Department for Transport Legislation

90 statutory instruments made by the Department for Transport, newest first. Each one is explained section by section in plain English.

The Automated Vehicles (Marketing Restrictions) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 7th Jul 26 Comes into force: Thu 7th Jan 27

Established a list of eight terms and their variants that can only be used to market vehicles authorised as automated under the 2024 Act.


These Regulations specify a list of eight terms, including 'automated', 'autonomous', and 'self-driving', which are restricted for use in the marketing, promotion, and supply of road vehicles or vehicle equipment in England, Wales, and Scotland.

From 7 January 2027, the use of these terms (or their grammatical variants) to describe a vehicle or its driving capability is limited to vehicles officially authorised under the Automated Vehicles Act 2024.

The restrictions apply to any person or business involved in the promotion or supply of road vehicles and associated hardware.

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The Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026

Published: Mon 6th Jul 26 Came into force: Mon 27th Jul 26

Amended driving licence regulations to extend the validity of Ukrainian driving permits for residents in Great Britain under specific immigration schemes.


These Regulations amend the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1999 to extend the period during which holders of Ukrainian driving licences for cars, motorcycles, and mopeds may legally drive in Great Britain.

The amendments apply to individuals who hold or have held specific types of leave under the Ukraine Scheme, including the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, Ukraine Family Scheme, and Ukraine Extension Scheme.

Depending on the specific visa held and the timing of the application, eligible persons are authorized to drive for either five years or six years and six months from the date they became resident in Great Britain, provided they have applied for an extension of their Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme leave.

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The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026

Activated the remaining provisions of Part 4 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 relating to marketing restrictions and enforcement, effective 7 January 2027.


The Automated Vehicles Act 2024 (Commencement No. 3) Regulations 2026 brings the remaining provisions of Part 4 of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024 into legal effect on 7 January 2027.

These provisions establish restrictions on the marketing of vehicles in relation to automation and activate Schedule 5, which concerns the enforcement of these restrictions.

The Secretary of State issued these regulations to apply to the marketing and advertising of vehicles with automated features within the United Kingdom.

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The Clean Air Zones Central Services (Fees) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 2nd Jul 26 Came into force: Tue 1st Sept 26

Increased the central service fee for Clean Air Zone payments from £2 to £4 and extended the fee liability period until 2031.


These Regulations amend the Clean Air Zones Central Services (Fees) (England) Regulations 2020 to increase the financial obligations of local charging authorities to the Secretary of State.

The instrument raises the fee per processed payment from £2 to £4 when the central services system is used to handle Clean Air Zone charges.

Furthermore, it extends the duration for which authorities are liable to pay these fees through 31st March 2031, applying specifically to charging authorities within England.

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The Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) Regulations 2026

Published: Wed 17th Jun 26 Came into force: Fri 19th Jun 26

Amended airport slot usage rules to allow airlines to return a portion of allocated capacity during 2026 without forfeiting future historic rights.


These Regulations amend the rules governing how airport slot usage is calculated for the Summer 2026 and Winter 2026/27 scheduling periods at airports in England, Wales, and Scotland.

They authorize a temporary deviation from standard 'use-it-or-lose-it' thresholds by allowing air carriers to return up to 10% of their allocated slots—in two distinct 5% phases—without those slots counting against their usage record for future entitlement.

To qualify for this alleviation, carriers must have held historic rights to the slots, provided at least 14 days' notice to passengers regarding cancellations, and confirmed they have not ceased operations at the airport.

The Regulations apply to airport slot coordinators and air carriers operating at coordinated airports.

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The Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2026

Published: Wed 17th Jun 26 Came into force: Thu 9th Jul 26

Amended maritime labour regulations to expand ship security documentation requirements and mandate seafarer rights disclosures by recruitment agencies.


This statutory instrument amends existing UK maritime regulations to align with international standards set by the Maritime Labour Convention.

It directs shipowners to include the identity of a ship's registered owner on security documents and mandates that recruitment agencies inform seafarers of their rights under financial protection systems before employment begins.

The regulations apply to shipowners, registered owners, and employment agencies or businesses involved in the recruitment and placement of seafarers on sea-going ships.

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The A47 Wansford to Sutton Development Consent (Revocation) Order 2026

Published: Wed 3rd Jun 26 Came into force: Wed 3rd Jun 26

Revoked the 2023 development consent for the A47 Wansford to Sutton infrastructure project.


This Order revokes the development consent previously granted for the A47 Wansford to Sutton road project.

It exercises the Secretary of State's power under the Planning Act 2008 to cancel an existing Development Consent Order (DCO) without an external application.

The revocation applies to all powers and authorizations originally provided to the project promoters under the 2023 Order.

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The A46 Coventry Junctions (Walsgrave) Development Consent (Correction) Order 2026

Published: Wed 27th May 26 Came into force: Wed 27th May 26

The legal instrument corrected specified technical errors and omissions within the associated A46 Coventry Junctions (Walsgrave) Development Consent Order 2026 following a formal request.


This Statutory Instrument, the A46 Coventry Junctions (Walsgrave) Development Consent (Correction) Order 2026, formally amends the original 2026 Development Consent Order concerning the A46 Coventry Junctions project by correcting specific errors and omissions identified in the primary order, as authorized under the Planning Act 2008, with corrections detailed in the accompanying Schedule relating to interpretations, limits of deviation, street stopping up, and various works plans.

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