FHWA's Interim Approvals Status in California

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Section 1B.03 of the National Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition (Section 1A.10 of CA MUTCD 2014 Revision 9) contains a provision authorizing the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to issue Interim Approvals (IAs) and Section 1B.07 contains more information. Such approvals allow the interim use, pending official rulemaking, of a new traffic control device, a revision to the application or manner of use of an existing traffic control device, or a provision not specifically described in the MUTCD. IAs are considered by the Office Transportation Operations based on the results of successful experimentation, studies, or research, and an intention to place the new or revised device into a future rulemaking process for MUTCD revisions. IAs issued by FHWA are available, with links to the actual approval document and background information.

Any agency in California can request and receive approval to use a device under the IA process directly from FHWA. However, until the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the California Traffic Control Device Committee (CTCDC) have reviewed and recommended approval of a particular IA, its use by any agency in California can constitute a violation of the California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21400 and 21401. Also, if the agency installs the device under FHWA’s approval and later upon review by Caltrans and the CTCDC the particular device is not recommended for use in California, the agency will have to remove the device or potentially be in conflict with CVC 21400 and 21401.

To alleviate these concerns, Caltrans and the CTCDC have agreed to review each IA issued by FHWA at their earliest convenience for its application in California. If the IA is recommended for use in California, then Caltrans will request FHWA’s approval for its use on a blanket basis statewide, eliminating the need for individual agencies to seek FHWA approval.  If the IA is not recommended for use in California, then Caltrans will publicize the status of the particular IA on this website.

Status of Interim Approvals issued by FHWA in California

The table below lists IAs issued by the FHWA that are currently valid under the National MUTCD 11th Edition. The CA MUTCD is currently being revised to be in substantial conformation with the National MUTCD 11th Edition update, and the IAs below are under review by Caltrans.

The table below lists IAs that have been incorporated into the 2009 National MUTCD (and the current CA MUTCD), have been terminated by FHWA and are no longer in effect. Any highway agency that installed these devices under these IAs should consult the current CA MUTCD sections applicable to these devices and revise their installations as needed to comply with the adopted provisions of the CA MUTCD.

The table below lists IAs that have been incorporated into the National MUTCD 11th Edition, either in whole or in part, and thus have been terminated by FHWA. The CA MUTCD is currently being revised to be in substantial conformance with the National MUTCD 11th Edition update, and is still based on the previous National MUTCD. Therefore, the IAs in the table below are still valid in California.

This below IA was not incorporated into the 2009 National MUTCD and FHWA does not intend to incorporate it into any future editions of the National MUTCD. It has been terminated by the FHWA in a memorandum dated December 21, 2017, and is no longer in effect. It has not been incorporated into the CA MUTCD.

Note: Interim Approvals issued prior to the effective date of the latest edition of the CA MUTCD are also listed in Table 1A-101(CA). This webpage contains a list of all interim approvals, including those issued after the effective date of the latest edition of the CA MUTCD.