Global Trends in Autonomous Driving Regulations (2026)

Autonomous driving-related laws in Europe, the U.S., Germany, and the UK

2026/06/19

Summary
2026: UNECE GRVA Revision
Status of Autonomous Driving Legislation in the United States
Challenges of domestic legislation essential for the introduction of autonomous driving

Summary

This Technology Brief provides a comprehensive overview of the accelerated trends in autonomous driving regulations and international standardization from 2025 to 2026, examining case studies from Europe (UNECE GRVA in 2026), the U.S., Germany, and the UK.

In February 2026, the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) published a draft of the L4 ADS (Automated Driving Systems) international regulations by GRVA (Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles). This draft represents an advancement of the existing autonomous driving laws. It incorporates in-vehicle requirements for unmanned autonomous driving into the framework of Level 4 design requirements, in addition to the Level 3 autonomous driving systems of the current international regulation WP.29. The GRVA draft moves beyond the traditional focus on in-vehicle requirements and partially incorporates operational requirements that are essential for advancing AV (autonomous vehicle) deployment.
While the U.S. is primarily relies on decentralized state and city-level authorization for autonomous driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a regulation in June 2025 to streamline the exemption system for autonomous vehicles under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), which establish requirements for in-vehicle functions. This report explains the latest developments in U.S. federal government legislation related to autonomous driving.
To better understand the challenges involved in developing domestic AV legislation, this section examines two representative examples: Germany’s Remote Control Act (StVFernLV), which came into effect in December 2025, and the UK’s AV Act, which was enacted in May 2024. It specifically outlines the requirements of each law and the gaps that have become apparent since their implementation.

While Europe is leading the way in establishing regulatory frameworks first, the U.S. and China are driving the development of these frameworks through large-scale driving data and commercial operations. Leading autonomous driving companies are driving the development of legislation in various countries by self-certifying their ADS and demonstrating compliance with international safety standards through third-party organizations. In conclusion, the key to international competition in autonomous driving lies in a strategy of accumulating data and verification based on UNECE international standards and cyclically reflecting that in the regulations.

Overall, this report argues that cyclical regulatory formation, through the contrast between "implementation-first" and "normative-first" approaches, is the key to international competition.

Material from: Toru Nagai [Technology Brief] 2026 Global Trends in Autonomous Driving Regulations [March 3, 2026] [Right reserved VSI AV Insight powered by Go2Marketing LLC 2026] reproduced with permission of Go2Marketing LLC.

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