CDL Thresholds and Towing Licences

What GVWR requires a CDL?

The commercial driver's licence groups are federal, in 49 CFR 383.91(a), Commercial motor vehicle groups, and every state uses them. They are written on ratings, not on what the scale says:

So the GVWR that requires a CDL on its own is 26,001 lb (11,794 kg). If your truck's sticker is under that, the question is about the trailer and the combined figure, which is the next section. A Class A holder may also drive Class B and C vehicles, with the right endorsements.

Law, with a condition. These groups apply to a vehicle "used in commerce" (49 CFR 383.5, Definitions (commercial motor vehicle; GCWR)). A rig used for business, a farm, or hire is in; a family camper is not, and the state's own classes decide instead.

How much can you tow without a CDL?

A trailer rated 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) or less never makes a Class A combination. Over that, the truck's GVWR plus the trailer's GVWR must stay at 26,000 lb (11,793 kg) or less. So the largest trailer GVWR before Class A is the larger of 10,000 lb and 26,000 lb minus the truck's GVWR:

Two catches. First, if your truck's sticker or towing guide gives a GCWR of 26,001 lb (11,794 kg) or more, 49 CFR 383.5, Definitions (commercial motor vehicle; GCWR) counts that instead of the sum, and any trailer over 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) makes it Class A. Enter the GCWR in the tool to check. Second, these are licence lines, not towing limits: plenty of trucks run out of tow rating or payload long before they reach them.

GVWR vs GCWR for a CDL

GVWR is one vehicle's rating, from its own sticker. For the CDL, 49 CFR 383.5, Definitions (commercial motor vehicle; GCWR) defines GCWR as the greater of the power unit's own GCWR, if its label shows one, and the sum of the GVWRs (or actual weights) of the truck and everything it tows. That second half means a truck with no GCWR on its label still has one for licensing: you add the two plates.

It also means weighing light does not help. A trailer rated 14,000 lb counts as 14,000 lb even when it is towed empty. For the full meaning of each rating, see GVWR, GCWR and GAWR explained.

Same rig, different licence: worked examples

Two rigs, run through the tool above for each place we have verified. Rig 1: a pickup rated 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) GVWR, towing a fifth-wheel camper rated 11,000 lb (4,990 kg) GVWR, for family trips. Rig 2: a truck rated 11,500 lb (5,216 kg) GVWR, towing a gooseneck equipment trailer rated 16,000 lb (7,257 kg) GVWR, for work.

Rig 1 shows why "do I need a special licence" has no single answer: the same camper is an ordinary licence in Alberta, Quebec, Ontario (through the house trailer exception), New York, Texas and Florida, an endorsement in BC, California and Saskatchewan, and a Class 3 in Manitoba and New Brunswick. Rig 2 is a combination of 27,500 lb (12,474 kg) with a trailer over 10,000 lb (4,536 kg), so it is a Class A CDL anywhere in the US once it is used for work.

Licence classes for towing by state

For personal towing, each state's own classes decide, and they do not all copy the federal lines. These are the states we have read at source so far:

California

California draws its line lower than the federal one. California Vehicle Code s. 12804.9(b) puts any combination with a towed vehicle over 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) into Class A, whatever the combined weight, and any vehicle towing more than one vehicle too. A fifth-wheel travel trailer from 10,001 to 15,000 lb, not towed for compensation, can stay on Class C with an endorsement after DMV's written test. Above that, California Vehicle Code s. 12804.12 lets DMV issue a restricted Class A for a heavy recreational trailer.

Texas

Texas issues non-commercial Class A and B licences on the CDL weights. DPS lists recreational vehicles driven for personal use among the CDL exemptions, but those drivers still need the non-commercial Class A or B when the rig is heavy enough (Texas Department of Public Safety, Classes of Driver Licenses, an official summary rather than the statute).

New York

A New York Class D tows up to 10,000 lb (4,536 kg), or more as long as the combination's GCWR is 26,000 lb (11,793 kg) or less (New York Vehicle and Traffic Law s. 501(2)). Past that, a personal use vehicle needs the personal use vehicle endorsement, which DMV calls the R endorsement.

Florida

Florida Statutes s. 322.54(2) uses the federal weights for its Class A and B, but Florida Statutes s. 322.53(2)(d) and (4) exempts drivers of recreational vehicles, who may drive on the ordinary Class E. For-hire drivers are never exempt.

Not yet verified: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. For business use the tool still gives the federal CDL answer for these; for personal use it says "not yet verified" rather than guessing.

What can I tow on an ordinary licence in Canada?

