Smart Tachograph 2 rules are changing for some light commercial vehicles from 1 July 2026. This mainly affects Irish businesses using vans or light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes maximum permitted weight for international goods transport, including journeys to or through the UK and Northern Ireland.
For many local tradespeople and businesses operating only within Ireland, this may not apply. But for businesses carrying goods outside Ireland, it is worth checking now.
What is changing?
From 1 July 2026, certain light commercial vehicles and vans must have a Smart Tachograph Version 2 fitted.
This applies to vans and light commercial vehicles where:
- The vehicle has a maximum permitted weight over 2.5 tonnes
- It is used for international transport of goods
- It is used for cabotage operations, meaning temporary goods transport work in another country
- It travels to, through, or from the UK, including Northern Ireland, where the journey falls within the rules
The RSA has advised affected vehicle owners and operators to book vehicles into an approved tachograph workshop early, as waiting until close to the deadline could lead to delays.
What is a tachograph?
A tachograph is a device fitted to a vehicle to record driving activity.
It records items such as:
- Driving time
- Breaks
- Rest periods
- Other work
- Driver availability
The purpose is to help monitor compliance with driver hours and road transport rules.
Does this apply to every van?
No.
This does not apply to every van or every business.
It is aimed at light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes that are used for international goods transport or cabotage work. The RSA confirms that LCVs used for international transport of goods or cabotage operations are in scope.
A business using a van only for local work within Ireland may not be affected.
Examples of businesses that should check this
You should review the rules if your business uses vans for:
- Deliveries from Ireland to Northern Ireland
- Deliveries from Ireland to Great Britain
- Transporting goods into or across EU countries
- Courier or freight work outside Ireland
- Hire or reward transport work using vans over 2.5 tonnes
Is there an exemption?
Yes, but it is narrow.
The RSA refers to an exemption for certain vehicles over 2.5 tonnes but not over 3.5 tonnes where the goods are carried on the company’s own account, the transport is not for hire or reward, and driving is not the driver’s main activity. The RSA notes that driving is generally not treated as the driver’s main activity where it takes up less than 30% of rolling monthly working time.
In plain English, this may help some businesses where the van is only used to carry their own goods and the person driving is mainly doing another job.
For example, a tradesperson carrying their own tools and materials may be in a different position to a courier or haulage operator.
What about journeys to Northern Ireland or the UK?
The rules can apply to journeys to, through, or from the UK, including Northern Ireland.
From 1 July 2026, vans over 2.5 tonnes used for international goods transport or cabotage to the UK, and vice versa, must have a Smart Tachograph Version 2 fitted unless an exemption applies.
What should affected businesses do now?
If your vehicle is in scope, you should:
- Check the vehicle weight
- Look at the maximum permitted weight, not just the empty weight.
- Check the type of journeys
- Do you carry goods outside Ireland?
- Do you travel to Northern Ireland or Great Britain for goods transport?
- Contact an approved tachograph workshop
- The retrofit and calibration must be carried out by an approved workshop.
- Arrange driver cards
- Drivers need a digital tachograph driver card.
- Arrange a company card
- Operators may need a company card for data storage and compliance.
- Train drivers
- Drivers need to know how to use the tachograph, make manual entries, and record working time properly.
- Download and keep records
- Driver cards should be downloaded at least every 28 days.
- Vehicle unit data should be downloaded at least every 90 days.
- Records must be retained for the required period.
What happens if you ignore the rules?
The penalties can be serious.
The RSA states that failure to comply with smart tachograph retrofit requirements and EU driving and rest time rules may result in prosecution, with a possible €5,000 fine and/or imprisonment for up to 6 months. Operator licensing and posting of drivers breaches can also lead to further penalties.
Does this affect insurance?
This is not an insurance cover change by itself, but it can still matter.
If your business operates vehicles outside the law, it may create problems after an accident, roadside inspection, claim, or regulatory check. You should keep your vehicle use, licensing, driver records, and insurance details aligned.
You should also tell your insurance broker if your vehicle use changes, especially if you start carrying goods outside Ireland or into Northern Ireland or the UK.
Our advice
If you operate vans or light commercial vehicles over 2.5 tonnes, check now if these Smart Tachograph 2 rules apply to your business.
Do not leave this until summer 2026. Approved workshops may get busy closer to the deadline, and you may also need time to arrange driver cards, company cards, training, and internal procedures.
Need help?
If you are unsure how this affects your business vehicle insurance, speak to our commercial team. We can help you review your vehicle use and check that your insurance details match how your vehicles are being used.