§30114 Special Exemptions

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation can let certain motor vehicles or vehicle parts skip the normal federal safety rule for research, training, demonstrations, racing, shows, or similar uses. The Secretary also must allow up to 325 replica motor vehicles a year to be exempt from section 30112(a) if made or imported by a qualifying "low-volume manufacturer." Those exempt vehicles are also free from sections 32304, 32502, 32902, and section 3 of the Automobile Information Disclosure Act (15 U.S.C. 1232). A low-volume maker must register with the Secretary, put a permanent label on each exempt vehicle saying which standards are waived, that it is a replica, and the model year it copies, and file an annual report listing the exempt vehicles and the listed exemptions. The Secretary has 90 days to approve or deny a registration, with an extra 30 days if the filing is incomplete; if not decided in time, the registration is treated as approved. The Secretary can revoke registration for noncompliance or serious safety defects, and exemptions cannot be transferred and expire at year-end if unused. The Secretary must keep and publish an up-to-date list of registrants and exempt makes/models. Definitions (one line each): Low-volume manufacturer — a maker whose worldwide annual production is 5,000 vehicles or fewer. Replica motor vehicle — a vehicle meant to look like a car made at least 25 years earlier and built under a license from the original rights holder. State titling and registration rules still apply.