United States federal motor-carrier law and regulation (FMCSA / DOT), plus California
depth. ACT-adopter states (OR, WA, NY, NJ, MA, VT) are on a watchlist and graduate to depth coverage as
their rules move. Every entry is summarised from the primary source and carries a last-checked
date. Coverage exclusions, stated honestly: state-only intrastate rules outside California;
rules for purely intrastate non-CDL operations; state hazmat routing permits; Canadian and Mexican
domestic regulation except where a U.S. federal rule touches cross-border drivers.
How to read an entry
What it is — the rule in plain language. Current state — where it stands as of the
last-checked date. Key dates — announced / effective / compliance dates. Source — the primary
citation. Impact — what a 1–20-truck carrier or owner-operator has to do.
The Tracker is append-only: entries are never overwritten in place. Corrections and updates land as
new dated change-log entries (CL-##) at the bottom of this page, and the affected entry is amended with
a dated revision note.
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The Trucking Ledger TrackerPart 1 — Federal baseline
The standing federal compliance landscape a small interstate carrier lives under. These entries change rarely; they are here so every change in Part 2 has a baseline to be read against.
FederalFB-01 · Last checked 2026-11-10
FMCSA registration and operating authority
What it is: An interstate for-hire carrier needs a USDOT number and FMCSA operating authority (MC number, now folded into the USDOT record) before hauling its first load. Registration runs through FMCSA's Unified Registration System; FMCSA is migrating registration to a modernised platform ("Motus"), with limited/expanded access rolling out through 2026.
Current state: In force. New-entrant carriers are subject to a safety audit under the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program (49 CFR Part 385, Subpart D) within their first months of operation. Registration data must be kept current (see FB-03).
Key dates: Motus rollout — phased through 2026 (FMCSA registration modernisation; full migration timeline not final as of last check).
Source: 49 U.S.C. ch. 139; 49 CFR Part 365 (operating authority), Part 385 (new entrant); FMCSA Registration / Motus program pages, fmcsa.dot.gov/registration.
Impact: No authority change for existing carriers; new applicants should expect the registration workflow to change screens and steps during the Motus migration.
FederalFB-02 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Unified Carrier Registration (UCR)
What it is: An annual federal registration and fee for interstate carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies, administered by the UCR Plan and paid through the carrier's base state (or a participating state if the base state does not participate — non-participating: AZ, FL, HI, MD, NV, NJ, OR, VT, WY, DC).
Current state: In force. Registration for a year opens October 1 of the prior year and must be completed before January 1; there is no grace period and enforcement begins January 1. Fees are set in 49 CFR Part 367 and are revised periodically (see CE-07 for the 2027 fee schedule).
Impact: Every interstate carrier, including one-truck owner-operators, must register every year — this is separate from IRP plates and IFTA (see Part 4).
FederalFB-03 · Last checked 2026-11-10
MCS-150 biennial update
What it is: Every carrier must update its registration information (Form MCS-150) at least every 24 months, on a schedule keyed to its USDOT number: the second-to-last digit sets the year (odd/even) and the last digit sets the filing month. Updates are also required whenever information changes, and before reactivating a revoked authority.
Current state: In force. Failure to file the biennial update can result in deactivation of the USDOT number.
Key dates: Rolling — each carrier's deadline is the last day of its assigned month in its assigned year.
Impact: Put your USDOT-number month on the compliance calendar (CC-04). A deactivated USDOT number stops the operation cold.
FederalFB-04 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse duties
What it is: FMCSA's central database of CDL drug and alcohol program violations (49 CFR Part 382, Subpart G; clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov). Employers must: register; run a full pre-employment query (with the driver's electronic consent) before a driver first performs safety-sensitive work (§382.701(a)); run a query at least once every 365 days for every current CDL driver (§382.701(b) — tracked on a rolling 12-month basis from the last query on that driver, per FMCSA guidance of Mar 9, 2023; a limited query suffices unless it returns records, in which case a full query is due within 24 hours); report violations; and never allow a driver in "prohibited" status to perform safety-sensitive functions (§382.501).
Current state: In force since Jan 6, 2020. Clearinghouse-II (final rule Oct 7, 2021, 86 FR 55718; effective Nov 18, 2024) added the state-side consequence: SDLAs must query before issuing/renewing/upgrading/transferring a CDL or CLP and must downgrade the CDL of a driver in prohibited status (states have 60 days from FMCSA notification to complete and record the downgrade). FMCSA's September 2025 monthly summary counted 197,026 CDL/CLP holders in prohibited status (as of Oct 6, 2025).
