Five-year exemption begins October 7
FMCSA has granted Aurora Operations and other qualifying motor carriers a limited exemption allowing cab-mounted warning beacons to replace the traditional roadside warning devices required when certain commercial vehicles stop on a highway or shoulder. The exemption applies only to commercial motor vehicles equipped with a Level 4 automated driving system. It took effect October 7, 2026, and expires October 7, 2031.
Other carriers must notify FMCSA before using it
Aurora is covered directly. Any other motor carrier must send FMCSA written notice before beginning exempt operations, including its legal name, USDOT number, principal place of business, contact information, proof that it has compliant beacons and a certification under penalty of perjury that it will follow every condition. The exemption is not automatic merely because a truck has automated-driving technology.
Beacon design and activation are tightly specified
The system must include forward- and rearward-facing amber flashing lights that meet SAE J595 Class 1 photometric performance standards. At least one rear-facing light must be mounted on each side of the cab, with at least one forward-facing light on the front. The lights must be mounted at least 100 inches above the ground, use a flash rate different from the standard hazard flashers and have redundant power. They must activate as soon as possible and no later than five minutes after a covered stop, remain on for the entire stop and operate together with the truck’s standard hazard flashers.
The relief is limited by route, cargo and configuration
Operations must remain within the validated Operational Design Domain for the specific Level 4 truck. The exemption cannot be used for passenger service or hazmat operations that would require an H, X, P or S endorsement if a human driver were present. Longer combination vehicles are limited to doubles with two 28-foot trailers; triples are excluded. All other applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations continue to apply.
Reporting and oversight remain mandatory
A participating carrier must report a crash to FMCSA within five calendar days when the beacons were active or should have been active. It must also file an annual report by November 1 covering fleet size, miles traveled, beacon malfunctions or power issues, mounting locations and any equipment variations. FMCSA may revoke the exemption for noncompliance, reduced safety or inconsistency with federal safety objectives.
What the evidence does—and does not—show
FMCSA says 34 Aurora trucks traveled more than 500,000 miles under an earlier waiver, with the beacons active for nearly 10 hours and no reported faults, power issues or roadway collisions involving a stopped truck using the system. The agency also cited controlled studies finding comparable detection and response to beacons and triangles. Those findings support the limited exemption; they do not establish a blanket rule for conventional trucks or every automated-truck design.
Driver and fleet takeaway
Conventional CMV drivers must continue carrying and placing the warning devices required by 49 CFR 392.22 and 393.95; this exemption does not let them substitute a roof beacon. A Level 4 fleet considering the exemption should obtain written FMCSA notice confirmation before dispatch, document each truck’s beacon specifications and redundant power, add the system to pre-trip and remote-support checks, preserve activation and mileage records, and build five-day crash reporting plus November 1 annual reporting into its compliance calendar. Dispatch should also verify the route is inside the vehicle’s validated ODD and that the load and configuration are eligible.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Aurora Warning-Device Exemption
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