in effect
This is a “final rule; delay of effective date” issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It does not create new safety requirements; it postpones when an already-published rule takes effect. The postponement was made under a January 20, 2025 presidential memorandum, “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” which directed agencies to hold off on newly issued regulations so officials could review them.
An earlier final rule, published January 3, 2025 (90 FR 390), amended Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 (“Occupant crash protection”) to require a seat belt use warning system for rear seats and to strengthen the warning requirements for the front outboard (window) seats. This document pushes that rule’s effective date back to March 20, 2025. The delay itself took effect immediately when published on February 14, 2025. NHTSA skipped the usual public comment process, citing “good cause” exceptions in federal law (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B) and 553(d)(3)), stating that comment was impractical given how soon the original rule was set to take effect and that a short delay for further agency review served the public interest.
Vehicle manufacturers subject to FMVSS No. 208 are directly affected, because the deadline for the new and enhanced seat belt warning requirements is moved later, giving more time before compliance is required. NHTSA and Department of Transportation officials are affected because the delay gives them additional time to review and reconsider the underlying rule. The document does not describe any change to the substance of the seat belt warning requirements themselves — only the date they become effective.