On August 5, 2026, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China (MIIT), in collaboration with the National Standardization Administration of China (SAC), officially publicizing the approval of GB 44721—2026 Intelligent and connected vehicle—Safety requirements for automated driving system (hereinafter referred to as “the Standard”). It marks the nation’s first mandatory national standard governing automated driving technologies. 

Applicable to M and N category vehicles, the Standard outlines comprehensive safety requirements for vehicles equipped with Level 3 and Level 4 automated driving functions. Notably, it excludes low-speed vehicles not intended for highway use, thereby focusing its regulatory scope on mainstream passenger and commercial transport. 

This Standard is a revision of the voluntary national standard GB/T 44721-2024 Intelligent and connected vehicle—General technical requirements for automated driving system, which comes into force on September 29 of 2024 and stay effective until today. As L3 autonomous driving products began to enter the market and gain type approval in China, there arose a pressing need to establish clear national safety benchmarks. In such case, the revision of the GB/T standard was approved by SAC on December 31 of 2025, and SAC/TC114/SC34 (Intelligent and Connected Vehicle) was assigned to lead revision work, as it is the original SC that drafted the GB/T version. 

The technical content of this mandatory national standard is highly aligned with the UN Regulation and GTR on Automated Driving Systems, under reasonable and feasible conditions. At the same time, based on China's actual industrial development and regulatory needs, it establishes requirements at both the enterprise and product levels, standardizes testing and inspection methods, and builds a comprehensive, clear, and regional appropriate safety requirement system in the country. The core content of the standard outlines comprehensive technical requirements for automotive products and enterprises. It specifies general requirements for automated driving systems, including human-machine interaction and user manuals, along with foundational safeguard requirements. Furthermore, it provides specific technical frameworks tailored for advanced systems. This includes requirements for intelligent takeover monitoring in Level 3 systems, general technical specifications for Level 3 systems intended for highway driving (which incorporate remote driving assistance), and overall technical requirements for Level 4 functions. To ensure compliance, the standard defines validation methods across three distinct categories:

-   Safety requirements verification: Includes verification of safety requirements and test conditions. 

-   Safety documentation review: Includes general requirements, content review, and test activity review. 

-   Confirmation testing: Includes site testing, road testing, and simulation testing (if applicable).

For the implementation, MIIT clarifies that:

-   For newly applied type-approved models, the requirements will take effect from July 1, 2027. 

-   For models already granted type approval, the requirements will take effect from July 1, 2028.

Ultimately, the issuance of this mandatory national standard marks a decisive move toward establishing a comprehensive national regulatory framework for intelligent connected vehicles. By integrating technical safety requirements with strict testing and compliance measures, this standard provides a solid foundation for the safe and healthy development of the autonomous driving industry. It offers clear guidance for enterprises while reassuring the public that driverless vehicle technologies are being held to rigorous, standardized safety expectations as they become integrated into everyday transportation.