Tachograph and drivers' hours

In response to unprecedented pressures locally, caused by the Storm Éowyn, the Department for Infrastructure has introduced a temporary and limited urgent relaxation of the enforcement of both the assimilated drivers’ hours rules in Northern Ireland and the NI Domestic drivers’ hours rules.

These rules can be found at the link below.

Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of drivers’ hours rules | Department for Infrastructure

Needing a tachograph

In general, goods vehicles with a maximum allowed weight over 3.5 tonnes (including any trailer) and passenger vehicles with more than nine seats (including the driver's) need to be fitted with tachograph recording equipment.

If your vehicle was first registered before 1 May 2006, and it is not used on international journeys, this can be an analogue tachograph. If your vehicle was registered on or after this date, it will need a digital tachograph.

Digital tachographs allow for easier analysis, monitoring and control of drivers' hours by operators and the enforcement authorities.

The newest type of digital tachograph is called a Smart Tachograph.  Smart tachographs are digital tachographs with additional smart features, such as satellite location data, and remote communications for enforcement officers.

There are 2 versions, version 1 and version 2:

• all vehicles first registered after 14 June 2019 must be fitted with a smart tachograph version 1
• all vehicles first registered after 30 August 2024 which are used on international journeys must have a smart tachograph version 2 fitted 
• all vehicles first registered after 20 February 2024 must have a smart tachograph version 2 installed

Some vehicles with an older model of tachograph will need to have it replaced with a smart tachograph if they are used on international journeys. 

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) checks up to 25,000 tachograph records per year.

New rules for tachographs for international journeys

The rules for vehicles that need Tachographs for international journeys are changing.

These include:

• new Tachographs for international journeys
• temporary pause on enforcement action for fitment of new tachographs for certain vehicles
• new rules for inspection of driver records for international journeys
• change in the applicable rules for international passenger transport journeys

Further information on new tachographs for international journeys can be found at:

• Tachograph retrofit requirements for vehicles used on international journeys

and information on driver records and changes to the applicable rules for international journeys can be found at:

• Letter to International Goods and Passenger Transport Vehicle Industry – Drivers Hours and Tachograph Rules

Rules

There are three sets of rules that could apply to your journey:

• retained EU rules
• European Agreement about the Work of Crews of Vehicles Engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) rules (these apply to international passenger carrying journeys)
• NI domestic rules

The rules that will apply depend on a range of factors. Read the following Department for Infrastructure (DfI) guides for more information:

• Drivers' hours and tachographs - goods vehicles 
• Drivers' hours and tachographs - passenger vehicles 

A weekly record sheet template for recording driver’s hours under NI domestic rules is available at:

• Drivers’ hours and tachographs – weekly record sheet

Changes to the retained EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules 

The EU drivers’ hours and tachograph rules have changed. Key changes include:

• a necessity for drivers’ to ‘return home’ every four weeks
• a ban on taking regular weekly rest periods in the drivers’ vehicle
• a new definition of non-commercial carriage
• more flexibility on the scheduling of the rest periods for some drivers on international carriage of goods 
• new rules for rests and breaks for drivers when journeys involve transport by ferry or by rail
• a new necessity to keep a full record of all other work
• from 31 December 2024, 56 days of drivers’ records must be available for inspection at the roadside (international journeys only).

If you are an operator or driver, you should review the changes to the current rules and prepare to meet these rules.

More guidance clarifying DVA’s enforcement policy for acceptable records of other work can be found at:

• Guidance – recording of other work 

Tachograph centres

Tachographs can only be fitted, checked, repaired and calibrated by a tachograph centre approved by the DVA. A list of approved tachograph centres where you can have your tachograph fitted, checked, repaired and calibrated is available below:

• Approved tachograph centres

Information on how to become an approved tachograph centre and what is needed for the proper operation of approved tachograph centres can be found at the link below:

• Approved tachograph centre manual
   

For digital tachograph smart card queries contact the DVA digital tachograph section, at the number in the link below:

• Driver & Vehicle Agency - driver licensing

For tachograph centre approval queries contact the DVA enforcement section, at the number in the link below:

• Driver & Vehicle Agency – enforcement and compliance