The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025
These Regulations, made by the Secretary of State under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, specify the first set of provisions from that Act that will come into force on 1st January 2026.
Specifically, they activate sections strengthening laws against tampering with vehicle equipment (including software) and fitting unsuitable parts, and they also activate sections that grant the Secretary of State power to regulate the restriction of certain terms, the collection and protection of information, and other administrative procedures, though these latter powers are currently only active for the purpose of making subsequent regulations.
Arguments For
Establishing clear legal deadlines for key aspects of future automated vehicle regulation, providing certainty for industry preparation.
Strengthening road safety and consumer protection by bringing into force amendments to existing road traffic offenses related to vehicle tampering and unsuitable parts, specifically targeting software and electronic components.
Enabling the necessary groundwork for regulatory implementation by bringing into force powers related to the restriction of terminology, information handling, and administrative procedures before the full system is operational.
Arguments Against
The phased commencement creates a bifurcated regulatory environment where some laws are active while others, dependent on forthcoming regulations, are not yet fully defined.
Setting the commencement date far in advance (December 2025 start date referencing 2024 Act) may cause implementation friction if subsequent secondary legislation iterations require further adjustments before the effective date.
Provisions commencing only 'for the purpose of making regulations' (Section 2(2)) do not immediately offer full legal certainty or operation, meaning the intended effects of sections 78, 88, and 89 remain theoretical until those subsequent regulations are laid.
The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 99(1) and (2) of the Automated Vehicles Act 20241.
The Secretary of State enacted these legal rules using authority explicitly granted under subsections (1) and (2) of Section 99 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
Citation and interpretation
- (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025.
This section establishes the official short title by which these legal rules will be known: the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025.
(2) In these Regulations, “the Act” means the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.
Within the context of these specific commencement regulations, the abbreviation “the Act” is used to refer directly to the main piece of legislation, 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).
Section 55 and Section 56 of the main Act become legally active on January 1st, 2026.
These amendments update existing road traffic legislation concerning criminal offenses related to tampering with a vehicle and fitting components that make the vehicle unsuitable.
(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).
Sections 78, 88, and 89 of the Act also become effective on January 1st, 2026.
However, their commencement is limited; they only apply to allow the Secretary of State to create necessary secondary regulations regarding term usage, data control, and administrative processes.
They do not impose wider legal application until those subsequent regulations are finalized.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State
Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State
Department for Transport
15th December 2025
This concluding section confirms the formal authorization of the document on December 15th, 2025, identifying Simon Lightwood, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, as the signatory acting on behalf of the Secretary of State.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations are the first commencement Regulations made under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (“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.
This non-statutory note explains that this document represents the first set of commencement rules for the 2024 Act.
It details that on January 1st, 2026, amendments to the Road Traffic Act 1988 regarding vehicle tampering and unsafe parts—now explicitly including vehicle software—will begin.
Additionally, powers authorizing the government to restrict language use for automated vehicles and to regulate information handling (for the purpose of creating future rules) are activated on that date.
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