Collection

Drivers' hours: rules and guidance

Rules for lorry, bus and coach drivers on how many hours you can drive, exemptions from the rules, and when the rules can be relaxed temporarily.

• From: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and Department for Transport
• Published: 14 May 2014
• Last updated: 23 April 2022 — See all updates

EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules still apply to journeys between the EU and UK, or wholly within the EU or UK.

AETR rules apply to journeys outside of the EU, including journeys involving Norway and Switzerland.

Drivers' hours quick guides

• Drivers' hours
• Drivers' hours: HGV driver basics
  • 25 January 2011
  • Promotional material
• Drivers' hours: Bus and coach driver basics
  • 25 January 2011
  • Promotional material

Tachograph quick guides

• Tachographs: rules for drivers and operators
• Apply for a driver digital tachograph card
• Apply for a company digital tachograph card
• Find your local Approved Tachograph Centre (ATC)

Drivers’ hours and tachograph rules manuals

• Drivers’ hours and tachographs: goods vehicles
  • 23 April 2025
• Drivers’ hours and tachographs: buses and coaches
  • 22 April 2025

Working time and drivers' hours

• Working time rules: lorry, bus and coach drivers and crew
  • 9 July 2025
  • Guidance
• Understanding EU drivers’ hours and working time rules
  • 28 March 2017
  • Guidance

Exemption guidance

• Severe weather: drivers’ hours regulations
  • 6 March 2018
  • Guidance
• Emergency exemption and temporary relaxation of drivers' hours and working time rules
  • 4 October 2024
  • Guidance

Published 14 May 2014

Last updated 23 April 2022 + show all updates

1. 23 April 2022

   The temporary relaxation of the rules that applied until 8 May 2022, subject to review, terminated early at 11.59pm on 22 April 2022. If you made use of the relaxation, you must submit a completed follow-up notification form by 29 April 2022.

2. 22 April 2022

   The relaxation of the rules that applied until 8 May 2022, subject to review, will terminate early at 11.59pm on 22 April 2022. If you made use of the relaxation, you must submit a completed follow-up notification form by 29 April 2022.

3. 11 April 2022

   A temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the retained EU drivers’ hours rules is in operation until 11:59pm on 8 May 2022, subject to review.

4. 11 February 2022

   The temporary relaxation to drivers’ hours rules has ended. If you made use of the relaxation that applied until 11:59pm on 10 February 2022, you must submit a completed follow-up notification form by 17 February 2022.

5. 11 January 2022

   New temporary relaxations of drivers' hours take effect from 12:01am on 12 January 2022 until 11:59pm on 10 February 2022, subject to review.

6. 7 July 2021

   Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the retained EU drivers’ hours rules: all road haulage sectors in Great Britain has been updated.

7. 20 January 2021

   Added guidance on temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the retained EU drivers’ hours rules

8. 18 March 2020

   Guidance on temporary relaxation of the enforcement of EU drivers’ hours rules added to the collection.

9. 2 March 2018

   Guidance for severe weather driving.

10. 9 February 2018

    Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of drivers’ hours and working time rules: delivery of LPG.

11. 15 September 2017

    Added 'Drivers’ hours: changes to fines for commercial drivers' to the collection.

12. 17 August 2017

    Added 'Temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules: transport of pigs from Scotland to abattoirs in England'.

13. 2 March 2016

    Updated with links to the manuals for rules on drivers' hours and tachograph for goods and passenger carrying vehicles in Great Britain and Europe.

14. 19 February 2016

    Published 'Temporary relaxation of the EU drivers' hours rules: closure of Forth Road Bridge, 18 to 20 February 2016'.

15. 17 February 2016

    Published 'Temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules: closure of Forth Road Bridge, 18 February to 24 March 2016'.

16. 12 January 2016

    Published 'Temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules: closure of Forth Road Bridge, 12 January to 15 February 2016'

17. 8 December 2015

    Notification of temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules due to the closure of the Forth road bridge.

18. 30 July 2015

    Added 'Temporary relaxation of the EU drivers’ hours rules: Port of Calais industrial action' to the collection.

19. 14 May 2014

    First published.