China proposes new rules for automated-driving indicator lights
Draft GB 4785 would reserve external turquoise ADS lights for Level 3 and higher vehicles, with rules proposed from 2028.
From 2028, China may change how automated driving is signalled to people outside a car. The proposed turquoise body lights would be reserved for vehicles with Level 3 or higher systems. Cars equipped only with Level 2 driver assistance could not use dedicated ADS indicators. Driver-assistance functions themselves would remain permitted: the proposal governs external signalling, not the technology.
The provisions appear in a draft revision of Chinese standard GB 4785 presented by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on October 20, 2026. The standard covers the installation of external vehicle lighting and signalling. The draft specifies a blue-green, or turquoise, colour for ADS indicators and rules for their placement and operation.
Importantly, fitting the lights would be optional. Manufacturers of Level 3 and higher automated-driving vehicles could install external indicators, but would not be required to do so. If they choose to fit them, the number, placement and operating logic would have to comply with the standard.
For passenger cars under six metres long, the proposal provides for indicators at the front, rear and sides. The described layout uses at least six lights: two at the front, two at the rear and one on each side. The aim is to make an active automated-driving mode visible to other road users.
Manual activation would not be allowed. Under the proposal, all ADS indicators must illuminate automatically when Level 3 or higher automated driving is engaged and go out when it ends. They must not be used while only Level 2 assistance is active. The lights would thus signal the operating mode rather than merely the presence of advanced equipment.
That distinction matters for navigation-assisted driving, known as NOA, which can follow routes, change lanes and negotiate intersections. Despite such capabilities, a system may still be Level 2. In that case the driver must continually monitor traffic and remain responsible for driving. Navigation assistance alone does not make a car a Level 3 automated vehicle.
The GB 4785 draft also addresses other external lighting. Its proposals include limits on displaying text or decorative images resembling human or animal faces and additional rules for lighting controls. Exceptions and technical conditions are envisaged for certain lighting types, including illuminated badges.
The proposed effective date is January 1, 2028, but public consultation on the draft is scheduled to continue until December 19, 2026. Different provisions may have separate transitional periods, so the deadlines for new and previously certified models will depend on the final adopted text.
China is therefore seeking a clear distinction between external signalling for ordinary driver assistance and indicators for actual Level 3 or higher automated driving. If adopted as drafted, turquoise lights would indicate an active ADS mode, not every advanced assistant. For now, these are proposed rules that may change following consultation.