Federal Headlight Rules Could Get a Long-Awaited Rewrite

If an oncoming set of headlights has ever left you squinting and seeing spots, you’re not the only one. Federal safety regulators are starting work on an update to the rules that govern vehicle lighting in the U.S., and glare is near the top of their list.

• NHTSA plans to form a negotiated rulemaking committee of up to 18 members to help update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108.
• Topics on the table include headlight glare, replaceable light sources, lamp aim and mounting height, test procedures, and matching international standards.
• Public comments and committee nominations are due Nov. 9, and no new lighting requirements have been adopted.

A Lighting Rulebook That Fell Behind

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced on Oct. 6 that it wants to modernize FMVSS No. 108, the federal standard for vehicle lighting. A formal notice followed in the Federal Register on Oct. 8. The agency calls the update long overdue.

In its notice, NHTSA admits the standard is complex. It also says the rules need updating to make room for new vehicle designs and new technology. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison was fairly direct about it. He said today’s rules keep automakers from using the latest lighting tech that could improve safety, and he said the agency also wants to look at what might be causing glare.

Headlight rules are one of the things that make cars sold in America different from those built for Europe or Japan. Changing those rules has also been a slow process, which helps explain why the U.S. version has drifted out of step with the technology.

This effort didn’t start from scratch. NHTSA first listed a lighting rulemaking, RIN 2127-AL95, in its Spring 2018 Unified Agenda. That ongoing work is connected to a rulemaking petition from Osram Sylvania about LED replacement light sources.

Bringing Everyone to One Table

NHTSA isn’t writing the new rules alone. It plans to use negotiated rulemaking, where the agency sits down with the groups affected by a rule before drafting a proposal. NHTSA says it’s the first time in more than 25 years that it has taken this approach with its lighting standards, and it hopes the process will move things along faster.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy plans to appoint up to 18 members. They would come from vehicle lighting manufacturers, motor vehicle equipment associations, safety organizations, research institutions, and engineering associations.

The committee’s job is to produce a detailed term sheet of recommendations the members agree on. Those recommendations would then shape a rulemaking proposal from NHTSA. So even once the committee finishes its work, the next step is still a proposal. Nothing becomes a requirement at this stage.

Glare Leads a Long List of Topics

The agency’s list of topics is long, and some items will sound familiar to anyone who drives at night. Here are the subjects NHTSA expects the group to take up:

• Glare caused by headlighting systems
• Replaceable light sources
• Dusk sensors and semiautomatic beam switching
• Lower beam and upper beam photometry
• Headlamp performance on the vehicle itself, including aim and mounting height
• Plastic optical materials and minimum lamp size rules
• Auxiliary lamps and installation rules for three-wheel motorcycles
• Outdated physical tests and test procedures for lamps with replaceable lenses
• Harmonization with international standards

That item about aim and mounting height stands out. It shifts the focus to how headlamps actually behave once they’re installed on a real vehicle, which is what other drivers end up seeing.

NHTSA permitted adaptive driving beam headlights in a 2022 final rule. The new initiative concerns a broader range of lighting requirements.

A broader update could change which lighting features meet U.S. requirements. Whether that happens depends on what the committee recommends and what NHTSA eventually proposes.

How to Weigh In Before the Nov. 9 Deadline

Right now NHTSA is asking for input. It wants public comments on what the rulemaking should cover and who should sit on the committee, and it’s accepting formal membership nominations. Comments are due Nov. 9 through regulations.gov under Docket No. NHTSA-2026-1981. Membership applications instead go to lightingfac@dot.gov or by overnight mail, with a 5 p.m. ET Nov. 9 deadline.

Keep your expectations in check for now. No new headlight requirements have been adopted, and no effective dates exist. This is an early step toward a future proposal, and the final outcome could look very different from today’s list of topics. If headlight glare bugs you, though, this is your chance to say so while the scope is still being set.