Key dates: Clearinghouse live Jan 6, 2020; Clearinghouse-II downgrade duty effective Nov 18, 2024.
Impact: A prohibited-status driver is now a licensing problem, not just a hiring problem — the state takes the CDL. The annual query is per-driver and rolling; there is no December 31 safe harbour.
FederalFB-05 · Last checked 2026-11-10
ELD mandate
What it is: Drivers required to keep records of duty status must use a registered electronic logging device meeting the technical specification at 49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B, Appendix A, unless an exemption applies (short-haul drivers under §395.1(e), driveaway-towaway where the vehicle is the commodity, vehicles with pre-model-year-2000 engines, and drivers who use paper logs no more than 8 days in any 30-day period). Devices are self-certified by providers and listed on FMCSA's Registered ELDs list; FMCSA can and does remove non-compliant devices (see CE-05 and Part 3).
Current state: In force (mandate effective Dec 18, 2017; AOBRD grandfathering ended Dec 16, 2019). The live compliance risk in 2025–26 is not the mandate itself but the pace of device revocations — using a revoked device after its 60-day replacement window is a violation of §395.8(a)(1) ("no record of duty status") and an out-of-service violation under CVSA criteria.
Key dates: Dec 18, 2017 (mandate); ongoing revocations (Part 3).
Source: 49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B and Appendix A; FMCSA ELD pages, eld.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Impact: Check your exact device + model against the revoked list (Part 3) — revocation is by model/identifier, and white-label devices sold under fleet-safety brands have been revoked in batches.
FederalFB-06 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Hours of service (property-carrying)
What it is: The core limits for property-carrying drivers (49 CFR 395.3): 11 hours driving after 10 consecutive hours off; no driving beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty; a 30-minute interruption in driving time after 8 cumulative driving hours; 60/70-hour limits in 7/8 days; a 34-hour restart provision. Adverse driving conditions extend drive/on-duty windows by up to 2 hours (§395.1(b)). Passenger-carrying limits differ (§395.5). The short-haul exception (§395.1(e)(1)) exempts drivers who operate within a 150 air-mile radius and return within 14 hours from the ELD and 30-minute-break requirements (logs still limited).
Current state: In force; unchanged in substance since the 2020 amendments as of last check. ELP enforcement (CE-01) and ELD revocations (CE-05) are the live HOS-adjacent risks, not the limits themselves.
Source: 49 CFR Part 395 (esp. §§395.1, 395.3, 395.5).
Impact: Baseline reference for every reader; changes to HOS will be logged in Part 2 when they occur.
FederalFB-07 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Entry-level driver training (ELDT)
What it is: Since Feb 7, 2022, first-time CDL applicants, class upgraders and hazmat/passenger/school-bus endorsement seekers must complete theory and behind-the-wheel training from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (TPR) before the state may test them (49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F). Providers self-certify onto the registry.
Current state: In force. The registry itself is under active integrity enforcement — see CE-04 (purge), which is the single largest change to the training pipeline in 2025–26.
Source: 49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F; FMCSA Training Provider Registry, tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Impact: A new driver's school must be TPR-listed and remain listed — training completed at a removed provider before removal is generally still valid, but carriers hiring recent graduates should verify the school's status and the graduate's TPR record.
FederalFB-08 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Medical certification and the electronic transition (NRII)
What it is: CDL drivers must be medically certified by a National Registry medical examiner (49 CFR 391.41–391.49). Under the Medical Examiner's Certification Integration rule ("NRII," final rule Apr 23, 2015, 80 FR 22790), examiners report results electronically to FMCSA, which transmits them to the state driver licensing agency, which posts them to the driver's CDLIS record — ending the era of the driver carrying and self-reporting a paper Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC, Form MCSA-5876).
Current state: NRII compliance date was June 23, 2025. The transition was bridged by a sequence of FMCSA waivers letting drivers and carriers rely on a paper MEC copy for a limited period (originally 15 days, widened to 60 days; renewed Oct 2025 effective Oct 13, 2025 – Jan 10, 2026; renewed again in 2026, including a six-month CVSA-requested exemption of Apr 14, 2026). As of an FMCSA Federal Register notice of Oct 8, 2026 (Docket FMCSA-2026-0265), from Oct 12, 2026 a paper MEC is no longer accepted as proof of medical certification in 49 states and DC — the electronic CDLIS record is the record; an Alaska-only exemption (Alaska, the last non-integrated state) runs Oct 12, 2026 – Oct 12, 2027. Drivers whose electronic record is missing or wrong risk CDL downgrade by the state.
