B96 or BE: which Italian licence do you need for your trailer?

To choose between B96 and BE in Italy, add the car and trailer maximum authorised masses. If the combination exceeds 3,500 kg but is no more than 4,250 kg, code 96 allows it after a specific test. Above 4,250 kg, BE may be required; the trailer’s authorised mass must not exceed 3,500 kg. Check the vehicles’ own technical limits too.

Where B, B96 and BE differ

Category B covers a car with a maximum authorised mass of up to 3,500 kg. It may tow a trailer up to 750 kg; for a heavier trailer, the authorised combination must not exceed 3,500 kg. If the combination exceeds 3,500 kg but stays within 4,250 kg, the driver needs code 96 after a specific test of ability and behaviour.

BE covers a category B towing vehicle with a trailer or semi-trailer whose maximum authorised mass is over 750 kg and no more than 3,500 kg. For example, a car authorised at 2,400 kg plus a 1,900 kg trailer makes 4,300 kg: that exceeds B96, so BE may be needed if the trailer and car meet their respective requirements.

Check the vehicle approval as well

The licence is only one check. The car's registration document sets its permitted towing mass and maximum combination mass; the trailer has its own authorised mass and payload limits. All technical limits still apply with BE. The actual weight on a particular day does not change the licence category calculated from authorised masses, but the combination must never be overloaded.

Before a trip, copy the figures from both documents and do the calculation. If the combination exceeds your licence or the car's limits, do not travel in that setup; choose another trailer or confirm which category is needed with the Motorizzazione. B96 and BE are different entitlements, not exemptions from vehicle safety limits.

Use Quiz Patente Ufficiale to review Italian B, code 96 and BE theory; ask the Motorizzazione or a professional to check the car and trailer documents.