UK: Automated Vehicles Act implementation — pilots in 2026, full framework by H2 2027

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) is advancing the implementation programme for the Automated Vehicles Act 2024. The programme covers the full policy, legislative and operational effort to deliver the Act and is scheduled for completion in 2027. A dedicated programme structure brings together several bodies, including the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and National Highways.

According to the published timeline, the first pilots of automated passenger services on UK roads are expected in spring 2026. Under the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, firms will be allowed for the first time to run small-scale "taxi- and bus-like" services without a safety driver behind the wheel, including services that members of the public can book via an app. Throughout 2026 the DfT plans to run a series of consultations: on the statement of safety principles, on the overarching regulatory framework, and to publish in draft new regulations covering the regimes for no-user-in-charge operators and automated self-driving entities.

The full regulatory framework, including the remaining secondary legislation to support wider commercialisation, is still expected in the second half of 2027. It will address aspects such as authorisation, in-use regulation and incident investigation.

For FSD (Supervised), it is important that both the 2024 Act and the 2026 pilots are aimed primarily at higher levels of automated driving, where a human need not supervise. FSD (Supervised) is a Level 2 system requiring continuous driver attention and is regulated separately from the automated-services regime. This timeline therefore sets the UK framework for driverless services but does not by itself determine when FSD (Supervised) might be approved for owners.