The competent authority for motor vehicle safety certification in the United States is the Department of Transportation (DOT), which consists of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Marine Administration (MARAD), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Office of the Attorney General (OST) and other departments.

The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the U.S. government agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and other motor vehicle safety related laws. Under this authority, NHTSA issues and enforces Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) applicable to motor vehicles and specific motor vehicle parts. The implementing regulations are listed in Article 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 500-599.

The implementation of the United States Vehicle Safety Act aims to reduce traffic accidents and deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents. The Vehicle Safety Act requires that each FMVSS regulation must be enforceable, meet motor vehicle safety needs, and be stated in objective terms. On February 3, 1967, NHTSA issued the final regulation to establish the first version of FMVSS.

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of the United States stipulates that all motor vehicle parts subject to the safety laws must pass certification before entering the United States market to prove that the parts meet the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). Vehicle parts not subject to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) do not need to be certified. However, once NHTSA or the manufacturer finds that these products have safety related defects, the product manufacturer has the obligation to notify all users of the parts in a timely manner and remedy the related defects free of charge.

Manufacturers may be subject to substantial civil penalties for failing to meet the regulatory and regulatory requirements of NHTSA. At present, the penalty amount includes a fine of $21000 for a single violation and a maximum fine of $105000000 for multiple related violations. For example, if the manufacturer fails to notify the user or NHTSA of the product nonconformity or defect, the manufacturer may be subject to substantial civil penalties.