directed at the Labour Party, asking for the UK to align with proposed changes from the EU.
Currently, the law restricts drivers with a standard Category B car licence to operating motorhomes with a Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) of up to 3,500 kg. The MAM is the vehicle's weight plus the maximum load it can carry legally. The petition argues that this limit unnecessarily restricts the size and weight of motorhomes available to most drivers.
It also highlights that many motorhomes just over the 3500kg threshold are automatic, a feature that could be particularly helpful for some drivers with disabilities who find manual transmissions challenging.
Current Rules and What Change Would Mean
Under the present system, to drive a heavier motorhome, individuals must obtain additional licences. For a vehicle with a MAM of between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, a Category C1 licence is required. For anything over 7.5 tonnes, a full Category C licence is mandatory.
The petition needs to reach 10,000 signatures to secure an official response from the government. If it achieves 100,000 signatures, the matter will be considered for debate in Parliament.
Other Regulations for Motorhomes in the UK
Aside from weight, UK law also imposes size limits on motorhomes. The DVLA states that you cannot register a motorhome that is more than 12 metres long or 2.55 metres wide. These measurements exclude external fittings like mirrors, bumpers, and lamps.
While there is no official height limit, any motorhome over 3 metres tall must display a notice showing its height in a location clearly visible to the driver. The DVLA emphasises that having the correct licence and ensuring the vehicle is within UK size limits are both essential legal requirements.
This campaign taps into a growing debate about accessibility and freedom within the leisure vehicle sector, posing a direct question to policymakers about modernising outdated transport rules.
