At the end of August 2025, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) published updated Guidance in relation to the Trailer Registration Scheme, which was originally launched in spring 2019.
The updated Guidance mandates that all trailers over 750kg travelling outside the UK must be registered under the Government Trailer Registration Scheme and display a separate registration plate.
This represents a significant departure from the position that has applied, without a problem, for the past six years, during which registration was required only for commercial trailers. The amendment was made without consultation, advance notice, or engagement with the NCC, CRiS, or indeed the consumer organisations including the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club.
The NCC has major concerns with the practicalities and security of the Registration Scheme, particularly the requirement to display a second registration plate on the caravan and has engaged specialist lawyers to consider the policy decision in more detail.
The NCC met with senior policy officials at the Department for Transport (DfT) and DVLA who confirmed that the change to the Guidance brought it into line with the requirements of the 1968 Vienna Convention, which the UK had signed and later ratified following the UK’s exit from Europe in 2020.
Read a copy of the DfT's position in its letter to us here.
It is critical to emphasise that the underlying UK legislation – the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Act 2018 – has not been amended. There is no legal requirement for touring caravans used in the UK to be registered under the DVLA Trailer Registration Scheme but it is a requirement under most insurance policies that the caravan is registered with the Central Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS).
Caravan owners planning to travel to European countries in the immediate future should carry their Central Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS) registration document as proof that the caravan is UK-registered and if travelling to any of the European countries listed in the Guidance on GOV.UK – Register your trailer to take it abroad - GOV.UK – must apply for trailer registration under the Government Trailer Registration Scheme to avoid any possible enforcement action during their trip.
