EU vs GB Domestic Rules: What Applies to You?

stuart47304
Jul 15, 2025
5 min read

Understanding Drivers’ Hours Regulations for UK Operators

One of the most common causes of driver infringement — and operator confusion — is a poor understanding of the difference between EU and GB domestic drivers’ hours rules.

Which rules apply to your operation? What if your fleet is a mix of vehicle types or service types? Can drivers swap between the two sets of rules? And what records do you need to keep to stay compliant?

In this post, we’ll provide a clear, detailed breakdown of the EU vs GB drivers’ hours rules, how to apply them in your business, and how to avoid common compliance pitfalls — especially if you’re a Restricted Operator Licence holder.

Overview: Why Drivers’ Hours Rules Matter
EU vs GB Domestic Rules: The Key Differences
When Do EU Rules Apply?
When Do GB Domestic Rules Apply?
What About Mixed-Use Fleets?
Tachograph Requirements Under Each System
Working Time Rules and Their Relationship
Recording, Reporting, and Retaining Hours
Driver Swapping Between EU and GB Rules
Top 5 Common Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them
DVSA Enforcement: What They Check
Staying Compliant as a Restricted Licence Holder
Practical Tips for Transport Managers
Final Thoughts: Build Hours Management into Daily Practice

1. Overview: Why Drivers’ Hours Rules Matter

Drivers’ hours rules exist to prevent fatigue, promote road safety, and ensure fair working conditions. Breaches can result in:

Fixed penalties
Prohibition notices
DVSA and police action
Public Inquiries
Operator Licence revocation

Whether you're running a large fleet or a single van under a Restricted O-Licence, you must know which rules apply — and apply them correctly.

2. EU vs GB Domestic Rules: The Key Differences

Here’s a snapshot of the core distinctions:

Aspect	EU Rules	GB Domestic Rules
Applies To	HGVs over 3.5t used for hire or reward across or within the UK	Vehicles not covered by EU rules, e.g. local delivery, non-commercial
Daily Driving Limit	9 hours (can extend to 10 twice per week)	10 hours (driving only)
Breaks	45 min after 4.5 hours driving	None strictly required, but 30 mins after 5.5 hrs work is advised
Daily Rest	11 hours (can be reduced to 9)	10 hours rest between workdays
Recording	Digital or analogue tachograph required	Written logbook or manual record
Enforcement	DVSA / Police / Tachograph download audits	DVSA roadside / on-site inspections

3. When Do EU Rules Apply?

You must follow EU drivers’ hours regulations if your drivers operate:

Vehicles (or vehicle + trailer) over 3.5 tonnes used for hire or reward
Within Great Britain or cross-border into the EU (post-Brexit this still applies to international work)
In-scope commercial journeys (haulage, courier, logistics)

This applies even within the UK if the vehicle is in-scope.

Note: As of May 2022, EU rules also apply to vehicles between 2.5–3.5 tonnes used for hire or reward on international journeys.

4. When Do GB Domestic Rules Apply?

GB rules apply if:

The vehicle is not subject to EU rules
The work is solely within Great Britain
The operation is not hire or reward, or is exempt

This includes:

Local authority vehicles
Breakdown services
Agricultural and forestry vehicles
Non-commercial own-account operations

Operators using vehicles that fall out of scope of the EU rules default to GB domestic rules.

5. What About Mixed-Use Fleets?

It’s not uncommon for an operator to have a mix of vehicle types or operational scopes. For example:

A company uses 3.5t vans for local delivery and 18t vehicles for regional pallet distribution.
Some drivers perform school contracts (exempt), then switch to general haulage.

Key rule: The rules apply per journey, not per driver or per vehicle.

If a driver works one day under EU rules and another under GB domestic rules, the records and limits must reflect that — and you must track both sets accurately.

6. Tachograph Requirements Under Each System

Scenario	Tacho Required?
EU Rules (in-scope)	Yes – digital or analogue tachograph fitted and used
GB Domestic	No – unless the vehicle is tacho-fitted for EU work
Exempt Vehicles	No – unless used for occasional EU journeys

If the vehicle has a tacho fitted but is being used in a domestic/exempt way, it should be set to OUT mode (manual entries still advised).

7. Working Time Rules and Their Relationship

Here’s where it gets tricky.

Under EU rules, drivers are subject to the Road Transport (Working Time) Regulations.
Under GB domestic, they are not — but still covered by the Working Time Directive if they're employed.

Working Time Regulations cover:

48-hour average weekly working limit
Max 60 hours work in any one week
Night work restrictions
Record-keeping and health checks for night workers

You must consider both driving hours and total working hours (loading, paperwork, waiting time).

8. Recording, Reporting, and Retaining Hours

Requirement	EU Rules	GB Rules
Method	Tachograph downloads	Written logs or time sheets
Retention Period	12 months	12 months minimum recommended
Digital Records	Mandatory	Not mandatory, but encouraged

For mixed-use operations, a Driver Compliance File should include:

EU tacho charts or downloads
Domestic driver logbooks
Work time records
Any exemptions claimed

9. Driver Swapping Between EU and GB Rules

Drivers can switch between rule sets — but you must manage and track that change.

Record which days each set applies.
Ensure required rest periods are still respected (especially across transitions).
Prevent overwork due to misaligned expectations.

Pro tip: Use fleet software to tag days by rule set and flag inconsistencies.

10. Top 5 Common Mistakes – and How to Avoid Them

Assuming 3.5t vans aren’t covered by any rules✅ Check for international journeys and hire/reward work.
Failing to track daily/weekly rest across both systems✅ Ensure rest is managed consistently across all operations.
Not using ‘OUT’ mode on tachographs for exempt work✅ Drivers must enter ‘OUT’ mode and record manually.
Mixing up GB domestic daily driving limits with working time✅ Driving time and work time are different under GB rules.
Missing Working Time Regulations under EU rules✅ Keep driver hours audits to show total working time and rest compliance.

11. DVSA Enforcement: What They Check

At roadside checks or Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) visits, the DVSA looks for:

Tachograph misuse or manipulation
Missing driver records
Inadequate rest
Drivers exceeding daily/weekly driving limits
Lack of training or understanding of rules

They may issue:

Prohibition notices
Fixed penalties
PG9s
Reports to the Traffic Commissioner

12. Staying Compliant as a Restricted Licence Holder

Many Restricted Licence holders mistakenly believe drivers’ hours rules don’t apply to them. Not true.

If you use in-scope vehicles or make journeys under hire/reward conditions, EU rules kick in.

Best practice:

Check every vehicle and journey against the scope of EU regulations
Train drivers on both rule sets
Keep records even if you believe you’re exempt
Use basic tachograph analysis software, even for small fleets

13. Practical Tips for Transport Managers

Create a Drivers’ Hours Rule Matrix for your fleet
Use colour-coded driver logs to identify EU vs GB days
Automate reminders for downloading tacho data
Perform regular infringement analysis
Use toolkits or apps (e.g. SmartAnalysis, Tachomaster) to track limits

Also ensure drivers receive refresher training on rule sets — don’t rely on old CPC knowledge.

14. Final Thoughts: Build Hours Management into Daily Practice

Whether you operate under EU or GB domestic rules — or a combination — your drivers’ hours compliance is one of the most important areas of your Operator Licence responsibilities.