S.I. No. 123/2026 - Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026.

(2) These Regulations come into operation on 3 April 2026.

Definitions

2. In these Regulations –

“Approval Regulation” means Regulation (EU) No. 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013

1

on the approval and market surveillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles (as corrected by Corrigendum to Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2013

2

) as amended by –

(a) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 134/2014 of 16 December 2013

3

,

(b) Regulation (EU) 2019/129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 January 2019

4

,

(c) Regulation (EU) 2020/1694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 November 2020

5

, and

(d) Regulation (EU) 2024/2838 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024

6

;

“off-road motorcycle” means a mechanically propelled vehicle that is primarily intended for off-road use and designed to travel on unpaved surfaces (referred to in Article 2.2(g) of the Approval Regulation), or that has been specifically modified for such off-road use, and includes –

(a) a motorised quadbike,

(b) a motorised trike,

(c) a motorised trail-bike,

(d) a scrambler,

(e) a pit-bike,

(f) a dirt-bike,

(g) a motorised go-cart, and

(h) a motorised off-road buggy.

Application

3. These Regulations do not apply to an off-road motorcycle to which an identification mark has been assigned under subsection (5) of

section 131

of the

Finance Act 1992

(No. 9 of 1992) and on which, at the time the off-road motorcycle is used, such identification mark is displayed in accordance with subsection (6) of that section.

Restriction on use of off-road motorcycle

4. (1) Subject to paragraph (2), the use of an off-road motorcycle in any place is prohibited.

(2) Subsection (1) does not prohibit –

(a) the use of an off-road motorcycle on land by the owner or occupier of the land or his or her servants or agents, or

(b) the use of an off-road motorcycle on land by a person with the written consent of the owner of the land to such use.

(3) A member of An Garda Síochána may request a person who in the member’s opinion is using or has used an off-road motorcycle to do any of the following

(a) identify the owner or occupier of the land on which the off-road motorcycle was, or is being, used;

(b) produce the written consent of the owner of the land to such use;

(c) produce evidence that such use is in accordance with paragraph (2)(a).

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

1 April, 2026.

DARRAGH O’BRIEN,

Minister for Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

These Regulations apply restrictions to the use of off-road motorcycles from 3 April 2026 and regulate their use in certain circumstances.

1 OJ No. L 60, 2.3.2013, p. 52

2 OJ No. L 77, 23.3.2016, p. 65

3 OJ No. L 53, 21.2.2014, p. 1

4 OJ No. L 30, 31.1.2019, p. 106

5 OJ No. L 381, 13.11.2020, p. 4

6 OJ No. L 2838, 7.11.2024, p. 1

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

3

rd April,

2026.

I, DARRAGH O’BRIEN, Minister for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by section 35A (inserted by

section 11

(b) of the

Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023

(No. 16 of 2023)) of the

Road Traffic Act 1994

(No. 7 of 1994), hereby make the following regulations

Citation and commencement