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If you drive a goods vehicle or a bus or coach you must follow the rules on how many hours you can drive and the breaks that you need to take.

The rules you must follow depend on:

• the type of vehicle you鈥檙e driving
• which country you鈥檙e driving in

Find out which rules apply to you if you drive:

• goods vehicles
• buses or coaches

You will also need to follow:

• working time rules for goods vehicles
• working time rules for buses or coaches

If you do not follow the rules

If you break the drivers鈥� hours rules, you may be prosecuted or fined.

Penalties for serious or dangerous offences include:

• a prohibition notice - for serious or dangerous offences
• a fine or points on your licence (鈥榝ixed penalty鈥�) - the amount depends on how serious the offence is
• your vehicle being immobilised if it鈥檚 a danger to road safety - you鈥檒l have to fix the problem and pay a release charge

Other penalties include things like:

• an offence rectification notice - for offences that are not a risk to road safety
• a verbal warning - for minor offences

If you鈥檙e an employer of drivers or mobile workers

If you employ drivers or mobile workers you must follow extra rules for employers.

If you employ drivers and other mobile workers, you need to:

• keep drivers鈥� hours records for at least one year
• make sure they are properly trained and understand the rules
• organise their time so that they can follow the rules
• check your drivers鈥� hours records and data
• monitor your workers鈥� working time
• be able to show enforcement officers records from the last 12 months

You cannot pay your employees based on speed of delivery, distance travelled or the amount of goods carried if this encourages drivers to break the rules.

Mobile workers are:

• drivers - including employed drivers, own-account drivers and agency drivers
• members of the vehicle crew, for example a second driver on a coach
• anyone else who is part of the travelling staff, for example a bus conductor, a drayman or a security guard aboard a vehicle carrying high-value goods

Check the full list of rules for driving goods vehicles or rules for driving buses and coaches.

The rules that apply to goods vehicles depend on the weight of your vehicle, the country you鈥檙e driving in and what you鈥檙e using the vehicle for.

EU rules

EU rules apply if the maximum weight of your vehicle or vehicle combination is more than 3.5 tonnes and you鈥檙e driving either:

• in the UK
• to, from or through an EU country

Some vehicles are exempt from EU rules when driven in the UK.

AETR rules

AETR (European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews Engaged in International Road Transport) rules apply if:

• your vehicle or vehicle combination is more than 3.5 tonnes
• you鈥檙e driving to, through or from a country that follows the AETR rules

GB domestic rules

GB (Great Britain) domestic rules apply in England, Wales and Scotland if any of the following are true:

• the maximum weight of your vehicle or vehicle combination is under 3.5 tonnes
• your vehicle is exempt from EU rules when driven in the UK
• the vehicle is being used in connection with a trade or business

More information

Read Goods vehicles: rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs for the main rules.

Read the rules for drivers鈥� hours in the recovery vehicle industry.

There are specific rules for tachographs and horse boxes or trailers.

If you鈥檙e driving a vehicle that carries passengers, the rules that apply to you depend on:

• the number of passenger seats
• how far you鈥檙e driving (the distance of your route)
• if you鈥檙e driving to or from another country
• if you鈥檙e driving on a regular or a non-regular service

Public service vehicles (PSV)

A public service vehicle is a vehicle that鈥檚 used to carry passengers for hire or payment.

Type of operation	8 or fewer passenger seats	9 to 12 passenger seats	13 to 16 passenger seats	17 or more passenger seats
Regular service on route not exceeding 50km	GB domestic rules	GB domestic rules	GB Domestic rules	GB Domestic rules
National or international regular service on route exceeding 50km	The local rules of the countries you drive in (GB domestic rules in England, Wales and Scotland)	EU/AETR rules	EU/AETR rules	EU/AETR rules
National or international non-regular service for example commercial excursions, tours or private hire	The local rules of the countries you drive in (GB domestic rules in England, Wales and Scotland)	EU/AETR rules	EU/AETR rules	EU/AETR rules

Other passenger-carrying vehicles

You do not need to follow any drivers鈥� hours rules if you drive a police, fire service or armed forces vehicle.

