Photo: Jonathan Borba / Pexels. Illustrative photograph.
Northern Ireland has its own Highway Code, published by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). It is based on the Great Britain version but is not the same. The biggest gap for learners: the GB 2022 changes, including the hierarchy of road users (rules H1 to H3), do not appear in the NI code. This guide sets out the differences that matter if you learn in Northern Ireland, or move between NI and GB.
Key differences at a glance
| Topic | Northern Ireland | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|
| Which code | The Highway Code for Northern Ireland (DfI), published section by section on nidirect. Those sections were updated in September and October 2026 for GDL. | The Highway Code (England, Scotland and Wales) |
| Hierarchy of road users (H1 to H3) | Not in the NI code | In force since 29 January 2022 |
| Overtaking cyclists (Rule 163) | At least as much room as when overtaking a car | At least 1.5 metres at speeds up to 30 mph; horses under 10 mph and at least 2 metres |
| Pedestrians at junctions (Rule 170) | Pedestrians who have started to cross have priority | Give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross |
| Cycle lane surfacing | Often green; follow the signs and white-line markings | Colour varies by highway authority; colour alone does not define the lane rules |
| Learner and new driver plates | L plates; R plates after passing (GDL) | L plates (D plates allowed in Wales); optional P plates |
| Licensing and tests | DVA | DVLA (licences) and DVSA (tests) |
| Police and roadside enforcement | PSNI; DVA Enforcement Officers | Police; DVSA officers; traffic officers on some major roads |
| No parking near a junction | Must not stop or park within 15 metres of a junction (Rule 240) | Do not park within 10 metres of a junction (Rule 243) |
| Reporting a collision to police | Immediately, if you did not give your details at the scene (Rule 286) | As soon as reasonably practicable, and within 24 hours |
| First MOT | At four years old, at a DVA test centre | At three years old, at an approved test centre |
| Drink drive limit | 80 mg per 100 ml of blood | Same in England and Wales; lower in Scotland |
| Speed limits | mph: 30 built-up, 60 outside built-up areas, 70 dual carriageways and motorways | The same ordinary car limits on unlit single carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways; the default on restricted roads in Wales is 20 mph, unlike 30 mph in England, Scotland and NI |
Has Northern Ireland adopted the hierarchy of road users?
No sign of it as of November 2026. GOV.UK says the January 2022 changes apply to England, Scotland and Wales. The NI code on nidirect, including the sections updated for GDL in September and October 2026, contains no hierarchy and no rules H1 to H3. DfI has the legal power to revise the NI code, but no adoption announcement was found.
In practice: what GB learners are taught about priority for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders goes further than the NI code. See the hierarchy of road users for the GB rules.
Overtaking cyclists and horse riders
- NI Rule 163: give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car. No distance in metres.
- GB Rule 163: at least 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists at up to 30 mph, more at higher speeds; pass horse riders under 10 mph with at least 2 metres.
In Northern Ireland, choose enough room for the road, speed and road user; 1.5 metres is not a universal clearance that satisfies all of the GB advice. In GB, allow more than 1.5 metres for cyclists above 30 mph, and follow the separate advice to pass horses at under 10 mph with at least 2 metres. GB detail: the 1.5 metre rule and passing horses safely.
Pedestrians at junctions
- NI Rule 170 and Rule 8: if pedestrians have started to cross the road you are turning into, they have priority, so give way.
- GB Rule 170: give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road you are turning into or out of.
If you learnt in NI and drive in GB, expect to give way earlier. See Highway Code rules for pedestrians.
Other GB 2022 rules the NI code does not contain
The GB code gained several new duties in January 2022 that the NI code on nidirect does not include. Following them in NI is still safe driving, but the NI wording is different:
- Zebra crossings: NI Rule 195 tells you to look out for people waiting and be ready to stop, and says you must give way once a pedestrian has moved onto the crossing. GB Rule 195 adds that you should give way to people waiting to cross.
- Cycle lanes: GB Rule 140 tells you to give way to cyclists in a cycle lane, including those coming up behind you, and not to cut across them when turning. NI Rule 140 tells you not to drive or park in a cycle lane (a must where the lane has a solid white line) but has no give way wording.
