China has issued its first mandatory national standard governing the safety of automated driving systems in intelligent connected vehicles. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced on 4 August 2026 that the standard “Safety Requirements for Automated Driving Systems of Intelligent Connected Vehicles” (GB 44721—2026) had been approved and released on 30 July 2026 by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Standardization Administration of China.
The standard is a mandatory national standard (a “GB” standard, as distinct from a recommended “GB/T” standard) and is scheduled to take effect on 1 July 2027.
What the Standard Covers
GB 44721—2026 applies to M-category and N-category vehicles equipped with Level 3 (conditional automation) and Level 4 (high automation) driving systems. It does not apply to automated parking systems.
The standard establishes a comprehensive safety framework built around four main areas:
- Full-lifecycle safety management by manufacturers. Vehicle makers must establish safety capabilities spanning design and development, manufacturing, and post-deployment, addressing safety policy, risk management, safety assurance, and safety improvement, and must carry out simulation, test-track, and road testing during development and validation.
- Dynamic driving task performance. An automated driving system must perform at least to the level of a competent and attentive human driver carrying out the dynamic driving task, without creating unreasonable safety risks for users or other road users. The standard also sets requirements for triggering and executing a minimum-risk strategy.
- Human-machine interaction and user information. Activation and deactivation of the system must be safe, with clear status signalling for ready, active, and exit states. Level 3 systems must additionally monitor the driver’s ability to take over. Manufacturers must clearly inform users of the automation level, capability boundaries, limitations, control strategy, and role transitions.
- Multi-dimensional inspection and testing. The standard builds an integrated verification regime combining enterprise safety-capability inspection, safety-archive inspection, and confirmatory testing, with third-party bodies conducting test-track, road, and simulation testing under the related recommended national standards (GB/T 41798, GB/T 44719, and GB/T 47025).
Alignment With International Regulation
The standard is closely coordinated with the United Nations Global Technical Regulation on Automated Driving Systems (ADS GTR), which was approved in June 2026 and which China played a leading role in developing. Compared with the ADS GTR, China’s standard sets more detailed technical requirements for Level 3 and Level 4 systems, further clarifying the safety boundaries for each level while remaining aligned with the international framework and tailored to China’s road-traffic environment.
Why This Matters
For automakers and automated driving technology developers, GB 44721—2026 establishes a unified safety baseline for market access for automated driving products in China. As a mandatory standard, compliance will be a precondition for placing qualifying L3 and L4 vehicles on the Chinese market once the standard takes effect.
The context is a fast-moving market: China’s automated driving technology has been advancing rapidly, and in 2025 two L3 (conditional automation) models received conditional access approval. MIIT has indicated it will strengthen product access management for intelligent connected vehicles and continue developing supporting standards, including for testing methods and safety-event data.
What Manufacturers Should Do Now
Automakers and automated driving system suppliers targeting the Chinese market should:
- Confirm whether their products fall within scope (L3/L4 systems on M- and N-category vehicles).
- Review their safety management, risk management, and validation processes against the standard’s full-lifecycle requirements.
- Assess human-machine interaction, status signalling, and (for L3) driver-takeover monitoring against the new requirements.
- Plan for the confirmatory testing regime (test-track, road, and simulation) ahead of the 1 July 2027 implementation date.
To read the official documentation (Mandarin only), refer below.
How C-PRAV Can Support You
C-PRAV helps manufacturers and suppliers achieve global market access and regulatory compliance across automotive and electronics sectors. As vehicles become increasingly connected and automated, our team can support your compliance strategy with EMC, radio, safety, and environmental testing for automotive and intelligent connected vehicle components, and help you navigate the standards and documentation needed for your target markets.
Have questions? We’re here to help.