If you drive for a different public authority or for a business, and your vehicle is a non-PSV with:

• up to 8 passenger seats - you do not need to follow any drivers鈥� hours rules
• 9 or more passenger seats - you must follow the EU rules (unless your vehicle is exempt from EU law)

If you drive a 鈥榥on-commercial鈥� vehicle

You drive a non-commercial vehicle if:

• passengers are not charged to use the vehicle
• you and any other workers are not paid to operate or work in the vehicle
• the vehicle is not used professionally or commercially

If your vehicle has up to 8 passenger seats, you do not need to follow any drivers鈥� hours rules.

If your vehicle has 9 or more passenger seats, you usually need to follow the EU rules. You need to follow GB rules instead if your vehicle has between 10 and 17 passenger seats and is only used for non-commercial journeys.

If you use your vehicle outside the UK

If you drive between the UK and another country and your vehicle has:

• up to 8 passenger seats - you must follow the local rules for the country you鈥檙e driving in
• 9 or more passenger seats - you must follow the EU or the European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) rules

More information

Read Passenger vehicles: rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs for the main rules.

Some types of vehicle are exempt from EU rules. This means they come under GB domestic rules in the UK.

Exemptions for passenger carrying vehicles

Read section 1.1 of the Drivers鈥� hours and tachographs guidance for buses and coaches for the full list of exemptions.

Exemptions for goods vehicles

Read section 1.1 of the Drivers鈥� hours and tachographs guidance for goods vehicles for the full list of exemptions.

Even though the UK has left the EU, you may still need to follow EU rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs.

The EU rules apply if the maximum weight of your vehicle or vehicle combination is more than 3.5 tonnes and you鈥檙e driving either:

• in the UK
• to, from or through an EU country

Driving hours

The main EU rules on driving hours are that you must not drive more than:

• 9 hours in a day - this can be extended to 10 hours twice a week
• 56 hours in a week
• 90 hours in any 2 consecutive weeks

You must record all driving you do under EU rules on a tachograph.

Breaks and rest

The main points of EU rules on breaks and rest are that you must take:

• at least 11 hours rest every day - you can reduce this to 9 hours rest 3 times between any 2 weekly rest periods
• an unbroken rest period of 45 hours every week - you can reduce this to 24 hours every other week
• a break or breaks totalling at least 45 minutes after no more than 4 hours 30 minutes driving
• your weekly rest after 6 consecutive 24-hour periods of working, starting from the end of the last weekly rest period taken

If you鈥檙e driving goods vehicles on an international trip, you can take 2 consecutive reduced weekly rest periods (less than 45 hours) as long as these are taken:

• outside the UK
• outside your country of residence

Over a 4-week period, 2 of the weekly rest periods must still be of at least 45 hours.

For more details on rests and breaks read:

• Goods vehicles: rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs
• Passenger vehicles: rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs

The GB (Great Britain) domestic drivers鈥� hours rules apply to most passenger-carrying vehicles and goods vehicles that do not have to follow the EU rules.

GB domestic rules apply in England, Wales and Scotland. There are .

Goods vehicles

If you drive a goods vehicle, there are rules you need to follow on duty time, daily driving limits and daily duty limits.

Duty time

If you work as a driver for a company, duty time is any working time. If you鈥檙e self-employed, duty time is only time you spend driving the vehicle or doing other work related to the vehicle or its load.

Daily driving limit

You must not drive for more than 10 hours in a day:

• on a public road
• off-road if not during duty time

Off-road driving counts as duty time if it鈥檚 for:

• agriculture
• quarrying
• forestry
• building work
• civil engineering

Daily duty limit

You must not be on duty for more than 11 hours in any working day. This limit does not apply on any working day when you do not drive.

You must record your hours on a weekly record sheet or on a tachograph.

Some vehicles are exempt from the duty limit.