- Cyclists on roundabouts: GB Rule 186 tells you to give cyclists priority on a roundabout. NI Rule 187 tells you to give cyclists and horse riders who stay in the left lane plenty of room and let them continue round.
- Opening car doors: GB Rule 239 recommends opening the door with the hand furthest from it, so you turn and look behind. NI Rule 239 says you must not hit anyone when you open your door and to check for cyclists and other traffic, without that method.
- Cyclist road positions: GB Rules 72 and 213 explain that cyclists may ride in the centre of the lane. The NI cyclist rules do not include these positions, so do not assume an NI cyclist in the middle of the lane is doing anything wrong.
- Passing horses: GB Rule 215 sets 10 mph and at least 2 metres. NI Rule 215 says pass wide and slowly.
NI cyclist rules worth knowing as a driver
The NI rules for cyclists (59 to 82) are written for people on bikes, but they explain what you will see from the driver’s seat. Most of them are advice, not law:
- Cycle routes and facilities (NI Rule 61): cyclists are told to use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless it is unsafe at the time. Using them is not compulsory, so a cyclist on the road beside a cycle route is not doing anything wrong.
- Cycle tracks (NI Rule 62): some tracks are shared with pedestrians (unsegregated); on segregated tracks cyclists must keep to the side intended for cyclists. Cyclists are told to take care around pedestrians, so expect a cyclist leaving a busy shared track to rejoin the road.
- Riding side by side (NI Rule 66): cyclists should never ride more than two abreast, and should ride in single file on narrow or busy roads and when riding round bends. This is advice to cyclists; give a pair of riders the same room as a car when you overtake (NI Rule 163).
- Long vehicles turning (NI Rule 73): cyclists are told that long vehicles need a lot of room at corners, may move over to the right before turning left, and that drivers may not see them, so they should not ride in the space between the vehicle and the kerb.
- Roundabouts (NI Rule 77): cyclists may walk round instead. If they ride, they are told to take extra care when cycling across exits, may signal right to show they are not leaving, and to watch for vehicles crossing their path to leave or join. A cyclist signalling right in the left lane is usually staying on; see NI Rule 187 above.
Roundabouts: the NI clock face appendix
The NI code has an extra Appendix on roundabouts. It treats every roundabout as a clock face, with you arriving at six o’clock:
| Exit | Approach lane | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| First exit (8 o’clock) | Left | Left on approach, kept on until just after you leave |
| Second exit (10 o’clock) | Left | None on approach; left after passing the exit before yours |
| Third exit, straight on (12 o’clock) | Left (or right if you approached in the right lane) | None on approach; left after passing the exit before yours |
| Fourth or fifth exit (2 or 4 o’clock) | Right, keeping near the centre | Right on approach; change to left after passing the exit before yours, then check over your left shoulder and move left to leave |
Lane arrows and signs on the approach always take priority over this pattern. If there is no traffic at or on the roundabout, the NI Appendix says you may take the shortest convenient route through it.
Parking and waiting
- Junctions: NI Rule 240 says you must not stop or park within 15 metres of any junction, except in a lay-by in some circumstances or a marked parking area. GB advice is 10 metres.
- Pavements: NI Rule 244 says do not park partly or wholly on the footway or footpath unless signs permit it.
- Parking tickets: most parking and waiting offences in NI are enforced by traffic attendants working for the Department for Infrastructure, not by the police (NI Rule 252 and PSNI guidance).
Police, enforcement officers and motorways
- Who can stop you: the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and DVA Enforcement Officers. NI Rules 105 and 107 say you must obey their signals. DVA officers use flashing amber lights, either in front asking you to follow them or behind directing you to pull over. The NI code does not mention the traffic officers found on some GB roads.
- At incidents: NI Rule 281 says PSNI officers and TransportNI officials may work in the carriageway, and police use rear-facing flashing red and blue lights. Slow down and be ready to stop.
- Motorway breakdowns: NI Rule 275 tells you to leave at the next exit or a service area if you can. Otherwise pull onto the hard shoulder as far left as possible, leave by the left-hand doors, and walk to an emergency telephone. These are about a mile apart and connect directly to the police. Never place a warning triangle on a motorway.
