On July 30, 2026, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released GB 44721-2026, China's first mandatory national standard for L3/L4 autonomous driving systems, effective July 1, 2027. The standard establishes safety requirements across four dimensions: policy, risk management, safety assurance, and safety improvement.
Standard Overview: First Mandatory L3/L4 ADS Standard
On July 30, 2026, the "Intelligent Connected Vehicle—Autonomous Driving System Safety Requirements" (GB 44721-2026), organized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was approved by the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration. It takes effect on July 1, 2027.
This is China's first mandatory national standard for Level 3 (conditional automation) and Level 4 (high automation) autonomous driving systems. It applies to M-class (passenger) and N-class (cargo) vehicles, excluding automatic parking systems.
Core Standard Information
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Standard No. | GB 44721-2026 |
| Release Date | July 30, 2026 |
| Effective Date | July 1, 2027 |
| Scope | L3/L4 M-class and N-class vehicles |
| Nature | Mandatory national standard |
| Lead Organization | MIIT, National Automotive Standardization Committee |
Four Dimensions: Full Lifecycle Safety Framework
The standard establishes a comprehensive safety framework across four core dimensions:
Dimension 1: Safety Policy
- Enterprises must establish clear ADS safety policies and objectives
- Safety responsibilities must be assigned to specific organizational roles
Dimension 2: Risk Management
- Systematic risk identification, assessment, and control processes required
- Quantitative residual risk acceptance criteria: collision rate below 10⁻⁴/h, fatal accident rate below 10⁻⁷/h
Dimension 3: Safety Assurance
- Simulation, proving ground, and road tests mandatory during R&D
- "Safety Case" documentation required following "claim-argument-evidence" structure
Dimension 4: Safety Improvement
- Continuous safety monitoring and improvement mechanisms
- Post-deployment data feedback for system iteration
L3/L4 Differentiated Requirements: Takeover Capability as Key Threshold
The standard specifies differentiated requirements by automation level:
L3 System Requirements
- Must have lane keeping, lane changing, and intersection traversal capabilities
- Must include driver takeover capability monitoring (DMS)
- Safe activation/deactivation with clear status signaling
L4 System Requirements
- Must have lane keeping, lane changing, and obstacle avoidance by entering adjacent lanes
- Or lane keeping, lane changing, intersection traversal, obstacle avoidance, reversing, and U-turn capabilities
- Must independently complete all risk handling without remote assistance
DMS Takeover Monitoring: L3's Core Safety Lock
For L3 systems, the standard mandates driver takeover capability monitoring:
- Occupancy monitoring: Alarm triggers if driver leaves seat for over 1 second
- Seatbelt monitoring: L3 cannot be activated without seatbelt fastened
- Status monitoring: At least 2 independent indicators every 30 seconds to confirm driver alertness
- Takeover warning sequence: Visual → audio/haptic within 4 seconds → minimum risk strategy after 10+ seconds
Testing Framework: Three-Pillar Compliance Path
The standard establishes a "enterprise capability assessment + safety case review + confirmation testing" framework:
- Enterprise capability assessment: Evaluates organizational safety capability and safety case robustness
- Safety case review: Full-lifecycle safety documentation following "claim-argument-evidence" structure
- Confirmation testing: Third-party agencies conduct proving ground, road, and simulation tests
This means automakers cannot treat consumers as "beta testers"—sufficient pre-production validation is mandatory.
Industry Impact: From Performance Race to Safety Race
GB 44721-2026 marks a new phase for China's autonomous driving industry:
- For consumers: Unified safety baseline for L3/L4 vehicles with compliance certification
- For automakers: Non-compliant players will be eliminated, exaggerated claims must stop, supply chain reshuffling begins
- For the industry: Shift from "who has more compute, who has more features" to "who is safer, who is more reliable"
- For global expansion: Alignment with international regulations lays compliance groundwork for overseas deployment
Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of CPCA, commented: "This marks the shift of high-level intelligent driving from conceptual marketing to rigorous safety regulation." For more policy analysis, visit EX1000.COM.
