On October 26, 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation, published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register, 91 FR 67243 (FR Doc. 2026-21794, RIN 2127-AM70, Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519), proposing amendments to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment, at 49 CFR 571.108. US light-vehicle manufacturers that self-certify to FMVSS No. 108 (General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda), US operators of ADS-equipped vehicles without manual driving controls (Waymo, Zoox), and US suppliers of integral-beam headlamps and ADS marker lamps (Koito, Valeo, Forvia/Hella) must file comments on Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519 by November 25, 2026, on the proposed integral-beam test voltage, removal of the vertical headlamp order, narrowing of manual turn-signal, hazard, beam-switch and telltale rules to vehicles with manual controls, and the optional cyan ADS marker lamp, and map lighting designs against those proposals, or comments received after November 25, 2026 may be left out of the docket, so a lighting or ADS-control design that conflicts with the proposal is not on the record before NHTSA finalises FMVSS No. 108.
The notice is a proposal, not a final rule, and the DATES line sets no compliance date for an amended FMVSS No. 108.
What does 91 FR 67243 propose to change in FMVSS No. 108?
NHTSA proposes the five rows below: integral-beam voltage, vertical headlamp order, manual turn, hazard and beam controls, telltales, and an optional cyan ADS marker lamp.
FMVSS No. 108 requires headlamps, except on trailers, to meet photometric tests at 12.8 volts. The NPRM would drop that voltage for integral beam headlamps only. Replaceable-bulb and sealed-beam headlamps would stay at 12.8 volts. Where beams are stacked, the lower beam must come from the uppermost headlamp. NHTSA would remove that order. Mounting height limits would stay.
| Item | FMVSS No. 108 as written | 91 FR 67243 proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Integral beam voltage | Tested at 12.8 volts, except trailers | No set voltage for integral beam lamps; other headlamps stay at 12.8 volts |
| Vertical order | Lower beam from the uppermost lamp | Rule removed; height limits stay |
| Turn, hazard, beam switch | Manual operating units required | Manual-actuation rules limited to vehicles with manual driving controls |
| Telltales | Written around a driver | Some telltale rules limited to vehicles with manual controls |
| ADS marker lamp | No ADS-engagement lamp | Optional cyan lamp, with performance rules if fitted |
Who is exposed to this FMVSS No. 108 proposal?
The manufacturers, operators and lamp suppliers named above are exposed because they self-certify vehicles or lamps to FMVSS No. 108 for the United States, or they operate ADS vehicles with no steering wheel and no service-brake pedal.
FMVSS No. 108 covers passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, most trailers, motorcycles, and replacement lamps. Control and telltale changes target ADS vehicles with no manual driving controls. NHTSA states those vehicles are not for consumer purchase, while some manufacturers and rideshare operators have deployed them in US cities. Voltage and stacked-beam changes apply to headlamps on the wider fleet. The NPRM would drop "driver" from the hazard warning operating-unit definition, so it covers a person or an ADS, and would limit the multi-switch actuation rule to vehicles that still have manual controls.
What must be filed by November 25, 2026?
Comments identified by Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519 must reach NHTSA no later than November 25, 2026, through regulations.gov, by fax to (202) 493-2251, or by mail or hand delivery to Docket Management, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Suite W58-213, Washington, DC 20590.
- State whether an integral-beam headlamp is still certified at 12.8 volts.
- State whether a stacked beam still puts the lower beam in the uppermost lamp.
- On an ADS vehicle with no steering wheel and no service-brake pedal, list each turn-signal, hazard and beam-switching control kept only because FMVSS No. 108 requires a manual unit.
- Map driver telltales against the narrowed telltale text, and comment on a cyan ADS marker lamp if one is fitted or planned. The notice cites SAE J3134 (December 2025) for that lamp. Mark confidential business information under the Public Participation heading.
Technical contacts are Lina Valivullah and Gerald Devries. Legal contact is David Jasinski, Office of the Chief Counsel, NHTSA. A negotiated rulemaking on other FMVSS No. 108 elements, announced by NHTSA on October 26, 2026, is a different proceeding.
What happens if the comment misses November 25, 2026?
A comment after November 25, 2026 may be left out of Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519, so a conflicting headlamp, manual control, telltale or cyan marker lamp is not on the record before a final FMVSS No. 108.
Self-certification is unchanged until a final rule amends FMVSS No. 108 and states an effective date. Final ADS modernization rules without manual controls are a later action, not this NPRM.
Before November 25, 2026, confirm which lines self-certify to FMVSS No. 108, file on Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1519, and brief lighting, ADS controls and legal on the table. Obsidian keeps that Federal Register text in view with the comment close.
