Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, RULES AND GUIDANCE—TEMPORARY EXEMPTIONS—NHTSA extends comment periods for exemption initiatives, (Aug 31, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

Interested parties now have until September 30, 2026, to submit comments.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has extended by 30 days the public comment periods for two actions related to automated vehicles and vehicle exemption regulations, following requests from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Comments on both actions are now due September 30, 2026, instead of August 31, 2026.

One extension applies to a July 31 notice that summarized the agency's recent activities under its automated vehicle framework and requested feedback on interim guidance for commercial deployment exemptions for automated vehicles (NHTSA Extension of comment period, 91 Fed. Reg. 55975 (Aug. 31, 2026)).

The second extension applies to a July 31 interim final rule that removed language limiting temporary exemptions from federal motor vehicle safety standards to vehicles manufactured on or after the exemption’s effective date (NHTSA Extension of comment period, 91 Fed. Reg. 55793 (Aug. 31, 2026)).

In both cases, the agency said Alliance for Automotive Innovation requested additional time to evaluate legal, technical, and policy issues and coordinate stakeholder input. NHTSA said it found good cause for the extensions and concluded that allowing additional time for comments would serve the public interest while still enabling the agency to receive feedback in a timely manner.

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