49 CFR § 552.5
Improperly filed petitions
November 18, 2020
(a) A petition that is not addressed as specified in §552.4, but that meets the other requirements of that section, will be treated as a properly filed petition, received as of the time it is discovered and identified.
(b) A document that fails to conform to one or more of the requirements of §552.4(a) through (e) will not be treated as a petition under this part. Such a document will be treated according to the existing correspondence or other appropriate procedures of the NHTSA, and any suggestions contained in it will be considered at the discretion of the Administrator or his delegate.