DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING The Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles (Director), pursuant to the

authority set forth in Sections 1825 and 1826 of the Department of Motor Vehicles sta!lishment "ct of 1##8, effecti$e March 26, 1### (D%&% 'a( 12)1*5+ D%&% ,fficial &ode -- 5.)#./ and 5.)#.5 (2.12 0epl%))+ Sections 6 and * of the District of &olum!ia Traffic "ct of 1#25, appro$ed March 1, 1#25 (/1 Stat% 1121+ D%&% ,fficial &ode -- 5.)22.1%.1 and 5.)1/.1%.1 (2.12 0epl%))+ and the 2"utonomous Vehicle "ct of 2.123, effecti$e "pril 21, 2.11 (D%&% 'a( 1#)2*8+ D%&% ,fficial &ode - 5.)2151 et seq.), here!y 4i$es notice of the intent to adopt the follo(in4 rulema5in4 that (ill amend &hapters 1 (6ssuance of Dri$er7s 'icenses), / (Motor Vehicle Title and 0e4istration), and 2. (Traffic 0e4ulations8 "pplica!ility and nforcement) of Title 18 (Vehicles and Traffic) of the District of &olum!ia Municipal 0e4ulations (D&M0)% The proposed rule (ill esta!lish a class of autonomous $ehicles and procedures and fees for the re4istration, titlin4, and issuance of permits to operate autonomous $ehicles% The Director also 4i$es notice of her intent to ta5e final rulema5in4 action to adopt these rules in not less than thirty (1.) days after the date of pu!lication of this notice in the D.C. Register. Title 18, VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, of the DCMR is !e"#e# s follo$s% Ch &te' 1, ISSUANCE OF DRIVER(S LICENSES, is !e"#e# s follo$s% A "e$ Se)tio" 11*, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENDORSEMENT, is ##e# to 'e # s follo$s% 11* 11/%1 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENDORSEMENT " person must o!tain an 2"3 endorsement on his or her dri$er license from the Director !efore the person may operate an autonomous $ehicle in the District, e$en if the person intends to operate an autonomous $ehicle only in the non)autonomous mode% " person may apply for an 2"3 endorsement !y su!mittin4 an application on a form pro$ided !y the Director% "n applicant for an 2"3 endorsement shall as part of the application8 (a) "c5no(led4e that the he or she is su!9ect at all times to the traffic la(s and other la(s applica!le to dri$ers and motor $ehicles operated in the District and that, for the purpose of enforcin4 the traffic la(s and other la(s applica!le to dri$ers and motor $ehicles operated in the District, he or she (ill !e deemed the dri$er of an autonomous $ehicle that he or she is operatin4 in autonomous mode+
1

11/%2 11/%1

(!)

&ertify that he or she (as trained !y a $ehicle manufacturer or a $ehicle dealer in the operation of an autonomous $ehicle and has recei$ed instruction concernin4 the capa!ilities and limitations of an autonomous $ehicle+ and :ro$ide such additional information as the Director deems necessary to determine the competency and eli4i!ility of the applicant to operate an autonomous $ehicle in autonomous mode%

(c)

11/%5

The application for an 2"3 endorsement shall !e accompanied !y a fee of t(enty dollars (;2.)%

Ch &te' *, MOTOR VEHICLE TITLE AND REGISTRATION, is !e"#e# s follo$s Se)tio" *+1, APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF TITLE, is !e"#e# ,- ##i". "e$ S/,se)tio"s *+1011, *+102+, "# *+1021 to 'e # s follo$s% /.1%1# <efore an autonomous $ehicle, as defined in Section (1) of the "utonomous Vehicle "ct of 2.12, effecti$e "pril 21, 2.11 (D%&% 'a( 1#)2*8+ D%&% ,fficial &ode - 5.) 2151(1) (2.12 0epl%)), may !e titled in the District, a certificate of compliance issued !y $ehicle manufacturer or an autonomous technolo4y certification facility, as defined in Section /.1%22, must !e issued for the autonomous technolo4y installed on the autonomous $ehicle !y the manufacturer of the autonomous $ehicle% " certificate of compliance issued pursuant to - /.1%1# must certify that the autonomous technolo4y installed on the autonomous $ehicle8 (a) (!) 6s safe to operate in the District+ =as a separate mechanism in addition to, and separate from, any other mechanism re>uired !y la(, to capture and store the autonomous technolo4y sensor data for at least thirty (1.) seconds !efore a collision occurs !et(een the autonomous $ehicle and another $ehicle, o!9ect or person (hile the $ehicle is operatin4 in autonomous mode+ captures autonomous technolo4y sensor data and stores it in a read)only format so that the data is retained until e?tracted from the mechanism !y an e?ternal de$ice capa!le of do(nloadin4 and storin4 the data+ and (ill preser$e the autonomous technolo4y sensor data for at least three (1) years after the date of a collision% The pro$isions of this para4raph do not authori@e or re>uire the modification of any other mechanism to record data that is installed on the autonomous $ehicle in compliance (ith federal la(+ =as a s(itch to en4a4e and disen4a4e the autonomous $ehicle that is easily accessi!le to the operator of the autonomous $ehicle and is not