Key dates: NRII compliance Jun 23, 2025; last general paper waiver expired Jan 10, 2026 (superseded by later relief — see CE-06); electronic-only from Oct 12, 2026 (except AK).
Impact: Verify each driver's medical status in the electronic record (via the state/CDLIS or your pre-employment screening), not by collecting a paper card. A driver can hold a valid exam and still be downgraded if the record never posted.
FederalFB-09 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Insurance minimums (financial responsibility)
What it is: For-hire interstate property carriers must hold minimum public liability (bodily injury & property damage) coverage, evidenced by insurer filings (Form BMC-91) with FMCSA (49 CFR Part 387, Subpart A).
Current state: In force; minimums unchanged for decades. Levels (§387.303): $750,000 — freight vehicles ≥10,001 lbs GVWR, non-hazardous property; $300,000 — freight vehicles <10,001 lbs GVWR, non-hazardous; $1,000,000 — oil, hazardous waste and listed hazardous substances (≥10,001 lbs); $5,000,000 — specified highest-hazard materials (bulk Division 1.1/1.2/1.3 explosives, Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A, highway-route-controlled Class 7, etc.). Letting coverage lapse puts operating authority at risk of revocation.
Impact: The federal floor is a floor — most brokers and shippers contractually require $1M. The $750k figure is the compliance baseline this tracker measures against.
What changed: A driver who cannot read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public, understand highway signs, respond to official inquiries and make log entries (49 CFR 391.11(b)(2)) can now be placed out of service at roadside for the language failure itself. The rule text is old; the enforcement posture is new — FMCSA's 2016 hands-off guidance was rescinded and replaced.
Timeline: Executive Order 14286 (Apr 28, 2025, "Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers") → CVSA board voted May 1, 2025 to restore ELP to the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, effective June 25, 2025 → FMCSA enforcement guidance (May 2025): roadside two-step assessment — English interview, then highway-sign recognition; no interpreters or translation apps; drivers stopped in the Mexico-border commercial zones are cited but not placed OOS → FMCSA separately withheld federal highway-safety funds from California over ELP enforcement (announced Oct 2025; reported $40M+).
Scale: FMCSA recorded 12,308 ELP out-of-service orders in the second half of 2025 alone (FMCSA data reported by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Jan 2026); industry trackers counting from federal data put cumulative ELP out-of-service orders above 20,000 by spring 2026.
Rulemaking/litigation status: The Consolidated Appropriations Act (signed Feb 3, 2026) directs FMCSA to codify ELP out-of-service in regulation. FMCSA published a proposed rule on Aug 10, 2026 (Docket FMCSA-2026-0826; would amend §§390.5/390.5T and add §391.11(c)); comments closed Oct 9, 2026; final rule pending as of last check. The OOS enforcement posture itself operates today through CVSA criteria + FMCSA guidance and is being enforced irrespective of the rulemaking.
Source: 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2); EO 14286 (Apr 28, 2025); CVSA North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria (Apr 1, 2026 edition includes ELP); FMCSA NPRM, Docket FMCSA-2026-0826 (Aug 10, 2026).
Impact: Any driver — including experienced drivers with clean records — who fails the roadside English assessment is parked on the spot. Carriers must self-assess every driver's English before dispatch; there is no grandfathering in the enforcement posture.
ChangeCE-02 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Non-domiciled CDL rule (final rule effective Mar 16, 2026)
What changed: FMCSA rewrote who may receive a non-domiciled CDL/CLP. Eligibility is now limited to individuals in lawful status in three employment-based categories — H-2A, H-2B and E-2 — verified through SAVE. DACA recipients, TPS holders, refugees, asylees and EAD-only applicants are no longer eligible. New/renewed non-domiciled CDLs are capped at one year (or the duration of the immigration document, if shorter), and states must follow tightened issuance/verification procedures (49 CFR Parts 383, 384 as amended). Existing non-domiciled CDLs remain valid until they expire. The rule regulates states' issuance, not carriers directly — but it shrinks the lawful driver pool available to carriers.
Timeline: Interim final rule published Sep 29, 2025 (90 FR 46509) → litigation stay of the IFR in late 2025 → final rule published Feb 13, 2026 (91 FR 7044; FR Doc. 2026-02965), effective Mar 16, 2026 (Docket FMCSA-2025-0622; RIN 2126-AC98). FMCSA estimates ~194,000 current non-domiciled CDL holders, most of whom will not qualify under the narrowed categories on renewal.