- Smart motorway rules: the NI motorway and breakdown sections contain no equivalent of GB Rule 270 (emergency areas) or GB Rule 275 (places of relative safety). If you will drive on GB smart motorways, learn the GB rules first.
After a collision
If a collision damages or injures another person, vehicle, animal or property, you must stop and give your name and address, the owner’s name and address and the registration number to anyone with reasonable grounds to ask. The NI timings differ from GB:
- You did not give your details at the scene: NI Rule 286 says report it to the police immediately. GB allows as soon as reasonably practicable, within 24 hours.
- Someone was injured and you did not show your insurance certificate: NI Rule 287 says report it to the police immediately and produce the certificate as soon as reasonably practicable. GB allows up to seven days to produce it.
The general steps are the same in both: see what to do after a car accident.
Penalties and fixed penalties in NI
NI offences are dealt with under NI law, mainly the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.
- Totting up: 12 or more penalty points within three years means a ban of at least six months.
- New drivers: six or more points within two years of passing means your licence is revoked. Points from before you passed count, and so do points paid by fixed penalty.
- Hand-held phone: an automatic fixed penalty of six points and a £200 fine. In court, up to £1,000 and possible disqualification.
- Careless driving: an automatic fixed penalty of three points and £100 is possible. In court, 3 to 9 points and a fine of up to £5,000.
- Other endorsable fixed penalties: PSNI says these, including the common ones for speeding and not wearing a seat belt, carry a £60 fine plus points. Driving uninsured can be dealt with by a £200 fixed penalty and six points, and the car is seized.
- Drink driving: the NI penalty table gives up to six months in prison, a fine of up to £5,000 and an obligatory ban; GB fines are unlimited. Drivers banned twice in 10 years, or once at more than two and a half times the limit, or for refusing a specimen, must satisfy DVA’s medical branch before a licence is issued again.
Points and endorsement codes in general: driving penalties and points.
Smoking in the car
NI Rule 148 lists smoking as a distraction and says you must not smoke in public transport or some work vehicles. Separately, nidirect says it is an offence to smoke in an enclosed private vehicle carrying more than one person when someone in it is under 18. The fixed penalty is £50, and a driver who allows it can also be fined.
Trams, equestrian crossings and GB-only sections
The NI code keeps sections that mainly apply in GB, because NI residents may drive there:
- Tramways (Rules 300 to 307): marked “currently applies to Great Britain only”.
- Equestrian crossings (Rule 27): included, with a note that many NI road users won’t be familiar with them.
- Home Zones, Quiet Lanes and high occupancy vehicle lanes: marked Great Britain only.
The NI code recommends that anyone driving in GB also gets the GB Highway Code, and anyone driving in the Republic of Ireland gets the Rules of the Road. See driving alongside trams.
Learner and new driver rules
This is where NI and GB differ most since Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) began on 1 October 2026.
| Northern Ireland (GDL) | Great Britain | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum learning period | 6 months from first car provisional entitlement | None (under consultation) |
| Logbook | Required before booking | Not required |
| Learners on motorways | With an ADI only; not before 1 April 2027 if the provisional licence was in force before 1 October 2026 | With an ADI in a dual-control car only |
| After passing | R plates for 2 years; night-time passenger limit for under-24s for 6 months | No plate or passenger rules (P plates optional) |
| Provisional licence | NI provisional needed for NI tests | GB provisional |
More: NI R plates explained, the night-time passenger rule, the GB minimum learning period consultation.
Drink and drug driving
- Alcohol: the NI limit is 80 mg per 100 ml of blood, the same as England and Wales. Scotland’s is lower, at 50 mg.
- Drugs: in NI, driving while impaired by drugs is an offence, but nidirect says no set limits apply to individual drugs. GB has specified drug limits.
See drink and drug driving limits.
Other practical differences
- Who does what: DVA handles licences, tests and MOTs in NI. DVLA still handles car tax, vehicle registration and SORN.
- Bus lanes: CCTV-detected unauthorised use can lead to a £90 Penalty Charge Notice, reduced to £45 if paid within 14 days of the letter’s issue date.
