Do You Need a Special License to Drive an RV? How to Check Your State

Many people drive a rented motorhome or tow a travel trailer on a regular license. But the rule isn’t national: it’s set by the state that issued your license, and it usually turns on length, weight rating (GVWR) or the type of trailer.

What does federal law say?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) answers the question directly in its guidance on 49 CFR 383.3: “Yes. States may extend the CDL requirements to drivers of recreational vehicles.” In other words, federal rules don’t force a CDL for personal RV use, but your state can require one or a special noncommercial class.

What does California require?

California: the DMV’s Recreational Vehicles and Trailers handbook (DL 648) lists these noncommercial classes:

• Basic Class C: covers any housecar (motorhome) 40 feet or less. If the towing vehicle weighs 4,000 lbs. or more unladen, it also covers towing a trailer coach or fifth-wheel travel trailer under 10,000 lbs. GVWR, or a fifth-wheel travel trailer over 10,000 but not over 15,000 lbs. GVWR, when towing isn’t for compensation.
• Noncommercial Class B: needed for a housecar over 40 feet but not over 45 feet, with endorsement.
• Noncommercial Class A: needed to tow a travel trailer over 10,000 lbs. GVWR or a fifth-wheel travel trailer over 15,000 lbs. GVWR, not for hire.

The handbook also says no passenger vehicle, pickup or RV may tow more than one other vehicle without a commercial Class A license with the proper endorsement. The copy we checked is marked revision 11/2011, so confirm the current rules on the California DMV site before you rely on them.

How do you check your own state?

1. Find your state’s motor vehicle agency through USA.gov’s state motor vehicle services list.
2. Search its driver handbook for “recreational vehicle,” “motorhome,” “housecar” or “trailer.”
3. Note the limits it uses: length, GVWR, combined weight (GCWR) or trailer type.
4. Compare them with the RV’s length and the GVWR on its weight label or in its manual.
5. If the rule is unclear, call the DMV and ask before you sign a rental or purchase.

Which numbers do you need?

• Length of the motorhome, or of the trailer plus tow vehicle if your state counts the combination.
• GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), printed on the vehicle’s weight label.
• Trailer type: travel trailer, fifth wheel or other.

Renting? The rental company can give you these numbers. Then run our first-rental checklist and recall check.

What if you’re renting an RV?

Ask the owner or rental company for the RV’s length, its GVWR and, for a trailer, its weight, before you book. Then compare those numbers with your state’s license classes. If you’re renting in another state, ask your own state’s licensing agency how its rules apply to you when driving elsewhere, and read the rental agreement for any driver requirements.

What should you check before towing?

• The tow vehicle’s towing capacity in its owner’s manual.
• The trailer’s GVWR on its label.
• Whether your license class covers that trailer weight (in California, for example, towing under a Class C license depends on the tow vehicle’s unladen weight and the trailer’s GVWR).
• Whether you plan to tow more than one vehicle, which in California requires a commercial Class A license.

What are the common mistakes?

• Assuming one state’s rules apply in every state.
• Using the RV’s length without the tow vehicle, or its empty weight instead of its GVWR.
• Relying on a forum post instead of the state’s own handbook or licensing agency.

When in doubt, call or email your state’s licensing agency with the RV’s numbers and keep its answer.

What should you keep in the RV?

Keep a copy of the RV’s registration, the rental agreement if you rent, and a note of its length, height and GVWR where the driver can see it. Height matters for low bridges and canopies, and you’ll need the length and weight numbers again at campgrounds and when checking license rules in another state.