Litigation status: The final rule was challenged in the D.C. Circuit; the court denied a stay in May 2026 (rule in effect), heard argument Sep 15, 2026, and had not decided as of Oct 16, 2026. Separately, FMCSA audits of state non-domiciled issuance (CA and others) produced state corrective-action findings through 2025–26.
Impact: Before hiring or renewing, verify a non-domiciled driver's category (H-2A/H-2B/E-2) and calendar the one-year expiry — a driver lawful last year may be unlicensable at renewal, and the carrier learns it at the worst moment if it doesn't track it.
ChangeCE-03 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Speed-limiter mandates withdrawn (Jul 24, 2025)
What changed: FMCSA and NHTSA withdrew the long-pending speed-limiter rulemaking — the 2016 joint proposed rule (81 FR 61942) and FMCSA's 2022 advance notice (87 FR 26317) were formally withdrawn, effective Jul 24, 2025 (90 FR 34822; FR Doc. 2025-13928; Docket FMCSA-2022-0004). The agencies stated the data did not support a mandate.
Current state:No federal speed-limiter requirement exists or is pending. State-level and insurer/fleet-policy limiter requirements are unaffected.
Source: 90 FR 34822 (Jul 24, 2025).
Impact: Removes a long-feared capital/compliance item from the board. If it returns, it will be as a new rulemaking — this tracker watches the Unified Agenda (CE-08).
ChangeCE-04 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Training Provider Registry purge (Dec 2025 → 2026)
What changed: FMCSA's integrity sweep of the self-certified Training Provider Registry escalated in waves. December 2025: nearly 3,000 providers removed (3,015 in industry counts of the removal list) and 4,554 placed on notice of proposed removal for failing to meet ELDT requirements (49 CFR Part 380). January 2026: roughly 3,800 further removals. 2026 (continuing): notices of proposed removal (448 in Feb 2026), voluntary departures, a July 2026 DOT/DHS joint action investigating 75 CDL schools for fraud — with DOT reporting nearly 10,000 schools removed from the registry in total by that point — and Aug 31, 2026:110+ providers removed on an emergency basis (ordered to stop training immediately), with roadside data on graduates' English-proficiency failures among the cited grounds.
Current state: Enforcement ongoing; further waves expected. The registry had grown to roughly 16,000 listed providers on self-certification since Feb 2022 — the purge is structural, not a one-off.
Source: FMCSA Training Provider Registry removal lists (tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov/List/Removal) and FMCSA/DOT statements Dec 2025 – Aug 2026; 49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F.
Impact: Anyone mid-training at a removed school, and any carrier hiring fresh graduates, must verify the school's registry status and the graduate's TPR training record. Training records from a provider removed *after* completion require case-by-case confirmation with FMCSA/the state.
Tracker note: Phase 0 scoping recorded "~3,000 purged" — accurate for the first (Dec 2025) wave only; the cumulative removal count is roughly 10,000 as of mid-2026. See Change Log.
ChangeCE-05 · Last checked 2026-11-10
ELD revocations (program entry; dataset in Part 3)
What changed: FMCSA's removal of non-compliant ELDs from the registered list accelerated sharply. Verified counts from FMCSA's revoked-devices list (Part 3): 37 device listings revoked in 2025 and 56 in 2026 through the last batch of Aug 6, 2026 — the fastest revocation pace since the mandate. Removals cluster in batches (e.g. 12 devices on May 12, 2025 and Mar 4, 2026 — the Gorilla Fleet Safety white-label family accounts for 21 revoked listings on its own).
Mechanics: On revocation, FMCSA directs affected carriers to stop using the device, revert to paper logs or logging software, and replace it with a registered ELD within 60 days; after the deadline, use is a §395.8(a)(1) "no record of duty status" violation and an out-of-service condition under CVSA criteria.
Impact: This is the highest-frequency change stream in the tracker. Every revocation batch names devices that small carriers actually run (low-cost PT30-based units and white-label fleet products dominate). See Part 3 for the full dataset and check your ELD identifier, not just the brand name.
ChangeCE-06 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Paper medical cards: end of transition relief (Oct 12, 2026)
What changed: The last general FMCSA relief allowing reliance on a paper Medical Examiner's Certificate ended; from Oct 12, 2026 the electronic CDLIS medical record is the sole proof of certification in 49 states and DC, with an Alaska-only exemption running to Oct 12, 2027 (Alaska is the final state to complete NRII integration). Full timeline in FB-08.
