The Road Traffic (Amendment) (2016 Act) (Commencement No. 4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

This Order brings into operation on the 1st October 2026 the provisions of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 specified in the Schedule.

Section 16 amends Articles 5 and 19D of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (“ the 1981 Order ”) to specify that a person holding a provisional licence authorising him to drive a category B motor vehicle must hold that licence for a period of at least 6 months before being permitted to take the practical driving test unless he is exempt from the requirement. It also allows the Department to provide for further exemptions from the requirement.

Section 17 inserts a new Article 5A into the 1981 Order to specify that a person submitting himself for a practical test to drive a category B motor vehicle or a motor bicycle must produce a logbook (which will show that the person has completed an approved programme of training) before being permitted to take the test. It also allows the Department to provide for exemptions from that requirement. It inserts new Article13B which makes provision for approved programmes of training for category B motor vehicles and motor bicycles. In addition, Article 174 of the 1981 Order is amended to make it an offence to forge, alter or misuse a logbook. The subsections relating to the repositioning of Article 13(3A) are not being commenced at this time.

Section 18 empowers the Department to revoke a licence and require the person to surrender it following a conviction for an offence of forging, altering or misusing a logbook. Failure to surrender a licence in these circumstances will be an offence.

Section 19 omits Article 19 of the 1981 Order and by doing so removes the 45mph speed limit for learner and new drivers.

It also inserts new Articles 19AB and 19AC into the 1981 Order which impose restrictions on newly qualified drivers. Newly qualified drivers of category A (includes A, A1 and A2 motor bicycles) and category B motor vehicles must display a distinguishing plate for a period of 2 years, to be known as the “new driver period”. There is also a restriction on newly qualified drivers of category B motor vehicles in relation to the carrying of passengers for a period of 6 months.

It also amends Article 177 of the 1981 Order so that police will have powers to ask the driver or passengers for the names, addresses, ages and relationship to the driver of any passengers. Failure of the driver to provide such details if so requested by the police will be an offence.

Section 24 and Part 2 (partially) and Part 3 of Schedule 1 are commenced insofar as they relate to transitional and saving provisions relating to learner and new drivers.

Section 25 and Schedule 2 are commenced insofar as they relate to relevant repeals in the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 and the Road Traffic (New Drivers) (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.