- Tolls: none in NI, but you will meet them on major motorways in the Republic.
- Rule numbering: NI groups Motorways as Rules 253 to 273 and Breakdowns and incidents as Rules 274 to 287. Because NI has no emergency area rule, NI rule numbers from 270 to 280 do not line up with GB’s, so check the topic, not just the number.
What stays the same
Most rules are shared: driving on the left, giving way to traffic from the right at roundabouts, the ban on hand-held phones, seat belt law, road signs and markings, stopping distances, most ordinary car limits outside built-up areas and the 45 metre warning triangle distance on ordinary roads. If you know one code well, you know most of the other.
Common questions
Which Highway Code do I use for the NI theory test?
The Highway Code for Northern Ireland, available on nidirect. See learning to drive in Northern Ireland.
Is the 1.5 metre passing rule law in Northern Ireland?
No. The NI code says give cyclists at least as much room as a car. The 1.5 metre figure is in the GB code only. Giving 1.5 metres in NI is still good practice.
Do I have to give way to pedestrians waiting at a junction in NI?
The NI code gives priority to pedestrians who have started to cross. GB Rule 170 says you should also give way to pedestrians waiting to cross the road into which or from which you are turning. This is Highway Code advice rather than a separate legal requirement.
How long do I have to report a collision in NI?
If you could not give your details at the scene, the NI code says report it to the police immediately. The GB 24 hour window does not appear in the NI code.
Why are cycle lanes green in NI?
NI guidance describes green surfacing, but do not use colour alone to identify a cycle lane or decide its rules. Coloured surfacing is not compulsory in England and local choices vary; signs and white-line markings matter.
Do the GB and NI codes use the same road signs?
Signs are broadly the same, and both codes are in mph. The big change is crossing into the Republic of Ireland, where speed limit signs are in km/h. See driving across the border.
Are speed limits the same?
Not everywhere. For ordinary cars, the national limits on single carriageways, dual carriageways and motorways are generally 60, 70 and 70 mph. On restricted roads with street lighting, the default is 30 mph in NI, England and Scotland, but 20 mph in Wales, unless signs show another limit. Lower signed limits and any driver-specific restrictions still apply. See UK speed limits.
Main guide: Learning to drive in Northern Ireland. GB equivalent: Learning to drive in Great Britain.
Sources
- Department for Infrastructure, “The Highway Code” for Northern Ireland, online sections (nidirect.gov.uk), read November 2026
- nidirect, “Rules for cyclists (59 to 82)”, The Highway Code (nidirect.gov.uk), read November 2026
- nidirect, “Waiting and parking (238 to 252)”, “Motorways (253 to 273)” and “Breakdowns and incidents (274 to 287)”, The Highway Code (nidirect.gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Appendix: roundabouts” and “Penalties”, The Highway Code annexes (nidirect.gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Using your mobile phone while driving” and “Careless and dangerous driving” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Smoking and vaping laws in Northern Ireland” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- PSNI, “Fixed Penalty Notices” (psni.police.uk)
- nidirect, “How the MOT scheme works” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “The Highway Code” (contents and online sections, including “Introduction to the Highway Code”, “Rules for pedestrians (1 to 35)” and “Using the road (159 to 203)”) (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVA, “Driving in Northern Ireland” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- Department for Transport, “The Highway Code: Using the road (159 to 203)” (gov.uk)
- Department for Transport, “The Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know from 29 January 2022” (gov.uk)
- Department for Transport, “The Highway Code: Annex 3. Motor vehicle documentation and learner driver requirements” (gov.uk)
- DVA, “What Graduated Driver Licensing means for learner drivers” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- DVSA, “Supervise a learner driver” (gov.uk)
- UK Government, “The drink drive limit” and “Speed limits” (gov.uk)
- nidirect, “Bus lane Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs)” (nidirect.gov.uk)
- Active Travel England, “Coloured surfacing” (activetravelengland.gov.uk)
- Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, Article 51 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Department for Infrastructure, The Motorways Traffic (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026, SR 2026/143, regulation 4 (new regulation 11(2) and 11(3)) (legislation.gov.uk)