Source: Federal Register notice, Docket FMCSA-2026-0265 (Oct 8, 2026); FMCSA waiver series Oct 2025 – Apr 2026.
Impact: Audit every driver's medical status electronically now — a missing posting (examiner or state error) surfaces as a downgrade, not a warning.
ChangeCE-07 · Last checked 2026-11-10
UCR fees increase for 2027 (final rule Sep 1, 2026)
What changed: UCR fees for the 2027 registration year rise roughly 20% over 2026. New schedule (49 CFR 367.50): 0–2 vehicles $55 (was $46); 3–5 $167 (was $138); 6–20 $333 (was $276); 21–100 $1,163 (was $963); 101–1,000 $5,548 (was $4,592); 1,001+ $54,165 (was $44,836). Brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies pay the $55 lowest bracket.
Key dates: Final rule published Sep 1, 2026 (91 FR 56063; FR Doc. 2026-17893); applies to 2027 registrations filed from Oct 1, 2026.
Impact: Small, certain, and budgetable — a one-truck carrier's UCR goes from $46 to $55. File during the Oct–Dec window (CC-01) at the new rate.
ChangeCE-08 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Rulemaking pipeline watch (not yet rules)
Items on FMCSA's agenda that would change the baseline if finalised; tracked so nothing arrives unannounced:
ELD rule revisions (RIN 2126-AC50) — expected proposal window late 2026 (Unified Agenda target Nov 2026 as recorded in Phase 0 scoping); would modernise the ELD specification that CE-05 enforcement is straining against.
Broker transparency (Docket FMCSA-2023-0257) — proposed amendments to broker record-keeping/disclosure (49 CFR 371.3); comment cycles complete; no final rule as of last check.
Safety measurement (CSA/SMS) revision — FMCSA's multi-year rework of safety scoring methodology; staged announcements expected; no compliance change yet.
Status discipline: none of these imposes any duty today. Each will be promoted to a CE entry with its own CL entry when a document publishes in the Federal Register.
The Trucking Ledger TrackerPart 3 — ELD revoked-devices dataset
133 records of FMCSA-removed ("Revoked" status) device listings are reproduced below and in `eld-revoked-devices-v1.csv` / `eld-revoked-devices-v1.json`.
- 132 records come from FMCSA's official revoked-list download. One device (TrackEnsure ELD, model PT30) appears twice in FMCSA's own list under two software versions (3.01.47 and 3.0.59) — both records are preserved. - 1 record — Forward Thinking Systems *Field Warrior ELD (BYOD)*, revoked Dec 30, 2025 — appears in FMCSA's Dec 30, 2025 newsroom removal release but was not present in the list download read on 2026-11-10; it is included and flagged in the CSV source column. - One record (MOONLIGHT ELD, revoked Aug 6, 2026) carries a placeholder company field ("None") in FMCSA's download; the provider (UZB2USA INC) is taken from FMCSA's Aug 6, 2026 newsroom release.
Revocations by year (records): 2022: 2 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 21 · 2025: 38 · 2026: 56 (through Aug 6, 2026 — the most recent batch as of the capture date).
- Phase 0 scoping figures — 37 in 2025, 56 in 2026 — reconcile with this dataset counting unique devices (the 2025 record count of 38 includes the duplicate TrackEnsure listing; 2026's 56 matches exactly).
The same FMCSA list also carries 254 provider "Self-Revoked" listings (providers who withdrew their own devices; ~386 listings on the revoked page in total). Self-revoked devices are not reproduced in this dataset — they carry no FMCSA compliance finding — but they matter commercially (an orphaned device loses support) and the full download is snapshotted every monitoring cycle (see monitoring-spec.md).
Registered-list context: ~936 device listings were on FMCSA's Registered ELDs list in October 2026 (industry count) — i.e. roughly one in seven device listings ever registered has been revoked by FMCSA or withdrawn.
The 60-day rule: every revocation starts a 60-day replacement clock for affected carriers (see CE-05). The most recent batch (Aug 6, 2026: HGRS ELD, TRUCKFORD ELD, Sparkle ELD, HIGHEST ELD, MOONLIGHT ELD) had a replacement deadline of October 5, 2026 — already past; any carrier still running one of those devices is out of compliance today.
Reading the table
Revocation is by device name + model + ELD identifier, not by brand alone. White-label products built on shared platforms repeat: Gorilla Fleet Safety, LLC is the provider of record for 21 of the 133 records (sold as HCSS, Command Alkon, Trucker Path ELD Pro, LB Technologies and others) — a carrier who "doesn't run a Gorilla ELD" may still run a revoked one.