Canada has no federal CDL. Each province sets classes, and the ordinary car licence (Class 5, or Class G in Ontario) tows up to a trailer weight line. The table gives the line in the unit the law uses, what it is measured on, and what you need above it.

The lines sit close together (4,500 to 4,600 kg, about 10,000 lb) for a reason ICBC gives: the 4,600 kg limit "is consistent with the weight limits in other Canadian jurisdictions". What differs is what gets weighed, and that changes the answer for a trailer near the line.

Towing licence in Ontario: G, D and A

O. Reg. 340/94 (Drivers' Licences), s. 2, under the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) sorts every rig by two numbers. A full Class G drives a vehicle up to 11,000 kg (24,251 lb) and a combination up to 11,000 kg (24,251 lb) total, as long as the towed vehicles are 4,600 kg (10,141 lb) or less. Over 11,000 kg (24,251 lb) with a light trailer is Class D. Over 4,600 kg (10,141 lb) of trailer is Class A, whatever the total.

• Restricted Class A (condition R): for smaller truck-trailer combinations such as a recreational, horse or utility trailer. It cannot pull a trailer with air brakes, a tractor-trailer or doubles (Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Get a truck driver's licence).
• AZ: full Class A with the air brake (Z) endorsement, for tractor-trailers and air-braked trailers.
• DZ: Class D with the air brake endorsement, for heavy trucks with air brakes.

The exception for fifth-wheel campers is O. Reg. 340/94 (Drivers' Licences), s. 4: a pick-up truck rated 6,500 kg (14,330 lb) or less, with two axles and its own box, towing one house trailer by a fifth wheel, for personal use, with no air brakes, is deemed Class G even when the trailer is over 4,600 kg (10,141 lb). The trailer must carry a CSA Z240 RV or NFPA 1192 label, and less than half of its floor may be taken up by animals, tools, equipment or vehicles. A bumper-pull travel trailer over 4,600 kg (10,141 lb) does not qualify.

Trailer licence in BC: house trailer and heavy trailer endorsements

A BC Class 5 (or novice Class 7) covers a two-axle vehicle towing up to 4,600 kg (10,141 lb) (Motor Vehicle Act Regulations (B.C. Reg. 26/58), s. 30.01(2)). ICBC measures that as the loaded trailer, so fill the water and propane tanks and load the gear before you weigh it. Over 4,600 kg (10,141 lb), with no air brakes on either unit:

• House trailer endorsement (Code 07): house trailers and toy haulers only.
• Heavy trailer endorsement (Code 20): any trailer, including boat, horse and utility trailers.
• Class 1, 2 or 3: a commercial class covers it too.

With air brakes on the truck or the trailer and a trailer over 4,600 kg (10,141 lb), it is Class 1, even with an air brake endorsement on a Class 2 or 3. Source: ICBC, Are you planning to tow a trailer weighing more than 4,600 kg? (PI270), the official summary.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick

Alberta: Class 5, Class 3 and Class 1

Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (Alta. Reg. 320/2002), ss. 21 to 25 and 27 gives Class 5 a two-axle vehicle towing a trailer of any weight, as long as the trailer has no air brakes. A tow vehicle with 3 or more axles moves you to Class 3. A trailer with air brakes needs Class 1, and driving anything with an air brake needs an endorsed licence.

Saskatchewan

A two-axle truck tows up to 4,600 kg (10,141 lb) on a Class 5 (The Driver Licensing and Suspension Regulations, 2006 (Saskatchewan), ss. 2(1)(e), 2(1)(i) and 11). Over that, a truck needs a licence endorsed for it, or Class 1. Farm-registered (Class F) two-axle trucks may tow any weight on Class 5.

Manitoba

Driver Licensing Regulation (Manitoba), M.R. 47/2006, s. 1 and s. 11: a Class 5 combination tows a vehicle registered at 4,540 kg (10,009 lb) or less. Over that registered weight, it is a Class 3 vehicle. Class 1 is for semi-trailer trucks, which the regulation defines as trucks not built to carry any load beyond part of the trailer's weight; on that reading a pickup with a fifth-wheel hitch is not one.

Quebec

Quebec does not weigh the trailer for Class 5. Regulation respecting licences (Quebec), C-24.2, r. 34, ss. 28.1, 28.3, 28.7 and 30 gives Class 5 a two-axle vehicle with a net (empty) mass under 4,500 kg (9,921 lb), and lets it haul a trailer. A truck of 4,500 kg (9,921 lb) net or more is Class 3, and hauling a trailer of 2,000 kg (4,409 lb) net mass or more with it takes Class 1.

New Brunswick

General Regulation (New Brunswick), N.B. Reg. 83-42, s. 22(1): Class 5 tows a vehicle registered up to and including 4,500 kg (9,921 lb). Over that, without air brakes, it is Class 3. Any truck towing a trailer with air brakes is Class 1.

