(a) With respect to any motor vehicle for which it must provide a certificate of conformity to the Administrator as required by §592.6(d), a Registered Importer shall not obtain title, licensing, or registration of the motor vehicle for use on the public roads, or release custody of it for such titling, licensing, or registration, except in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(b) When conformance modifications to a motor vehicle have been completed, a Registered Importer shall submit the certification required by §592.6(d) to the Administrator. In certifying a vehicle that the Administrator has determined to be substantially similar to one that has been certified by its original manufacturer for sale in the United States, the Registered Importer may rely on any certification by the original manufacturer with respect to identical safety features if it also certifies that any modification that it undertook did not affect the compliance of such safety features. Each submission shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by private express delivery service to: Director, Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fourth Floor, Room W43-481, Mail Code NVS-220, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590 or delivered in person. Each submission shall identify the location where the vehicle will be stored and is available for inspection, pending NHTSA action upon the submission.

(c) Before the end of the 30th calendar day after receiving a complete certification under §592.6(d), the Administrator may notify the Registered Importer in writing that an inspection of the vehicle is required to verify the certification. Written notice includes a proposed inspection date, which is as soon as practicable. If inspection of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle has been properly certified, at the conclusion of the inspection the Registered Importer is provided an instrument of release. If inspection of the vehicle shows that the vehicle has not been properly certified, the Registered Importer shall either make the modifications necessary to substantiate its certification, and provide a new certification for the standard(s) in the manner provided for in paragraph (b) of this section, or deliver the vehicle to the Secretary of the Treasury for export, or abandon it to the United States. Before the end of the 30th calendar day after receipt of new certification, the Administrator may require a further inspection in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.

(d) The Administrator may by written notice request the Registered Importer to verify its certification of a motor vehicle before the end of the 30th calendar day after the date the Administrator receives a complete certification under §592.6(d). If the basis for such request is that the certification is false or contains a misrepresentation, the Registered Importer shall be afforded an opportunity to present written data, views, and arguments as to why the certification is not false or misleading or does not contain a misrepresentation. The Administrator may require an inspection pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section. The motor vehicle and performance bond involved shall not be released unless the Administrator is satisfied with the certification.

(e) If the Registered Importer has received no written notice from the Administrator by the end of the 30th calendar day after it has furnished a complete certification under section 592.6(d) of this chapter, the Registered Importer may release the vehicle from custody, sell or offer it for sale, or have it titled, licensed, or registered for use on the public roads.

(f) If the Administrator accepts a certification without requiring an inspection, (s)he notifies the Registered Importer in writing, and provides a copy to the importer of record. Such notification shall be provided not later than the 25th calendar day after the Administrator has received such certification.

(g) Release of the performance bond shall constitute acceptance of certification or completion of inspection of the vehicle concerned, but shall not preclude a subsequent decision by the Administrator pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 30118 that the vehicle fails to conform to any applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standard.

[54 FR 40090, Sept. 29, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 37330, Sept. 11, 1990; 59 FR 52098, Oct. 14, 1994; 69 FR 52100, Aug. 24, 2004; 76 FR 53080, Aug. 25, 2011]