Van bulkhead: is it compulsory or not?

Why is the van bulkhead such a debated topic?

Nobody can show you the article of law that says “the bulkhead is not compulsory”, for a simple reason: no text lists what it does not require. This gap leaves plenty of room for rumours. The right approach is therefore to do the opposite: open the texts that set out what is required, and see that the bulkhead is not in them.

Three misunderstandings that fuel the rumour

• The May 2018 reform of the roadworthiness test tightened checks on fixed conversions: a converted van that is not approved as VASP (the French “motor caravan” special-purpose vehicle category) must be presented empty. Many people wrongly concluded that everything inside the vehicle was now being monitored.
• The ISO 27956 standard describes how to design a bulkhead or lashing points capable of restraining a load. It is a technical standard, often mistaken for a law.
• Prevention advice aimed at tradespeople: the INRS (the French national institute for occupational health and safety) recommends a bulkhead for professionals carrying heavy tools. It is good advice, not an obligation.

Common myths: true or false

What does European regulation say about separation between the cab and the load area?

Here is the point almost every article overlooks: one text does deal with separation. And it is precisely this text that proves the bulkhead is not compulsory.

The rule: separate, or secure

Regulation (EU) 2018/858 sets out, in its annex I, the criteria for classifying a vehicle in category N, that of goods vehicles. Its point 3.2 lays down a principle: the seating area must be entirely separated from the load area. But point 3.3 immediately provides for an exemption: passengers and goods may share the same space if the load area is fitted with securing devices that protect the occupants during sudden braking or cornering.

Point 3.4 specifies that these devices, like bulkheads, must comply with the ISO 27956 standard. This standard is therefore not a mere recommendation: European law refers to it. But it is aimed at the manufacturer, at the time the model is approved, and it leaves two possible routes. The rings fixed to your van's floor are precisely the second one.

The other technical requirements do not mention it

The equipment required on a new vehicle is listed in annex II of the same regulation, a closed list of subjects: braking, lighting, seats, seat belt anchorages, mirrors… None of them concerns a bulkhead. The only area that comes close, “interior fittings” (UN Regulation No. 21), applies only to category M1 passenger cars, not to commercial vehicles.

Proof from the manufacturers

If the bulkhead were essential, no manufacturer would sell a van without one. Yet Volkswagen offers a “No bulkhead pack” on the Crafter, priced at €0 excl. VAT in its 2026 Crafter price list. Chassis-cab versions, sold to coachbuilders and motorhome manufacturers, also leave the factory with no partition at all behind the seats.

For our Belgian readers, a special case: Belgium requires a bulkhead at least 20 cm high to convert a car (M1) into a light van (N1). This rule targets converted cars, not vans approved as commercial vehicles straight from the factory.

Is the bulkhead checked during the roadworthiness test?

No. The roadworthiness test for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes follows the order of 18 June 1991, whose annex I lists the points to be checked. The inspector can only record a defect provided for in that list. In the technical instructions that detail it, functions 6 (“chassis and chassis accessories”) and 7 (“other equipment”) contain neither the word “bulkhead” nor the word “partition”.

An inspection body has also confirmed this to us, as we explain in our FAQ on van conversions: removal of the bulkhead is not checked. What can be checked are the traces of a removal done too hastily.

What the inspector can flag after a sloppy removal

If your van is fitted with a removable conversion, present it empty at the test: the inspector must see the vehicle as it was approved. Everything is detailed in our guide to the roadworthiness test for a van without a bulkhead and a converted van that is not VASP.

Do you need to declare the removal of the bulkhead (registration certificate, DREAL, insurance)?

No individual approval

Article R321-16 of the French Highway Code requires a new approval only in the event of a “substantial modification”, a notion defined by article 13 of the order of 19 July 1954. In essence, this is a modification that changes the vehicle's status with regard to the rules on category, weight, dimensions, lighting or braking, or that alters a technical entry on the registration certificate.

Removing a bolted-in bulkhead affects none of this. The type (box J.1), the body (J.3), the maximum masses (F.1 and F.2) and the number of seats (S.1) remain the same. No DREAL, no new registration certificate: your van remains a CTTE.