What can I legally tow?

The licence answers who may drive the rig. It says nothing about whether the truck can pull it. Three limits all have to pass:

1. Your licence, from this page.
2. Your vehicle's ratings: tow rating, payload, GCWR and axle ratings, from the door sticker and the towing guide. The can I tow this calculator checks all of them, and the payload calculator catches the one most rigs fail first.
3. The trailer rules where you drive, such as trailer brakes.

Model-specific limits, such as what an F-150 or a RAV4 can legally tow, come from that vehicle's own sticker and manual, not from the licence. Read yours with the door sticker guide.

Sources

• 49 CFR 383.91(a), Commercial motor vehicle groups: The federal CDL groups. Group A: GCWR 26,001 lb or more with the towed unit's GVWR over 10,000 lb. Group B: a single vehicle of 26,001 lb GVWR or more, or such a vehicle towing 10,000 lb GVWR or less. Group C: neither, but built for 16 or more people including the driver, or carrying placarded hazardous materials. A Group A holder may drive Group B and C vehicles with the right endorsements (s. 383.91(c)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• 49 CFR 383.5, Definitions (commercial motor vehicle; GCWR): The CDL rule reaches vehicles used in commerce, and GCWR for the CDL test is the greater of the power unit's own GCWR on its FMVSS label or the sum of the GVWRs (or actual weights) of the power unit and towed units, whichever produces the highest value. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Operator Licensing and Vehicle Control Regulation (Alta. Reg. 320/2002), ss. 21 to 25 and 27: An Alberta Class 5 covers a two-axle vehicle towing a trailer of any weight that has no air brakes. Class 3 covers a vehicle with 3 or more axles towing a trailer without air brakes. Class 1 covers any combination. Driving any vehicle with an air brake needs a Class 1, or a Class 2 to 5 endorsed for air brakes (s. 27). Checked 2026-10-24.
• Motor Vehicle Act Regulations (B.C. Reg. 26/58), s. 30.01(2): In BC a Class 5 (or Class 7) covers a two-axle vehicle towing up to 4,600 kg. If permitted on the licence, a Class 5 covers the same combination over 4,600 kg when nothing has air brakes. Class 3 covers combinations over 4,600 kg without air brakes and vehicles with 3 or more axles; Class 1 covers any combination. Checked 2026-10-24.
• ICBC, Are you planning to tow a trailer weighing more than 4,600 kg? (PI270) (official summary, not the law itself): The BC weight is the loaded trailer (its GVW: trailer plus load). Over 4,600 kg a Class 5 driver needs a house trailer endorsement (Code 07, house trailers and toy haulers only), a heavy trailer endorsement (Code 20, any trailer), or a Class 1, 2 or 3 licence, all with no air brakes on either unit. With air brakes on either unit and a trailer over 4,600 kg, a Class 1 is required. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Driver Licensing Regulation (Manitoba), M.R. 47/2006, s. 1 and s. 11: A Manitoba Class 5 vehicle is a passenger vehicle or a truck with not more than two axles, alone or towing a vehicle registered at not more than 4,540 kg. Over 4,540 kg registered gross weight, the combination is a Class 3 vehicle. A semi-trailer truck is Class 1. Any vehicle with air brakes needs an air brake endorsement (s. 11(2)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• General Regulation (New Brunswick), N.B. Reg. 83-42, s. 22(1): A New Brunswick Class 5 covers a two-axle vehicle towing a vehicle registered up to and including 4,500 kg. Class 3 covers a two-axle vehicle towing a vehicle registered over 4,500 kg without air brakes. Class 1 covers a truck towing a trailer with air brakes. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Driver Licensing Requirements Regulations (Nova Scotia), N.S. Reg. 236/2026: Nova Scotia made new licensing regulations under its Traffic Safety Act (S.N.S. 2025, c. 20), effective when that Act comes into force. Section 25 sets the requirements for a heavy trailer endorsement, tested with a trailer of more than 4,500 kg GVWR. We hold the Nova Scotia row until the new class definitions are consolidated. Checked 2026-10-24.
