Yes, and even some of the responses to your comment are wrong (or rather, they are right only for certain brands). Which probably means that enforcement is going to be... hilarious.
What we can decipher is what the NPS is angling for. Many cars labeled "AWD" provide power to all four wheels, but if one of the wheels is not making contact with the ground, the remaining ones get little or no power. This is because the axles incorporate differentials - and if you have uneven traction, the torque delivered to the differential follows the path of least resistance. The end result is that it's deceptively easy to get stuck on uneven terrain, in mud, or in snow.
But then, some "AWD" cars actually provide good workarounds. In the simplest variant, the car automatically applies brakes to the free-spinning wheel, forcing the differential to power the other wheel. Less wasteful and more responsive solutions that mechanically sense torque imbalance also exist.
And then, some "4WD" cars work roughly the same way! For example, some models of RAM 3500 are labeled as four-wheel drive (4x4), but rely on torque-sensing ("Torsen") limited-slip differentials. Other 4x4 cars might have a button to physically lock the differentials. This is widely regarded as the best option, except it's dangerous on paved roads (and makes turning hard).
What we can decipher is what the NPS is angling for. Many cars labeled "AWD" provide power to all four wheels, but if one of the wheels is not making contact with the ground, the remaining ones get little or no power. This is because the axles incorporate differentials - and if you have uneven traction, the torque delivered to the differential follows the path of least resistance. The end result is that it's deceptively easy to get stuck on uneven terrain, in mud, or in snow.
But then, some "AWD" cars actually provide good workarounds. In the simplest variant, the car automatically applies brakes to the free-spinning wheel, forcing the differential to power the other wheel. Less wasteful and more responsive solutions that mechanically sense torque imbalance also exist.
And then, some "4WD" cars work roughly the same way! For example, some models of RAM 3500 are labeled as four-wheel drive (4x4), but rely on torque-sensing ("Torsen") limited-slip differentials. Other 4x4 cars might have a button to physically lock the differentials. This is widely regarded as the best option, except it's dangerous on paved roads (and makes turning hard).