China Autonomous Driving Safety Standard Sets Unified L3 and L4 Baseline

China has introduced its first nationwide safety benchmark for autonomous driving systems, creating a unified regulatory framework for intelligent connected vehicles equipped with Level 3 (L3) and Level 4 (L4) autonomous technologies. The mandatory national standard, titled GB 44721-2026, establishes comprehensive safety, testing and validation requirements intended to ensure autonomous driving systems operate at a safety level comparable to that of a competent and attentive human driver. The regulation is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2027.

The new standard, officially named Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (GB 44721-2026), was approved on July 30 by the China State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration before being announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). It applies to M-category and N-category vehicles equipped with L3 and L4 autonomous driving systems, while automated parking systems remain outside its scope.

Core Safety Requirements for Autonomous Driving Systems

The regulation specifies that autonomous driving systems must achieve a safety level at least equivalent to that of a competent and attentive driver performing the complete dynamic driving task. In addition, these systems must not introduce unreasonable safety risks to vehicle occupants or other road users. The framework establishes a consistent national safety baseline as intelligent connected vehicle deployment continues to expand across the market.

Level 3 Driver Monitoring Requirements

For L3 autonomous driving systems, manufacturers must implement functions capable of continuously monitoring whether drivers are ready to resume control whenever required. The regulation also requires safe activation and deactivation procedures while ensuring vehicles clearly indicate operational states including ready, active and exited. These measures are intended to reduce misuse and improve safe transitions between automated and manual driving.

Manufacturer Safety Responsibilities

Vehicle manufacturers are required to establish safeguarding capabilities covering the complete vehicle lifecycle, including design, development, production and post-deployment activities. Compliance must address four major dimensions comprising safety policy, risk management, safety assurance and continuous safety improvement. Companies are also expected to maintain processes that support ongoing monitoring and refinement of autonomous driving performance after vehicles enter the market.

Testing and Validation Requirements

Manufacturers must perform simulation testing, test-track evaluations and public road testing throughout research and validation activities while ensuring testing resources and operating conditions satisfy regulatory requirements. The standard also requires companies to provide clear user guidance through owner manuals, official websites and in-vehicle displays, explaining automation capabilities, operating limitations and changes to driver responsibilities to reduce misuse or overreliance.

Autonomous Driving Validation Framework

The standard introduces a comprehensive verification framework that combines corporate safeguarding capability assessments, safety dossier reviews and confirmatory testing. Independent third-party testing organizations will conduct confirmatory evaluations using a combination of simulation environments, closed test tracks and public road testing before systems can demonstrate compliance with national safety requirements.

China's Autonomous Driving Standard Development

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology assigned the National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization to begin drafting the standard during 2025. In June 2026, the United Nations approved and published the global technical regulation on autonomous driving systems (ADS GTR), which was led by China. According to MIIT, the domestic regulation provides more detailed technical requirements for L3 and L4 systems while establishing a unified standardized testing scenario framework.

Recent Autonomous Driving Progress in China

China granted its first approvals for conventional passenger vehicles equipped with L3 autonomous driving capabilities in December 2025. The approvals covered models from Changan Automobile's Deepal brand and BAIC Group's Arcfox brand. MIIT official Guo Shougang recently stated that passenger vehicle penetration of L2 combined driver assistance systems has reached 70.5% this year, while navigation-on-autopilot (NOA) features have achieved a penetration rate of 34.2%.

Key Milestones in China's Autonomous Driving Safety Framework

Looking ahead, the MIIT said it will continue strengthening market access management for intelligent connected vehicles while expanding supporting standards covering autonomous driving test methods and safety incident data exchange. The initiative is expected to provide a more consistent regulatory foundation as autonomous driving technologies continue advancing across the Chinese automotive industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is China's new autonomous driving safety standard and who must comply with it?
The GB 44721-2026 standard is China's first mandatory nationwide safety regulation for autonomous driving systems used in intelligent connected vehicles equipped with Level 3 and Level 4 automation. Effective from July 1, 2027, it applies to M-category and N-category vehicles while excluding automated parking systems. The regulation establishes unified safety, testing, validation and lifecycle management requirements that vehicle manufacturers must satisfy before deploying autonomous driving technologies in the Chinese market.