China is done taking self-driving software at its word. For the first time, the country has introduced a mandatory nationwide safety bar for cars capable of handling every driving task on their own — no exceptions, no shortcuts. The standard, GB 44721-2026, was published on July 30 and takes effect on July 1, 2027. It covers passenger and cargo vehicles at Level 3 and Level 4, but automated parking systems are left out.
The requirement is blunt: an autopilot has to drive at least as well as a qualified, attentive human driver. The system must never create unreasonable risk, and if it fails or drifts outside its approved conditions, it has to carry out a minimum-risk maneuver — for instance, slowing down and stopping safely. For Level 3, there's a separate check on whether the human is actually ready to take back control.
The car must clearly signal when autopilot switches on or off, when it's asking the driver to take over, and when the driver's role changes. Manufacturers are also required to disclose the system's real limits and boundaries — not just buried in a manual, but on the company website or the car's own display. One flawless demo drive won't cut it anymore.
Companies now have to build safety oversight that spans everything from design to how cars behave once they're already on the road, keep a technical dossier, and run simulation, proving-ground, and real-road tests. Third-party organizations will carry out the final checks using multiple methods. The new standard fully replaces the voluntary GB/T 44721-2024. But it doesn't turn today's common Level 2 systems into true autopilot, and it doesn't hand every car a free pass to drive itself — that part is easy to miss.
In 2025, just two L3 models received conditional approval in China. Getting any specific car cleared still takes a separate procedure. So buyers will need to look past the word “smart” in an ad and check the officially confirmed automation level, along with the roads, speeds, and weather conditions the system is actually built to handle.
