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49 CFR Part 571

NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards — the equipment standards every commercial vehicle is built to.

Vehicle Manufacturing Standards, Not Carrier Rules

49 CFR Part 571 — the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) — is NHTSA's rulebook, not FMCSA's. It sets the safety standards a vehicle has to be built to before it's sold: brakes, lighting, seat belts, crash protection, tires, and similar equipment standards.

Why It Still Matters for a Carrier

As a motor carrier, you're generally not the one certifying FMVSS compliance — that's on the manufacturer. But it's the baseline every vehicle you operate was built to meet, and it's the standard your own maintenance program (49 CFR Part 396) is keeping that vehicle in compliance with over its working life. Knowing what a component was originally certified to helps explain why a repair has to meet a specific standard, not just "work."

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