/.1%2.

(c)

li5ely to distract the operator from focusin4 on the road (hile en4a4in4 or disen4a4in4 the autonomous $ehicle+ (d) (e) =as a $isual indicator inside the autonomous $ehicle (hich indicates (hen the autonomous $ehicle is en4a4ed in autonomous mode+ =as a system to alert the operator of the autonomous $ehicle if a technolo4y failure is detected (hile the autonomous $ehicle is en4a4ed in autonomous mode, and (hen such an alert is 4i$en, either8 (1) (2) 0e>uires the operator to ta5e control of the autonomous $ehicle+ or &auses the autonomous $ehicle to safely mo$e out of traffic and come to a stop if the operator is una!le to ta5e control of the autonomous $ehicle%

(f) (4) (h)

Does not ad$ersely affect any other safety features of the autonomous $ehicle (hich are su!9ect to federal re4ulation+ 6s capa!le of !ein4 operated in compliance (ith the applica!le traffic la(s of the District+ and "llo(s the operator to ta5e control of the autonomous $ehicle in multiple manners, includin4, (ithout limitation, throu4h the use of the !ra5e, the accelerator pedal, and the steerin4 (heel and (hen such an action is ta5en alerts the operator that the autonomous mode has !een disen4a4ed%

/.1%21

6n addition to the re>uirements set forth in - /.1%2., the certificate of compliance must certify that an o(ner7s manual has !een prepared for the autonomous $ehicle (hich descri!es any limitations and capa!ilities of the autonomous $ehicle% " licensed $ehicle dealer shall ensure that a copy of the manual is pro$ided to the ori4inal purchaser of an autonomous $ehicle% "n autonomous technolo4y certification facility is an entity licensed !y the District or any other A%S% 9urisdiction, (hich has the necessary 5no(led4e and e?pertise to certify the safety of autonomous $ehicles, includin4, (ithout limitation, (hether the autonomous $ehicle meets the re>uirements for the issuance of a certificate of compliance%

/.1%22

A "e$ Se)tio" *34, AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TAGS, is ##e# to 'e # s follo$s *34 /16%1 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TAGS The Director shall desi4n a ta4 to !e used solely on $ehicles titled as autonomous%

/16%2

" person shall apply for such an autonomous $ehicle ta4 !y su!mittin4 an application on a form pro$ided !y the Director%

Ch &te' 2+, TRAFFIC REGULATIONS% APPLICA5ILIT6 AND ENFORCEMENT, is !e"#e# s follo$s% A "e$ Se)tio" 2++3, AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGIES, is ##e# to 'e # s follo$s% 2++3 2..1%1 VEHICLES AND AUTOMATED

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGIES Bor the purpose of enforcin4 the traffic la(s and other la(s applica!le to dri$ers and motor $ehicles operated in the District, the operator of a $ehicle usin4 automated technolo4ies, includin4 the operator or an autonomous $ehicle as defined in Section 2(1) of the "utonomous Vehicle "ct of 2.12, effecti$e "pril 21, 2.11 (D%&% 'a( 1#)2*8+ D%&% ,fficial &ode - 5.)2151(1)), that is operated in autonomous mode, shall !e deemed the dri$er of the $ehicle%

"ll persons desirin4 to comment on the su!9ect matter of this proposed rulema5in4 should file comments, in (ritin4, to Da$id Classer, Ceneral &ounsel, D%&% Department of Motor Vehicles, #5 M Street, S%D%, Suite 1.., Dashin4ton, D%&% 2..2/ or online at (((%dcre4s%dc%4o$% &omments must !e recei$ed not later than thirty (1.) days after the pu!lication of this notice in the D.C. Register% &opies of this proposal may !e o!tained, at cost, !y (ritin4 to the a!o$e address%