{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/motor-vehicles-construction-and-use-regulations-northern-ireland-1999/regulation-87",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/motor-vehicles-construction-and-use-regulations-northern-ireland-1999/regulation-87.json",
  "legislation": "nisr/1999/454",
  "legislation_title": "Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/motor-vehicles-construction-and-use-regulations-northern-ireland-1999",
  "path": "regulation/87",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "87",
  "heading": "Maximum permitted laden weight of a vehicle",
  "text": "(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the laden weight of a vehicle of a class specified in an item in column 2 of the Table shall not exceed the maximum permitted laden weight specified in that item in column 3.\n(2) The maximum permitted laden weight of a vehicle first used before 1st June 1973 which falls in item 1 or 2 shall not be less than would be the case if the vehicle fell in item 9.\nTABLE\n(regulation 87(1))\n(1)\n(2)\n(3)\nItem\nClass of vehicle\nMaximum permitted laden weight (kg)\n1.\nA wheeled heavy motor car or motor car which does not fall in items 2, 3, 5 or 6 and which complies with the relevant braking requirement (see regulation 90(3) to (6) in relation to buses).\nThe weight determined in accordance with Part I of Schedule 13\n2.\nA wheeled heavy motor car or motor car which does not fall in items 3, 5 or 6, which complies with the relevant braking requirement and in which—\n(a) every driving axle not being a steering axle is fitted with twin tyres; and\n(b) either every driving axle is fitted with road friendly suspension or no axle has an axle weight exceeding 9,500 kg.\nThe weight determined in accordance with Part II of Schedule 13\n3.\nA wheeled heavy motor car or motor car (not being an agricultural motor vehicle) which forms part of an articulated vehicle and which complies with the relevant braking requirement.\nThe weight specified in column (5) in Part III of Schedule 13 in the item which is appropriate, having regard to columns (2), (3) and (4) in that Part\n4.\nA wheeled trailer, including a composite trailer but not including a semi-trailer, which is drawn by a motor tractor, heavy motor car or motor car which complies with the relevant braking requirement, other than a trailer which falls in items 7, 8, 9 or 12.\nAs in item 1\n5.\nAn articulated bus (see regulation 90(3) to (5)).\n27,000\n6.\nA wheeled agricultural motor vehicle.\nAs in item 1, but subject to a maximum of 24,390\n7.\nA balanced agricultural trailer, as defined in paragraph (5), which does not fall in items 9, 12 or 17.\nAs in item 1, but subject to a maximum of 18,290\n8.\nAn unbalanced agricultural trailer, as defined in paragraph (5) which does not fall in items 9, 12 or 17.\n18,290 inclusive of the weight imposed by the trailer on the drawing vehicle\n9.\nA wheeled trailer manufactured on or after 27th February 1977 and fitted with brakes which automatically come into operation on the overrun of the trailer (whether or not it is fitted with any other brake), except an agricultural trailer which is being drawn by an agricultural motor vehicle, which complies with the requirements specified in items 3, 14 and 17 in the Table in Schedule 2 and the brakes of which can be applied either by the driver of the drawing vehicle or by some other person on that vehicle or on the trailer.\n3,500\n10.\nA wheeled heavy motor car or motor car which does not fall in items 1, 3, 5 or 6—\n(a) with not more than 4 wheels,\n14,230\n(b) with more than 4 but not more than 6 wheels,\n20,330\n(c) with more than 6 wheels.\n24,390\n11.\nA wheeled trailer which does not fall in items 4, 7, 8, 9 or 12 having less than 6 wheels, and not forming part of an articulated vehicle; and an agricultural trailed appliance.\n14,230\n12.\nA trailer manufactured before 27th February 1977 and having no brakes other than—\n(i) a parking brake, and\n(ii) brakes which come into operation on the overrun of the trailer.\n3,560\n13.\nA wheeled locomotive, which does not fall in item 6, which is equipped with suitable and sufficient springs between each wheel and the vehicle’s frame and with a pneumatic tyre or a tyre of soft or elastic material fitted to each wheel—\n(a) if having less than 6 wheels;\n22,360\n(b) if having 6 wheels;\n26,420\n(c) if having more than 6 wheels.\n30,490\n14.\nA track-laying locomotive with resilient material interposed between the rims of the weight-carrying rollers and the road so that the weight of the vehicle (other than that borne by any wheels and the portion of the track in contact with the road) is supported by the resilient material.\n22,360\n15.\nA locomotive which does not fall in items 6, 13 or 14.\n20,830\n16.\nA track-laying heavy motor car or motor car.\n22,360\n17.\nA track-laying trailer\n13,210\n(3) The maximum total weight of all trailers, whether laden or unladen, drawn at any one time by a locomotive shall not exceed 44,000 kg.\n(4) Nothing in items 1 or 2 of the Table shall prevent a vehicle being used on a road if—\n(a) that vehicle, on or before 31st December 1992, is equipped with a plate in accordance with regulation 79; and\n(b) the laden weight of the vehicle does not exceed the weight shown on that plate.\n(5) In this Part and in Schedule 13—\n“air spring” means a spring operated by means of air or other compressible fluid under pressure;\n“air suspension” means a suspension system in which at least 75 per cent of the spring effect is caused by an air spring;\n“balanced agricultural trailer” means an agricultural trailer the whole of the weight of which is borne by its own wheels; and\n“unbalanced agricultural trailer” means an agricultural trailer of which some, but not more than 35%, of the weight is borne by the drawing vehicle and the rest of the weight is borne by its own wheels.\n(6) For the purposes of this Part and Schedule 13, an axle shall be regarded as fitted with a road friendly suspension if its suspension is——\n(a) an air suspension, or\n(b) a suspension, not being an air suspension, which is regarded as being equivalent to an air suspension for the purposes of Community Directive 92/7.\n(7) For the purposes of this Part and Schedule 13, an axle shall be regarded as fitted with twin tyres if it would be regarded as fitted with twin tyres for the purposes of Community Directive 92/7.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1999/454/regulation/87",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T02:17:32.000361+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}