National Heavy Vehicle Standards (Special Purpose Vehicles) Exemption Notice 2021

This consultation closed on 1 June 2021. The NHVR would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide feedback.

Key documents

What is it?

Heavy vehicles including Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) must comply with the requirements of the Heavy Vehicle (Vehicle Standards) National Regulation. 

The National Heavy Vehicle Standards (Special Purpose Vehicles) Exemption Notice 2021 (No. 1) provides an exemption for the vehicles defined in the notice from specific requirements of the Vehicle Standards Regulation and includes operating conditions that offset some of the risks posed by the vehicle non-compliances.

This notice removes the access permissions and combines the existing under and over 40t vehicle standards notices. Feedback from industry ensures that the notice remains comprehensive, relevant and that all relevant vehicles have been considered. 

Note: Vehicles operating under this notice must still obtain permission to access the road network and must comply with the conditions detailed in their access permit or access notice.

Background

An extensive review of the existing notices was conducted, the new notice introduces more flexible definitions so that it can be applied to a wider variety of vehicles. The new notice combined the vehicle standards exemptions contained in the National Class 1 Special Purpose Vehicle Notice 2021 and the National Heavy Vehicle Standards (Special Purpose Vehicles Exceeding 40 tonnes Total Mass) Exemption Notice 2018 (No. 1).