You鈥檙e exempt from the daily duty limit if your vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes and you鈥檙e using your vehicle:

• as a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or vet
• for inspection, cleaning or maintenance work
• as commercial travellers when carrying goods (other than personal effects) only for the purpose of soliciting orders
• while working for the AA, RAC or RSAC
• for cinematography or radio and television broadcasting

Exemptions to all GB domestic rules

You do not need to follow the GB domestic rules if you:

• are dealing with an emergency - for example, a major disruption to public services or danger to life (this only applies while you鈥檙e dealing with the emergency)
• are using the vehicle for private driving and not for work
• drive off-road or on private roads during duty time
• drive a vehicle used by the armed forces, police or fire brigade

Buses and coaches

If you drive a bus or a coach, there are rules you need to follow on:

• duty time

• daily driving limit

• length of working day (鈥榮preadover鈥�)

• breaks from driving

• rest periods

Duty time

If you work as a driver for a company, duty time is any working time. If you鈥檙e self-employed, duty time is only time you spend driving the vehicle or doing other work related to the vehicle or its load.

Daily driving limit

You must not drive for more than 10 hours in any working day.

Length of working day (鈥榮preadover鈥�)

You must not work more than 16 hours between the times of starting and finishing work - including the times when you鈥檙e not driving.

Breaks from driving

You must take breaks from driving during each working day. The number and length of breaks you need to take depend on how long you work for in a day.

If you work for less than 8 hours and 30 minutes, you must take a break after 5 hours and 30 minutes of continuous driving. The break must last for 30 minutes or more.

If you work for at least 8 hours and 30 minutes, you must not drive for more than 7 hours and 45 minutes during this time. You must also take breaks that add up to at least 45 minutes.

If you work for longer than 8 hours and 30 minutes, you must take an extra break of at least 30 minutes, in addition to 鈥媡he 45 minutes. 鈥�

You must take the extra break at some point between working for 8 hours and 30 minutes and the end of your shift. You must not take the extra break immediately before finishing your shift.

Rest periods

You must take a rest of 10 hours before the first duty and immediately after the last duty in a working week.

You must take a rest of at least 10 hours between 2 working days (or spreadovers) - this can be reduced to 8.5 hours up to 3 times a week.

Every 2 weeks you must take at least one period of 24 hours off duty.

Exemptions to all GB domestic rules

You do not need to follow the GB domestic rules if you:

• are dealing with an emergency - for example, a major disruption to public services or danger to life
• drive for less than 4 hours a day in a week - this is only during the week you are driving less than 4 hours a day

If you drive for more than 4 hours for up to 2 days a week, you do not need to follow all of the rules. You need to:

• follow the rules for daily driving limits and length of working day
• start and finish all of your duties within a 24-hour period
• take a rest of 10 hours before the first duty and immediately after the last duty

The European Agreement Concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) rules on drivers鈥� hours, breaks and rest are mostly the same as the EU rules.

The differences are that you:

• can work for more than 4 consecutive weeks without returning to your home or where the vehicle is usually based

• can only take one reduced weekly rest period (less than 45 hours) at a time - this must be followed by one full weekly rest period

• can only interrupt your regular daily rest period (11 hours) during ferry crossings

Most types of vehicle that are exempt from EU rules are also exempt from AETR rules. However, all vehicles weighing 3.5 tonnes or more that are carrying hand-crafted goods must follow AETR rules.

Where you must follow AETR rules

The AETR rules cover:

• Albania
• Andorra
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan
• Liechtenstein
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Moldova
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Russia
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Switzerland
• Tajikistan
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• Uzbekistan

If you work partly under EU or AETR rules and partly under GB domestic rules during a day or a week you must:

• take EU or AETR daily rest periods, as well as a weekly rest period
• not count the time you spend driving under EU or AETR rules as an off-duty period under GB domestic rules
• understand that driving under GB domestic rules counts as 鈥榦ther work鈥�, not as a break or rest period
• understand that driving or being on duty under EU or AETR rules counts towards the driving and duty limits under GB domestic rules

Driving limits

You must follow the GB domestic limit of a maximum of 10 hours driving a day. At any time when you鈥檙e actually driving under EU or AETR rules you must follow all the rules on EU or AETR driving limits.

Other duty limits

You must follow the GB domestic limit of a maximum of:

• 11 hours on duty if you drive a goods vehicle
• 16 hours on duty if you drive a passenger-carrying vehicle

Rest periods and breaks

You must follow EU or AETR rules on rest periods and breaks on days and weeks when you drive in EU or AETR countries.

Read Goods vehicles: rules on drivers鈥� hours and tachographs for the main rules.

Read the rules for drivers鈥� hours in the recovery vehicle industry.