Transporting dangerous goods
How to transport dangerous goods, including guidance, authorisation notices, exception notices and multilateral agreements.
If you transport dangerous goods, you need to follow the rules on how to pack and label them. This page provides links to dangerous goods guidance and related notices and agreements.
There is separate guidance on transporting radioactive materials on the Office for Nuclear Regulation website.
Support and advice
To keep up to date or ask questions about dangerous goods, you can:
- join the DfT dangerous goods mailing list to receive updates relating to the carriage of dangerous goods
- email the DfT Dangerous Goods Team if you have a question about government policy or regulations - dangerousgoods@dft.gov.uk
- email the VCA Dangerous Goods Office if you have a packaging or technical question - dgenquiries@vca.gov.uk
DfT also manages these dangerous goods groups:
- the Industry advisory group - to develop and monitor the implementation of these security requirements and supporting guidance
- the Dangerous goods team stakeholder group - managing briefings and meetings for UK and international stakeholders
Report an incident involving the carriage of dangerous goods
Use these forms to report an incident involving the carriage of dangerous goods via road, rail or sea. There is a separate form to report an aviation dangerous goods incident.
Guidance and training
Dangerous goods overview and training information.
Becoming a qualified dangerous goods driver
How to get and stay qualified to drive dangerous goods vehicles, add extra dangerous goods classes to your ADR driver card, and replace your card.
Driver training provider guidance
How to set up initial and refresher training courses for ADR drivers, how to run the courses, and add or change your planned courses, manage your training centre details and add new trainers.
Guidance notes
Guidance on specific aspects of transporting dangerous goods.
Authorisation notices
The Secretary of State for Transport can issue written authorisations that allow for deviations from ADR requirements and RID requirements. These authorisations carry conditions and time limits and apply to carriage within Great Britain only.
The authorisations can be withdrawn by the competent authority at any time by means of a written notice.
Authorisation notices about transporting radioactive materials
Authorisations concerning the transport of radioactive materials are published by the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
Exception notices
The Department for Transport can issue exception notices, which make various provisions to the dangerous goods regulations.
Multilateral agreements
Updates to this page
Published 11 May 2013Last updated 2 September 2024 + show all updates
-
Added guidance about becoming a qualified dangerous goods (ADR) driver, and guidance for driver training providers.
-
Fireworks: seasonal exemption of certain ADR provisions for UN 0336 added.
-
Added authorisation notice Approval of the early use of EN 17871:2020 (Gas cylinders – Quick-release cylinder valves – Specification and type testing
-
Added 'Remote delivery of dangerous goods driver training extension: authorisation 1013'.
-
Early use of EN 23826 added.
-
Early use of EN 17339 notice added.
-
Authorisation 990 expired on 31 January 2022 and is no longer valid.
-
Added Remote delivery of dangerous goods driver training extension: authorisation 992.
-
Added Dangerous goods driver licence extension: authorisation 990.
-
Added information on HGVs carrying dangerous goods through the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel.
-
Added the document 'The testing of PRVs fitted to LPG road tankers (Authorisation 948)' to the collection.
-
Annual inspection waiver for tank vehicles added.
-
Guidance on the transport of patient specimens suspected of containing Coronavirus (COVID-19) added to page.
-
Tanks below the minimum thickness: Authorisation 839 added to collection.
-
'Transporting fireworks multilateral agreement M322' published.
-
'Approval of the early use of EN 12972:2018' exception notice.
-
Transporting of solid medical or clinical waste, category A (ADR M317).
-
Added Multilateral agreement M318: the carriage of class 2 gases in refillable pressure receptacles authorised by the United States of America Department of Transportation.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods guidance note 16.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods exception notice 34.
-
Updated links to latest ADR and RID regulations.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods exception notices 30 and 31 revised.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods authorisation 476.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods exception notice 33.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods exception notice 32 added.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods multilateral agreement ADR M299 added to page.
-
Multilateral agreement ADR M291.
-
Carriage of dangerous goods multilateral agreement ADR M296 added.
-
List of authorisations to carry dangerous goods updated.
-
First published.