• O. Reg. 340/94 (Drivers' Licences), s. 2, under the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario): Ontario classes. Class G: vehicle up to 11,000 kg, combination up to 11,000 kg total with towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg. Class D: vehicle over 11,000 kg, or combination over 11,000 kg with towed vehicles up to 4,600 kg. Class A: any combination where the towed vehicles exceed 4,600 kg. Any vehicle with air brakes needs an air brake endorsement (s. 2(6)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• O. Reg. 340/94 (Drivers' Licences), s. 4: A pick-up truck (manufacturer's GVWR 6,500 kg or less, original or duplicate box, no more than two axles) towing one house trailer by a fifth wheel is deemed Class G for a fully licensed driver when the only reason it is not Class G is that the house trailer exceeds 4,600 kg, it is used for personal purposes without compensation, neither unit has air brakes, the trailer carries a CSA Z240 RV or NFPA 1192 label, and less than half its floor space carries animals, tools, equipment or vehicles. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Get a truck driver's licence (official summary, not the law itself): Ontario's own names: AZ is Class A with the air brake (Z) endorsement. A restricted Class A (condition R) covers smaller truck-trailer combinations such as a recreational, horse or utility trailer, but not a trailer with air brakes, a full-size tractor-trailer or double trailers. DZ is Class D with the air brake endorsement. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Regulation respecting licences (Quebec), C-24.2, r. 34, ss. 28.1, 28.3, 28.7 and 30: Quebec sets the line on the tow vehicle's net (empty) mass, not on the trailer: a Class 5 covers a two-axle vehicle under 4,500 kg net mass, and s. 30(1) lets it haul a trailer or semi-trailer, except where the vehicle is a truck tractor. A truck of 4,500 kg net mass or more is Class 3, and Class 1 covers a Class 3 truck hauling a trailer of 2,000 kg net mass or more. Checked 2026-10-24.
• The Driver Licensing and Suspension Regulations, 2006 (Saskatchewan), ss. 2(1)(e), 2(1)(i) and 11: A Saskatchewan Class 5 covers a two-axle truck towing up to 4,600 kg. A truck towing more than 4,600 kg is a Class 1 vehicle, or a Class 2 to 5 licence needs an endorsement for it (s. 11(5.1)); two-axle trucks registered as Class F (farm) may tow any weight on Class 5. Air brakes need the A endorsement (s. 11(1)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• California Vehicle Code s. 12804.9(b): California classes. Class A includes any combination where the towed vehicle's GVWR or gross weight is over 10,000 lb, and any vehicle towing more than one vehicle. Class B includes a single vehicle over 26,000 lb GVWR, or one towing 10,000 lb or less. Class C covers a two-axle vehicle of 26,000 lb GVWR or less towing a trailer of 10,000 lb or less, and, with a recreational endorsement after a written test, a fifth-wheel travel trailer of 10,001 to 15,000 lb not towed for compensation. The version read is the one in effect until January 1, 2029. Checked 2026-10-24.
• California Vehicle Code s. 12804.12: A restricted Class A exists for heavy recreational trailers not towed for compensation. The version read is in effect until January 1, 2027; the version that replaces it on that date covers a recreational trailer over 10,000 lb used for property or habitation, not for compensation. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Florida Statutes s. 322.54(2): Florida's classes use the federal weights: Class A for a combination of 26,001 lb or more towing over 10,000 lb, Class B for a single vehicle of 26,001 lb or more, and Class E for everything that needs no A, B or C. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Florida Statutes s. 322.53(2)(d) and (4): Drivers of recreational vehicles are exempt from the commercial driver licence and may drive under that exemption on a Class E licence (s. 322.53(4)). Section 320.01(1)(b) counts recreational vehicle-type units drawn by another vehicle, such as travel trailers, as recreational vehicles. For-hire drivers are never exempt (s. 322.53(3)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• New York Vehicle and Traffic Law s. 501(2): A New York Class D covers a truck of 26,000 lb GVWR or less towing 10,000 lb GVWR or less, or towing more than 10,000 lb if the combination's GCWR is 26,000 lb or less. A personal use vehicle combination beyond that needs the personal use vehicle endorsement (s. 501(2)(b)(vii)). Checked 2026-10-24.
• New York DMV Driver's Manual, Chapter 1: Driver Licenses (R endorsement) (official summary, not the law itself): The personal use vehicle endorsement is the R endorsement, required for recreational and rental vehicles used to transport personal household goods when the vehicle is over 26,000 lb (11,794 kg) GVWR or over 40 feet long. It is added to a Class D or E licence after a road test in that type of vehicle. Checked 2026-10-24.
• Texas Department of Public Safety, Classes of Driver Licenses (official summary, not the law itself): Texas issues non-commercial Class A, B and C licences on the same weights as the CDL groups: Class A for a combination with a GCWR of 26,001 lb or more where the towed GVWR is over 10,000 lb, Class B for a single vehicle of 26,001 lb GVWR or more, Class C for everything else. Operators of recreational vehicles driven for personal use are exempt from the CDL but may still need the non-commercial Class A or B. Checked 2026-10-24.