Articles 3 through 5 define the compatibility requirements for automatic vehicle identification (AVI) equipment. Supplemental agency (e.g., toll authority) specifications will detail the technical, environmental, and operational specifics for each site implementation. The immediate mandate for this compatibility specification is for electronic toll collection.

AVI equipment will essentially consist of two functional elements: vehicle-mounted transponders and fixed-position reader units. The specification defines a standard communications protocol and further defines an initial set of data records. The initial data records are designed for voluntary implementations of electronic toll collection.

It is further envisioned that more complex data records will be developed to handle anonymous transactions, secure funds transfers, information transfers, and other transactions between the reader and the transponder that will be defined as needed. The transponders may have the capability to read and write information. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) shall function as the standards monitoring authority to authorize the use of new record types and to assign record type numbers to newly authorized records. Caltrans shall pass this responsibility to an appropriate standards setting organization when one is established and recognized with Caltrans retaining representation in the standards setting organization.

Nothing in these regulations shall preclude the addition of functions and technologies to the transponder and/or reader systems.