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Guidance

Trialling automated vehicle technologies in public

How to organise safe trials for automated vehicle technologies on public roads and in public places.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Transport, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles , Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published:
6 February 2019
Last updated:
24 June 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updates to simplify and clarify safety driver requirements, improve consistency of terminology and update contact information.

  2. Code of Practices updated to reflect MOT requirements for trial vehicles. Additional information on GB type approval schemes, notifiable alterations, importing vehicles for trialling and the scope of STGO provisions added.

  3. Added Code of Practice: vehicle authorisations and exemptions for more complex CAV trials.

  4. First published.

Documents

Automated vehicle trialling code of practice

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Vehicle authorisations and exemptions for more complex CAV trials code of practice

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Details

The automated vehicle trialling code of practice provides guidance on trialling automated vehicle technologies on public roads or other public places in the UK. It makes recommendations on how to:

  • conduct trials safely and responsibly

  • improve transparency of trials

  • engage with the public, authorities and other relevant bodies when planning trials

The vehicle authorisations and exemptions code of practice gives guidance for on-road trials, where either the vehicle(s) or aspects of their operation may need exemptions or authorisations in order to operate on UK roads.

A previous version of this code of practice is available on the National Archive website.

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