No VASP either

The VASP “caravan” category corresponds to a vehicle fitted, in a fixed way, with seats and a table, a bed, a kitchen and storage. The bulkhead meets none of these criteria. Neither does a removable conversion, as long as it can be dismantled and the vehicle is presented empty at the test.

And insurance?

Article L113-2 of the French Insurance Code requires you to declare, within fifteen days, any new circumstances that increase the risk or make the answers given when taking out the policy inaccurate. Removing a bulkhead changes neither the vehicle's type, nor its use, nor its power, nor its number of seats: it is therefore not an obligation. An email to your insurer is nonetheless a free precaution, especially if you then install a valuable conversion.

Without a bulkhead, which rules really apply?

The absence of a bulkhead requirement does not mean “anything goes”. Three articles of the Highway Code apply to all vehicles, with or without a bulkhead.

• The load: under article R312-19, “all necessary precautions must be taken to ensure that a vehicle's load cannot cause damage or danger”. The text sets an outcome, not a method: bulkhead, straps, net or well-secured furniture, the choice is yours.
• Driving: article R412-6 prohibits the driver's movements and field of vision from being restricted by the items carried. It is a class 2 offence, with possible immobilisation of the vehicle.
• Passengers: article R412-1-1 requires them to be carried on seats, within the limit of the seats listed on the registration certificate. A person sitting in the back on a mattress or a chest means a €135 fine and 3 penalty points. This is the real risk: removing the bulkhead does not create any seat. To carry more people, you must add a rear bench seat to the van in compliance with the rules, and in that case a visit to the DREAL is necessary.

A bulkhead is not an airbag

In its brochure “Choisir son véhicule utilitaire léger” (Choosing your light commercial vehicle), the INRS points out that at 50 km/h, an unsecured load is thrown forward with a force of 20 to 40 times its weight. A 15 kg cool box then pushes like a mass of 300 to 600 kg. And in crash tests at 50 km/h, the INRS found that “bulkheads can generally only restrain a load of less than a few tens of kilograms”.

Conclusion: what really protects the occupants is securing the load, not the partition. For professional use, the employer remains required to assess risks (article L4121-1 of the French Labour Code), and the bulkhead may be among the measures adopted in the risk assessment document. For a leisure van, the aim is the same: nothing should fly around when you brake.

How do you remove the bulkhead from your van without creating problems?

On a recent van, removal often comes down to a few bolts. Three checks will nonetheless help you avoid unpleasant surprises.

Before you get your tools out

1. Check the registration certificate. The type must have been CTTE from the outset. For a car converted into a commercial vehicle (a car-derived van), first ask the manufacturer or the coachbuilder that carried out the conversion.
2. Locate the fixings. On most recent vans, the bulkhead is bolted to the floor and to the pillars. If it is welded or contributes to the rigidity of the body, do not cut it out.
3. Look for seat belt anchorages. On some cabs, a seat belt or its reel is fixed to the bulkhead. In that case, keep it, or have the anchorage relocated to the structure by a professional.

After removal: the checklist

1. Plug the fixing holes in the floor (plugs, filler or riveted sheet metal): a perforated floor can mean a retest.
2. Deburr and cover any brackets or tabs left on the pillars.
3. Check the seat belt anchorages once the bulkhead has gone: they must be tight and intact.
4. Keep the original lashing rings: they are what replace the bulkhead under the European regulation.
5. Do not touch the structure: no cutting into any element welded to the body.
6. Line the pillars and the exposed roof: this is the right time to insulate.

Keep the bulkhead and its fixings: when you sell, a professional buyer may ask you for it.

What can you do with the extra space once the bulkhead is removed?

Without a bulkhead, the cab and the rear become a single space. You go from seat to bed without stepping out into the rain, the light from the windscreen fills the whole vehicle and the interior looks much bigger. In a compact van, you notice the difference from the very first night.

This is exactly Combeing's philosophy: a removable van conversion, installed without drilling, which you take out in a few minutes to get your van back or to take the roadworthiness test. Before installing it, take advantage of the removal to treat the walls: our sprayed cork insulation covers the pillars and the roof in one go.

Frequently asked questions about the bulkhead

Article up to date as of October 2026. It sets out the texts currently in force and does not replace legal advice: if in doubt about a specific vehicle, ask its manufacturer.