North America
US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108
This is the Federal regulation that governs all lamps and reflective devices on motor vehicles in the USA
Current version
•
FMVSS 108 full text including laboratory test procedures (
Current version)
Old versions
•
FMVSS 108 full text, rewrite (PDF, final rule with explanations, 2011)
•
FMVSS 108 full text, pre-rewrite (PDF)
Other related regulations
•
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Standard No. 108 (applies to commercial truck & bus industry—contents & requirements largely but not completely identical to FMVSS 108)
•
49 CFR 564 / NHTSA-1998-3397: Replaceable Light Source Information (This is the compendium of headlight bulb and ballast types approved for use in headlamps in the USA, and their specifications)
US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966
(This is the Act that eventually established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and its authority to write and enforce the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards). Originally located at 15 USC 1394-1410, it has been reorganized and is now located at 49 USC 301. Old to new location conversion of various subsections is
here.
Sections most frequently relevant to discussions on this forum include:
• Old USC 1397(a)(2) = new
49 USC 30122: Prohibits regulated parties to "render inoperative" a mandatory regulated device, system, or design feature; "render inoperative" can mean to remove, disable, damage, destroy, or alter the performance so it is no longer compliant.
• Old USC 1397(a)(1)(A) = new
49 USC 30112(a): Prohibits the manufacture, importation, introduction into interstate commerce, offer, or sale of vehicles or items of regulated vehicle equipment not compliant with all applicable provisions of all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
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Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108
This is the Canadian national regulation that governs all lamps and reflective devices on motor vehicles.
• The most recent version of CMVSS 108 is on
this page
• Technical Standards Documant 108 contains technical prescriptions, figures, tables, and test procedures and protocols referred to in CMVSS 108 (virtually all of which are also applicable to US FMVSS 108, making this a convenient accessory document for both standards). The most recent version of TSD 108 is
Version 7. (PDF)
• Old version of CMVSS 108 is
here.
• Previously, a separate regulation called
CMVSS 108.1 covered UN ("European") headlamps permitted on vehicles in Canada as an alternative to the US headlamps specified in CMVSS 108. The provisions formerly in CMVSS 108.1 are now in CMVSS 108.
• Old version of TSD 108 is
here (pdf)
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Interpretive & explanatory materials
These materials explain or clarify the meaning and applicability of various regulations.
• Pulse/flash/blink devices for center brake lights
are illegal, and
so are devices that flash the left and right brake lights before they come on steadily (specific to USA, but same regulatory provisions exist in Canada)
• There is
no such thing as DOT Approval. NHTSA is the DOT agency in charge of setting and enforcing vehicle and equipment safety standards, but they
have no authority to approve or disapprove motor vehicles or equipment.
Headlamp usage laws
•
US State & Canada Provincial Headlamp Usage Laws