The full list is on its own page
The 133 revoked device listings — device, provider, model, ELD identifier and revocation date — are published as a searchable table so you can check your exact device in seconds.
The Trucking Ledger TrackerPart 4 — Compliance calendar
Recurring dated obligations for a small interstate carrier. All dates verified 2026-11-10.
CalendarCC-01
UCR registration window (annual)
When: Registration opens Oct 1; must be completed by Dec 31 for the following year; enforcement begins Jan 1; no grace period.
2026–27 cycle: 2027 registration (at the new CE-07 fees) is open now through Dec 31, 2026.
Source: 49 U.S.C. §14504a; 49 CFR Part 367; UCR Plan (plan.ucr.gov); file at ucr.gov. See FB-02 / CE-07.
CalendarCC-02
IFTA quarterly returns
When: Quarterly tax returns due to the base jurisdiction: Apr 30 (Q1), Jul 31 (Q2), Oct 31 (Q3), Jan 31 (Q4). Late filing draws penalties and interest under IFTA procedures; two consecutive delinquencies risk licence revocation.
Source: International Fuel Tax Agreement (Articles of Agreement, R960–R970 series), administered by IFTA, Inc. and base jurisdictions.
CalendarCC-03
Form 2290 — Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (annual)
When: For the tax period Jul 1 – Jun 30, Form 2290 and the $550-per-vehicle tax (vehicles ≥55,000 lbs taxable gross weight) are due Aug 31 for vehicles used in July. Vehicles first used in a later month are prorated, due the last day of the following month. The stamped Schedule 1 is required to register/title the vehicle and for IRP renewals.
Source: 26 U.S.C. §4481; IRS Form 2290 instructions (irs.gov).
CalendarCC-04
MCS-150 biennial update (rolling, per-carrier)
When: Every 24 months, keyed to the USDOT number (second-to-last digit = odd/even year; last digit = filing month); due by the last day of the assigned month. See FB-03.
When: At least once every 365 days per driver, measured from the last query on that driver — not a calendar-year deadline. A limited query that returns a record requires a full query within 24 hours. Pre-employment full queries are event-driven (before first safety-sensitive duty). See FB-04.
Source: 49 CFR 382.701; FMCSA guidance Mar 9, 2023.
CalendarCC-06
IRP renewals (note)
When: International Registration Plan credentials renew on the staggered schedule set by the carrier's base jurisdiction — there is no single national IRP date. Renewal requires current Form 2290 Schedule 1 (CC-03) and, in most jurisdictions, current UCR (CC-01).
Source: International Registration Plan (The Plan, §305 staggered registration), administered by IRP, Inc. and base jurisdictions.
CalendarCC-07
ELD replacement clocks (event-driven, rolling)
When: Each FMCSA revocation batch (Part 3) starts a 60-day clock for affected carriers; the deadline for the most recent (Aug 6, 2026) batch was Oct 5, 2026. This is a standing watch item: check Part 3 after every FMCSA removal release.
Source: FMCSA revocation notices under 49 CFR Part 395, Subpart B.
CalendarCC-08
California Clean Truck Check test periods (cross-reference)
When: Semi-annual (twice-yearly) compliance deadlines per vehicle in CTC-VIS for trucks subject to CA-01; frequency rises to four tests per year for OBD-equipped vehicles from Oct 2027. See CA-01.
The Trucking Ledger TrackerPart 5 — California depth
California is the title's single depth state: the largest state regulatory apparatus aimed at trucks, and the state whose rules catch out-of-state carriers.
What it is: CARB's periodic emissions-testing programme for heavy-duty vehicles operating in California — diesel and alternative-fuel vehicles over 14,000 lbs GVWR, including out-of-state-registered and out-of-country trucks. Vehicles must be reported in CARB's CTC-VIS database, carry a passing test by a CARB-credentialed tester (OBD download for 2013+ diesel engines; smoke-opacity and visual inspection for pre-2013), and pay an annual compliance fee.
Current state:In force. Periodic testing has been semi-annual (twice a year) since January 2025 (moved up from annual after the Oct 2024 compliance deadline); from October 2027, OBD-equipped vehicles move to four tests per year (non-OBD stay at two). Annual compliance fee: $32.13 per vehicle (2026), rising to $33.12 for compliance deadlines on or after Jan 1, 2027. A 2026 bill (SB 1064) that would have cut testing to annual for low-use and older-engine vehicles was vetoed in September 2026.
