Intermediate2h 36m # US Automotive Compliance Course: FMVSS & EPA US automotive products compliance: NHTSA self-certification, FMVSS standards, EPA and CARB emissions, VIN rules, labeling, defect reporting and recalls. A manufacturer assumes, coming from a type-approval background, that some government body reviews and approves a vehicle before it reaches the market — and only learns after a NHTSA inquiry that no such approval ever existed, that self-certification placed the entire due care burden on the manufacturer from day one. A company certifies a component based solely on a supplier's generic test data without confirming it reflects the actual application, and the due care defense collapses the moment a real discrepancy surfaces. A team ships nationally on a federal-only emissions assumption, unaware that California's separate CARB framework, and the Section 177 states that mirror it, apply independently — and that the legal status of several major California emissions programs is, as of this course's production, genuinely unsettled through ongoing litigation. None of this is exotic — it's the ordinary, predictable cost of treating US automotive compliance as a formality rather than the manufacturer-driven legal framework it actually is. This course teaches the complete US automotive products compliance framework from first principles to full practical application. You'll learn exactly how self-certification works under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, what due care actually requires, how to correctly scope a product as a motor vehicle or item of equipment, and how to complete Part 566 and Part 551 manufacturer registration. You'll go deep on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing crashworthiness and crash avoidance, on building a genuine self-certification compliance file, and on VIN requirements under Part 565. From there, the course covers federal EPA emissions certification, the California/CARB emissions framework and its currently volatile waiver litigation, the Section 177 multi-state patchwork, CARB Executive Orders for aftermarket parts, labeling and certification requirements, defect and recall reporting under the TREAD Act, post-market obligations and recordkeeping, enforcement and penalties, a full walkthrough case study on a low-speed electric utility vehicle, common mistakes, and your own concrete action plan close out the course. Built on Krono's regulatory database and current guidance, covering the Safety Act, the Clean Air Act, FMVSS, and EPA/CARB frameworks as they stood at the time of this course's production — including explicit treatment of the genuinely unresolved 2025 Congressional Review Act litigation over California's emissions waivers. This course contains the use of artificial intelligence for asthetic purposes. * Includes the ebook edition, free * 8 downloadable resources included ## What you'll learn * Build a genuine, audit-ready self-certification compliance file with properly matched evidence and a documented internal sign-off process * Assign VINs correctly under Part 565, and navigate federal EPA emissions certification for a specific engine family or powertrain * Navigate the California/CARB emissions framework, the Section 177 multi-state patchwork, and the CARB Executive Order process for aftermarket parts * Run a durable post-market compliance program: defect and recall reporting under the TREAD Act, recordkeeping, change control, and enforcement readiness * Recognize and avoid the recurring, costly mistakes that turn a self-certified product into a compliance or enforcement finding ## Requirements * ·No prior US regulatory or automotive engineering background required — the course builds every concept from first principles * ·A working knowledge of your own product's configuration is helpful but not required * ·Engineers, product managers, compliance leads, and founders bringing a vehicle or automotive equipment product to the US market will all benefit $199.00 One-time purchase · Lifetime access · No subscription Less than one hour with a compliance consultant. [First lesson free to preview: US Market Automotive Products Compliance](#lesson-c7cb7c9e-6c4a-47bc-b578-5d412dbf3d45) * Explain how the US self-certification model actually works, what the due care legal standard requires, and how it differs fundamentally from a type-approval regime * Correctly scope a product as a motor vehicle or item of equipment, and complete Part 566 and, where applicable, Part 551 foreign manufacturer registration * Identify and apply the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing crashworthiness and crash avoidance relevant to a specific product configuration Includes the ebook edition, free — read it in your [library](/platform/books) after purchase. Enroll — $199.00 Secure checkout via Paddle Not what you expected? Contact us within 14 days. Built from a regulatory graph already at work 1,600 users this week 658 guides 323 product types 9 markets ## Course content 21 modules·156 min total The Big Picture Preview11 min The Legal & Regulatory Framework 10 min Scope: What Counts as a Motor Vehicle or Equipment 9 min The Self-Certification Model in Depth 8 min Manufacturer Identification & Foreign Agent Designation 8 min FMVSS Deep Dive I: Crashworthiness Standards 8 min FMVSS Deep Dive II: Crash Avoidance, Lighting & Visibility 8 min Building the Self-Certification Compliance File 7 min VIN Requirements 7 min Federal Emissions Certification 7 min The California/CARB Emissions Framework 7 min Section 177 States & the Multi-State Patchwork 7 min Aftermarket Parts & CARB Executive Orders 8 min Labeling & Certification Requirements 7 min Defect & Recall Reporting 7 min Post-Market Obligations & Recordkeeping 7 min Enforcement & Penalties 8 min Full Walkthrough: A Low-Speed Electric Utility Vehicle 8 min Common Mistakes 6 min Your Action Plan 7 min What's Next 0 min Enroll — $199.00 Need more than one? The **All-Access Krono Vault** unlocks every course and book for one payment, or put your whole team on it with **Krono Team Vault**. [See pricing](/pricing) Short on time? ### Rather hand it over than learn it? One consultant from Krono's compliance team takes your product from requirements to legal sale, with a fixed quote before any work starts. [See services](/services)