Scotland updates motorsport rules via SSI 2025/300

Here’s the short version: Scotland has corrected a recent drafting error in the rules that authorise motor vehicle competitions and trials on public roads. The Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025 were made on 28 October 2025, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 30 October 2025, and will come into force on 9 December 2025. The official notice on legislation.gov.uk confirms the instrument is issued free of charge to everyone who received S.S.I. 2025/245 because it fixes a defect in that earlier document.

If you’re new to law-making in Scotland, a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) is secondary legislation. Think of it as the detailed rulebook made under powers in a bigger Act. In this case, Scottish Ministers are using sections 13(2) and 13A(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to adjust how certain motoring events on public roads are authorised. This is routine, legal housekeeping-important for clarity, even if it feels small.

The 1976 Regulations set out how to authorise motor vehicle competitions and trials-other than trials of speed-when they use public roads. Organisers apply, pay the prescribed fee, and must meet standard conditions. Police, local authorities, and insurers rely on these rules to assess risk and keep participants and bystanders safe. Trials of speed sit outside this framework and follow different legal routes, so nothing here opens the door to road racing.

So what’s actually changing and why? Earlier this year, S.S.I. 2025/245 altered the 1976 Regulations but left a problem behind: references to a special category called “specified events”. Officials now say there are no events in Scotland that need a special authorisation pathway under these rules. To avoid confusion, SSI 2025/300 deletes the definition of “specified events” and removes the scattered exceptions that referred to it. This is a tidy-up to make the text match real-world practice.

In plain English, the amendments do five things. They remove the definition of “specified event” from regulation 2(1). They take out references to that category in the application process (regulation 6(2)), in the fees provision (regulation 7(3)), in an additional conditions clause (regulation 8(2)), and in a standard condition in schedule 2 that previously carved out “specified events”. They also revoke a knock-on provision-regulation 2(2)(c) of the 2025 Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations-so nothing contradictory lingers in the statute book.

You’ll spot a small wording change that matters for consistency. In the fees provision, the word “way” is replaced with “highway”. Lawyers prefer using the same defined terms across a regulation so there’s no argument later about what areas are covered. Using “highway” aligns this sentence with the rest of regulation 7(3) and helps everyone read the rule the same way, from event organisers to local police.

Two process points to know for your notes. First, Ministers have exercised powers transferred to them in 1999 and, in line with section 195(2A) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, they consulted representative organisations they considered appropriate. Second, the signature block shows Fiona Hyslop signed the instrument at St Andrew’s House on 28 October 2025. For students of scrutiny, “laid before the Scottish Parliament” on 30 October simply means MSPs can examine it before it takes effect.

What this means if you’re planning an event is straightforward: there isn’t a special “specified event” route to apply under, because that category has been removed. You should continue with the standard authorisation process set out in the 1976 Regulations, budget for the usual fee, and work with your local authority and Police Scotland as before. Safety conditions remain central, and nothing here changes the separate treatment of trials of speed.

Timeline check for your diary: made on 28 October 2025, laid on 30 October 2025, and live from 9 December 2025. If you’ve drafted paperwork using older guidance that mentions “specified events”, update your forms and internal checklists so they match the current text. For best practice in classrooms and council offices alike, always read the “as amended” version on legislation.gov.uk so you’re working from the latest law.

Quick explainer to support media literacy. “Made” is the date Ministers sign the instrument; “laid” is when Parliament receives it for scrutiny; “coming into force” is when it starts to apply in the real world. When an SSI says it’s issued free of charge, as this one does, it’s because it corrects a defect in a previous instrument sent to known recipients. It’s a useful reminder that law is edited, not carved in stone-and that tidy drafting helps keep road users safe.