AMECA was formed in 1994 to continue the Equipment Compliance Program which was conducted by the American Association Of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) since 1967. AAMVA transferred all program documents, files, agreements and all information regarding the Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission to AMECA.
Automotive Manufacturers Equipment Compliance Agency, Inc. (AMECA) is the agent for various states of the United States to provide safety equipment compliance services. The AMECA program is the only program of its type in the United States. This Equipment Compliance Program is centralized, one-stop, and notifies government, industry and the general public about compliant motor vehicle safety equipment. Our Notice of Equipment Compliance is recognized as evidence of compliance with the regulatory requirements with our representative jurisdictions.
Every item listed by AMECA has been tested by an AMECA-accredited laboratory and found to be in compliance with applicable United States standards. Our clients are the national and international automotive industry, the standards-setting community, numerous state governments, as well as some foreign governments.
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) committees on lighting, brakes, emergency lighting and sirens, and the American National Standards Institute, (ANSI) Z26.1 committee on glazing materials are some consensus standards committees that AMECA staff members voluntarily participate on.
The AMECA Program is financed exclusively by fees received for processing submissions, laboratory audit charges and from listing fees and publications. We receive no funding from the states we represent or the general public.
Each day we receive communications from every corner of the world with questions we try to answer in order to help industry and governments carry out their needs and responsibilities.
AMECA serves the motoring public, state police and motor vehicle administrations to help prevent accidents due to substandard equipment.
AMECA has Automotive Parts Certification for the Insurance Industry. Over 80% of consumers surveyed prefer independent certification.
The international “List of Acceptable Plastics for Optical Lenses and Reflectors Used on Motor Vehicles” is also maintained by AMECA.
Many state laws regulating automotive safety equipment were promulgated by the Commission of the Vehicle Equipment Safety.