The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025

Made: 15th December 2025

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 99(1) and (2) of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024[^f00001].

Citation and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025.

• (2) In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.

Provisions coming into force on 1st January 2026

2

• (1) The following provisions of the Act come into force on 1st January 2026—

• (a) section 55 (amendment of tampering offence);

• (b) section 56 (amendment of offence concerning fitting of unsuitable parts).

• (2) The following provisions of the Act come into force on 1st January 2026, but only for the purpose of making regulations—

• (a) section 78 (restriction of certain terms to authorised automated vehicles);

• (b) section 88 (collection, sharing and protection of information);

• (c) section 89 (procedural and administrative matters).

Signed

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State

Simon Lightwood — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State — Department for Transport — 15th December 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations are the first commencement Regulations made under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (c. 10) (“the Act”). They bring into force specified provisions of the Act.

Regulation 2 commences, on 1st January 2026, specified provisions of the Act. Paragraph 1 commences sections 55 and 56 of the Act, which amend the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52) to include tampering with any equipment of the vehicle, including software, as part of the tampering offence, and to include software within the offence concerning the fitting of unsuitable vehicle parts. Paragraph 2 commences, for the purpose of making regulations, sections 78, 88 and 89 of the Act, which will empower the Secretary of State to restrict certain terms from being used in connection with road vehicles if they are not used in connection with authorised automated vehicles and empower an appropriate national authority to make regulations concerning the use of information and to manage permits.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2024 c. 10.