Enforcement-status flag: In January 2026 EPA announced a partial disapproval of California's SIP revision for this programme as applied to out-of-state vehicles. CARB's position is that the disapproval does not remove its state-law enforcement authority and the requirement continues to be enforced; the point is contested and may be litigated. The Trucking Ledger's posture: the obligation is live today; do not treat the EPA action as a repeal.
Impact: Any truck — including a one-truck out-of-state carrier — that enters California owes CTC registration, the fee, and a current passing test. Roadside and registration holds are the enforcement teeth.
What changed: ACF's fleet purchase mandates are gone for private fleets. CARB withdrew its federal waiver request in January 2025; the Board then voted Sep 25, 2025 to repeal the High-Priority Fleets and Drayage portions of the regulation, and the Office of Administrative Law approved the repeal (CARB rulemaking file 2026-0729-02), effective Sep 10, 2026.
What remains: ACF still applies to state and local government fleets only, on amended timelines (50% ZEV purchase requirement now beginning Jan 1, 2027, reaching 100% in 2030, with added flexibilities). Private and federal fleets have no ACF obligation.
Impact: Small private carriers can stand down on ACF planning entirely. Drayage operators at CA ports should note the separate port/terminal rules that remain outside ACF.
CaliforniaCA-03 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT): status — not currently enforceable as scheduled
What it is: CARB's manufacturer-side rule requiring a rising percentage of zero-emission truck sales in California (13 CCR §1963 et seq.), adopted by several other states under Clean Air Act §177.
Current state:Contested and not enforceable on its original schedule. ACT rested on a federal preemption waiver; Congress disapproved the waiver (together with the Heavy-Duty Omnibus low-NOx waiver) and the disapproval was signed June 12, 2025, leaving ACT without the federal authorisation it requires. CARB has adopted compliance-flexibility/credit amendments, litigation over the disapprovals is ongoing, and industry trackers (ACT Research, Oct 2026) describe ACT as unenforceable in its current form. It imposes no direct duty on carriers in any reading — obligations, if revived, land on manufacturers.
Source: CARB, Advanced Clean Trucks regulation; congressional disapproval of CA waivers (signed Jun 12, 2025).
Impact: For carriers this is an equipment-availability and pricing story, not a compliance deadline. Watch for litigation outcomes and any CARB re-proposal; tracked here and in the ACT-state watchlist (OR, WA, NY, NJ, MA, VT).
CaliforniaCA-04 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Truck and Bus Regulation (standing)
What it is: CARB's long-standing in-use diesel rule (13 CCR §2025): PM filter and engine-model-year upgrade requirements for heavy diesel vehicles operating in California, substantially fully phased in.
Current state: In force; most compliance deadlines have passed — it now functions as a baseline equipment rule for older trucks entering the state and as the regulatory neighbour to Clean Truck Check (CA-01), which supplies the ongoing testing regime.
Source: CARB, Truck and Bus Regulation, 13 CCR §2025.
CaliforniaCA-05 · Last checked 2026-11-10
Diesel idling limit (standing)
What it is: Diesel-fuelled commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs GVWR may not idle for more than five minutes in California (13 CCR §2485), with specified exceptions; sleeper-berth and APU provisions apply.
Current state: In force; enforced by CARB and local air districts; fines apply per violation.
Source: 13 CCR §2485 (Airborne Toxic Control Measure to Limit Diesel-Fuelled Commercial Motor Vehicle Idling).
Impact: A small item that out-of-state drivers most often meet for the first time at a rest stop — worth a line in every CA-bound briefing.
Append-onlyChange log
New entries are added at the bottom with the next CL number; existing entries are
never edited or removed. All v1 entries are dated 2026-11-10 (baseline build).
Append-only. New entries are added at the bottom with the next CL number; existing entries are never edited or removed. All v1 entries are dated 2026-11-10 (baseline build).
ID
Date
Entry
Change recorded
CL-01
2026-11-10
FB-01
Baseline created — FMCSA registration & operating authority, incl. Motus migration note.
CL-02
2026-11-10
FB-02
Baseline created — UCR annual registration; 2026 fee schedule recorded.
CL-03
2026-11-10
FB-03
Baseline created — MCS-150 biennial update (49 CFR 390.201).
CL-04
2026-11-10
FB-04
Baseline created — Clearinghouse duties; Clearinghouse-II SDLA downgrade (eff. Nov 18, 2024) and prohibited-status count (197,026, Sep 2025 report) recorded.
