Federal Register #NHTSA-2026-1585

Interim Final Rule: Temporary Exemption From Motor Vehicle Safety and Bumper Standards

This interim final rule from the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) updates regulations for temporary exemptions from motor vehicle safety and bumper standards. - Government Buyer: - Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - Regulatory Update Details: - Amends 49 CFR part 555 to remove the limitation that temporary exemptions only apply to vehicles manufactured after the exemption's effective date - Allows exemptions for vehicles manufactured prior to the exemption date, at the Administrator's discretion - Modernizes application procedures by requiring electronic submission instead of three physical copies - No procurement of products or services is requested - No OEMs, vendors, part numbers, or quantities are mentioned - NHTSA requests public comments to inform the final rule - Notable Requirement: - Aligns regulatory language with statutory authority for broader exemption coverage

Description

This interim final rule amends the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) general exemption regulations to remove language limiting the application of temporary exemptions from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and bumper standards to vehicles manufactured on or after the effective date of an exemption. It aligns regulations with the Administrator's statutory discretion to determine the vehicle population covered by a temporary exemption. The rule also removes the requirement for exemption applications to be submitted in three copies and specifies electronic submission methods. Although effective immediately, NHTSA requests public comments to inform a final rule.

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