Interpretation ID: nht92-8.49

DATE: February 19, 1992

FROM: Paul Jackson Rice -- Chief Counsel, NHTSA

TO: Richard W. Balsama, Esq.

TITLE: None

TEXT:

In response to your inquiry concerning the applicability of the Federal motor vehicle safety standards to new motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment offered for sale in the territories of the United States, I refer you to the definition of "State" in section 102 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 1391):

(8) "State" includes each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Canal Zone, and American Samoa.

Section 108 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 1397) in turn provides that a new motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment may not be offered for sale in the United States unless it conforms to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Based on these provisions, the answer to your inquiry is that the vehicles and equipment in question must conform to the standards.