Published 2026-10-09 · Ride On Rentals, Delta BC
What the 4,600 kg rule means, why it is about loaded weight, who can tow more, and why the licence limit is rarely the first limit you hit with a rental trailer.
"Can I tow this on my licence?" comes up more often than you would think, usually from someone who has just looked at a loaded dump trailer and wondered. For almost every light trailer the answer is yes. But the rule has a detail that trips people up: it is about what the trailer weighs on the road, not what it weighs empty. This guide explains the Class 5 towing limit BC drivers work under, where it comes from, and how to check you are inside it before you leave.
The number is 4,600 kg. ICBC's licensing sheet, Are you planning to tow a trailer weighing more than 4,600 kg?, puts it this way: ICBC says a Class 4, 5 or 7 (novice) licence lets you tow a trailer weighing up to 4,600 kg gross vehicle weight, which means the trailer plus everything on it, at the time you are towing it.
The same sheet explains why the line sits there. Towing a larger trailer "requires special handling and braking techniques," and the 4,600 kg figure "is consistent with the weight limits in other Canadian jurisdictions and was established as a safety threshold between small and large trailers."
The Ministry of Transportation's CVSE branch says the same in its Trailer Towing info sheet: "For trailers weighing up to 4600 kg, you need a class 4 or 5 driver's licence."
Yes. For licensing purposes, ICBC defines trailer weight as its actual weight at the time it is being towed. An empty trailer that weighs 4,000 kg is legal on a Class 5 licence, but the same trailer loaded past 4,600 kg is not. ICBC's study guide, Towing a Recreational Trailer, uses an RV example: furniture, stored water and food all add weight, and "a Class 5 or 7 driver's licence doesn't allow you to tow the trailer if it weighs over 4,600 kg."
For a rental, swap "water and food" for whatever you are hauling. Soil, gravel, broken concrete, wet yard waste and stacked lumber are all dense. A trailer that looks half full can weigh more than one heaped with cardboard boxes.
Every manufactured trailer carries a plate or sticker showing its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), the most it is designed to weigh fully loaded. If that plate says 4,600 kg or less, and you load within it, you cannot exceed the licence limit. Loading within the GVWR is required anyway. CVSE's info sheet says GVWR and axle ratings "must not be exceeded." Our guide to trailer GVWR explains how to read the plate.
If the trailer is rated above 4,600 kg, the licence limit becomes a real constraint, and only a scale can tell you where you are. CVSE's advice for any uncertain weight is to have it weighed at a scale.
| Licence | Trailer up to 4,600 kg | Trailer over 4,600 kg |
|---|---|---|
| Class 5 or Class 4 | Yes (air brake endorsement needed if trailer or tow vehicle has air brakes) | Only with a heavy trailer endorsement (code 20), or a house trailer endorsement (code 07) for house trailers and toy haulers only |
| Class 7 (novice, N) | Yes | No. ICBC says a Class 7 cannot be upgraded for this |
| Class 2 or Class 3 | Yes | Yes, without an extra endorsement, unless air brakes are involved |
| Class 1 | Yes | Yes, including with air brakes (with the air brake endorsement) |
ICBC's licensing sheet groups the Class 7 (novice) licence with Classes 4 and 5 for the 4,600 kg limit. It also says a Class 7 licence cannot be upgraded to tow more than 4,600 kg, so the endorsements for heavier trailers are only open to Class 4 or 5 holders.
Light rental trailers and the pickups and SUVs that tow them use electric or hydraulic brakes, not air. ICBC's rule is still worth knowing: if either the trailer or the tow vehicle has air brakes and the trailer is under 4,600 kg, you need an air brake endorsement on your Class 4 or 5. Over 4,600 kg with air brakes, you need a Class 1.
You need a Class 1, 2 or 3 licence, or a Class 4 or 5 licence with a heavy trailer endorsement (code 20). A house trailer endorsement (code 07) only covers house trailers and toy haulers. If the trailer or tow vehicle has air brakes, ICBC says a Class 1 licence is required over 4,600 kg.
ICBC's study guide lists what each endorsement involves:
The code 07 endorsement does not cover utility, boat, horse or equipment trailers over 4,600 kg. For those, ICBC says you need code 20 or a commercial class.
The licence rule is a ceiling, not a target. Most of what limits a light trailer has nothing to do with your licence:
In practice, the Class 5 towing limit BC sets is rarely the first limit you hit with a rental. Your vehicle is. Our guide on whether your SUV can tow a rental trailer walks through the vehicle side.
This is not just about a ticket. ICBC's towing guide warns that without the proper licence you may be in breach of your insurance policy in the event of a crash, and your claim may be denied, including for your own injuries and damage to other people or property. The licensing sheet adds that a driver over 4,600 kg without the right licence or endorsement "isn't legally licensed to operate that vehicle combination."
New to towing? Read our first-time towing tips, then browse our trailer rentals or ask about weekly terms for longer jobs.
ICBC says a Class 4, 5 or 7 (novice) licence lets you tow a trailer weighing up to 4,600 kg gross vehicle weight, which means the trailer plus everything on it, at the time you are towing it.
Yes. For licensing purposes, ICBC defines trailer weight as its actual weight at the time it is being towed. An empty trailer that weighs 4,000 kg is legal on a Class 5 licence, but the same trailer loaded past 4,600 kg is not.
ICBC's licensing sheet groups the Class 7 (novice) licence with Classes 4 and 5 for the 4,600 kg limit. It also says a Class 7 licence cannot be upgraded to tow more than 4,600 kg, so the endorsements for heavier trailers are only open to Class 4 or 5 holders.
You need a Class 1, 2 or 3 licence, or a Class 4 or 5 licence with a heavy trailer endorsement (code 20). A house trailer endorsement (code 07) only covers house trailers and toy haulers. If the trailer or tow vehicle has air brakes, ICBC says a Class 1 licence is required over 4,600 kg.
ICBC's towing guide warns that without the proper licence you may be in breach of your insurance policy in the event of a crash, and your claim may be denied, including for your own injuries and damage to other people or property.
Based on ICBC licensing publications (PI270, 08/2023) and ICBC's Towing a Recreational Trailer guide, checked October 2026. ICBC: 1-800-950-1498 or icbc.com.
Questions about a rental trailer? Call Ride On Rentals at (604) 767-7977 or email [email protected].