Change layer created — ELP out-of-service enforcement (CVSA criteria eff. Jun 25, 2025; EO 14286; FMCSA guidance); 12,308 OOS orders H2 2025; NPRM FMCSA-2026-0826 published Aug 10, 2026, comments closed Oct 9, 2026, final rule pending.
CL-11
2026-11-10
CE-02
Change layer created — non-domiciled CDL final rule (91 FR 7044, eff. Mar 16, 2026); H-2A/H-2B/E-2 only; D.C. Circuit stay denied May 2026, decision pending.
CL-12
2026-11-10
CE-03
Change layer created — speed-limiter rulemakings withdrawn (90 FR 34822, eff. Jul 24, 2025); no federal mandate pending.
CL-13
2026-11-10
CE-04
Change layer created — TPR purge: ~3,000 removed Dec 2025 (+4,554 noticed), ~3,800 more Jan 2026, ~10,000 cumulative by Jul 2026, 110+ emergency removals Aug 31, 2026. Supersedes the Phase 0 memo's "~3,000" figure, which covered the first wave only.
CL-14
2026-11-10
CE-05
Change layer created — ELD revocation programme; verified counts 37 listings (2025) / 56 (2026 through Aug 6, 2026); 60-day replacement mechanics.
CL-15
2026-11-10
CE-06
Change layer created — paper MEC transition relief ended; electronic-only proof from Oct 12, 2026 (49 states + DC), AK exemption to Oct 12, 2027. Extends Phase 0's "waiver expired Jan 10, 2026" note, which was correct for that waiver but not the end of the relief chain.
CL-16
2026-11-10
CE-07
Change layer created — UCR 2027 fees +~20% (91 FR 56063, Sep 1, 2026; 49 CFR 367.50). New information; not in Phase 0.
CL-17
2026-11-10
CE-08
Watchlist created — ELD rule revisions (RIN 2126-AC50), broker transparency (FMCSA-2023-0257), CSA/SMS revision. No duties in force.
CL-18
2026-11-10
Part 3
ELD revoked-devices dataset stood up: 133 records captured from FMCSA's official revoked-list download + Dec 30, 2025 newsroom release (see dataset notes); CSV/JSON exports created. 254 self-revoked listings counted, not reproduced.
CL-19
2026-11-10
CC-01
Calendar created — UCR window Oct 1 – Dec 31, enforcement Jan 1.
CL-20
2026-11-10
CC-02
Calendar created — IFTA quarterly due dates Apr 30 / Jul 31 / Oct 31 / Jan 31.
CL-21
2026-11-10
CC-03
Calendar created — Form 2290 due Aug 31 (Jul 1–Jun 30 period).
CL-22
2026-11-10
CC-04
Calendar created — MCS-150 biennial (rolling, USDOT-keyed).
CL-23
2026-11-10
CC-05
Calendar created — Clearinghouse annual queries (rolling 365-day, per driver).
CL-24
2026-11-10
CC-06
Calendar created — IRP renewals (staggered by base jurisdiction; no national date).
CL-25
2026-11-10
CC-07
Calendar created — ELD 60-day replacement clocks (event-driven).
CL-26
2026-11-10
CC-08
Calendar created — Clean Truck Check semi-annual test periods; 4×/yr for OBD vehicles from Oct 2027.
CL-27
2026-11-10
CA-01
CA depth created — Clean Truck Check: semi-annual testing since Jan 2025 incl. out-of-state trucks; fee $32.13 (2026) / $33.12 (2027 deadlines); SB 1064 vetoed Sep 2026; EPA SIP-disapproval dispute flagged, enforcement continuing.
CL-28
2026-11-10
CA-02
CA depth created — ACF High-Priority Fleets + Drayage repealed, OAL approval effective Sep 10, 2026; state/local government fleets only remain.
CL-29
2026-11-10
CA-03
CA depth created — ACT: federal waiver disapproved (signed Jun 12, 2025); not enforceable as scheduled; litigation ongoing; no direct carrier duty.
CL-30
2026-11-10
CA-04
CA depth created — Truck and Bus Regulation standing baseline (13 CCR §2025).
CL-31
2026-11-10
CA-05
CA depth created — diesel idling limit, 5 minutes (13 CCR §2485).
CL-32
2026-11-10
—
Tracker v1 published with CSV/JSON exports (tracker-v1.csv / tracker-v1.json; eld-revoked-devices-v1.csv / .json) and monitoring specification (monitoring-spec.md).
The Trucking Ledger is independent early warning, not legal or compliance advice.
Rules are summarised from primary sources as of the last-checked dates shown; verify against the cited
source before acting.
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