Argentina recognizes vehicle homologation from the US NHTSA

The National Executive Branch published Decree 796/2026, which replaces article 28 of the General Regulations of Law 24,449 to incorporate the recognition of the Blue Ribbon Letter issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as sufficient documentation to prove compliance with the active and passive safety requirements of vehicles. The regulation, signed by President Javier Milei and countersigned by Diego César Santilli and Luis Andrés Caputo, was published in the Official Gazette on August 26, 2026, and entered into force the following day.

What changes in homologation

The new text of article 28 establishes that every mass-produced 0 km motor vehicle, trailer, and semi-trailer, whether manufactured in the country or imported, must have the Model Configuration License (LCM) and the Environmental Configuration License (LCA) to be released for public traffic. The LCM is granted through the Secretariat of Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises of the Ministry of Economy, while the LCA is the responsibility of the Secretariat of Tourism, Environment, and Sports of the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The central novelty is that, for vehicles manufactured under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) regulations, those possessing the endorsement of the NHTSA’s Blue Ribbon Letter, stating the brand, model, and vehicle identification number (VIN), will be homologated. This recognition will not require safety requirements additional to those demanded by the U.S. agency.

Obligations of manufacturers and importers

The regulation imposes new responsibilities on those who undergo homologation through this mechanism:

Immediately inform the competent authority of any sanction, investigation, determination of non-compliance, or recall campaign ordered by the authorities of the issuing country.
Replicate in the Argentine Republic the corrective actions derived from such circumstances.
Acknowledge that failure to implement corrective actions may lead to the suspension or revocation of the granted homologation.

The concealment, omission, or falsification of information in the sworn statement, certifications, or homologations will be classified as a serious offense according to article 77, subsection j) of the annex, without prejudice to the corresponding civil or criminal liability.

Regulatory framework and background

The measure is issued within the framework of File No. EX-2026-70209657-APN-DGDMDP#MEC and modifies the regulations approved as ANNEX 1 by Decree No. 779/95 and its amendments. The U.S. system is structured on a regime of manufacturer self-certification regarding FMVSS, subject to the supervision and subsequent oversight powers of the NHTSA, an agency of the United States Department of Transportation.

The decree emphasizes that the validation of these certifications is consistent with the principles of administrative simplification, regulatory efficiency, and the recognition of international technical standards. The incorporation of this mechanism does not limit the oversight powers of the competent authority nor exempt manufacturers and importers from their responsibilities arising from the manufacture, import, and commercialization of the vehicles.

Impact for the sector

The reform simplifies the homologation process for new cars of U.S. origin by recognizing NHTSA certification as equivalent to local active and passive safety verification. For manufacturers and importers, this reduces the administrative burden and accelerates the release of vehicles for traffic, although it maintains the obligation to replicate in the country any recall campaign or corrective measure ordered at the origin.

Source: Official Gazette of the Argentine Republic, August 26, 2026, First section (official reference: DECTO-2026-796-APN-PTE).