A horse trailer in Poland – what you need to know

Your lawyer in Poland now offers additional legal services related to horses, including legal assistance with leasing and purchasing, as well as organizational support for transportation.

That’s why this post is dedicated to a different topic than usual. More interesting materials to the topic at the Instagram account named a HORSE_WAY (work is ongoing)

Below is an overview of the statutory requirements under Polish law applicable to towing a horse trailer on public roads.

Your lawyer’s in Poland analyses covers driving license categories, driver experience and trailer markings.

In the second pulbication you will doscover: technical inspections to a horse trailer in Poland and the weight of transported horses.

I. Driving License Requirements

The license you need depends on the maximum authorized mass (MAM/DMC) of both the towing vehicle and the trailer.

Category B

A Category B driving license allows you to:

• drive a vehicle with a MAM of up to 3,500 kg
• tow a light trailer with a MAM of up to 750 kg

You may also tow a heavier trailer only if the combined MAM of the vehicle and trailer stays within the limits stated in the vehicle’s registration documents.

⚠️ In practice, most horse trailers exceed these limits, meaning Category B is often not sufficient.

Category B+E

A B+E license is required when:

• the trailer’s MAM exceeds 750 kg, and/or
• the total authorized mass of the vehicle–trailer combination exceeds what is allowed under Category B

This is the most common license category for towing horse trailers.

Category C1+E / C+E

These licenses apply to heavy vehicle combinations over 3,500 kg MAM and are usually required for:

• commercial transport
• large or professional horse transport operations

II. Driver Experience

Polish law does not require a minimum number of years of driving experience to tow a horse trailer.

However:

• the driver must hold the correct licence category
• in the event of an accident, lack of experience may be taken into account by authorities or insurance companies when assessing liability

III. Mandatory Equipment and Markings

A horse trailer must be equipped with:

• working brake lights, indicators, position lights, and reflectors
• a clearly visible and illuminated registration plate
• a compliant braking system (if required by trailer weight)
• a secure, approved towing coupling

Failure to meet these requirements may lead to fines and prohibition from continuing the journey…

Look forward to the second part…

Remember: leasing a horse, just like buying or selling one, requires clear rights and obligations of the parties, set out in writing.

This is exactly where I can help — by drafting an individual, tailor-made agreement for you.