USA Banner

Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Regulatory Guidance

Welcome to the FMCSA Guidance Portal. This web portal is a searchable, indexed database that contains and links to all guidance documents in effect from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract.

To comment on any guidance document, or to request issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of any guidance document, please identify the guidance document in your request and send it to: FMCSAguidance@dot.gov. NOTE: The FMCSAguidance mailbox is not intended to serve as a mailbox for general inquiries. For inquiries that go beyond the limited purpose of the FMCSAguidance mailbox, please call FMCSA's Information Line (800-832-5660) or visit FMCSA's "Contact Us" page to send your inquiry to the appropriate mailbox.

Subject Agency Identifier Topic Issued Date
Must a motor carrier that uses a 100-air-mile radius driver write zero (0) hours on the time record for each day the driver is off duty (not working for the motor carrier)? FMCSA-HOS-395.1-FAQ29 Hours of Service
Does fuel used in the production of agricultural commodities qualify as “farm supplies” under 49 CFR 395.1(k)? FMCSA-HOS-AG-395.1-FAQ31 Hours of Service Agricultural Commodities
FAQ 1: Does the definition of “livestock” in § 395.2 include llamas, alpacas, live fish, and crawfish, as added by the 2018 amendment to the Emergency Livestock Feed Assistance Act of 1988? FMCSA-HOS-AG-395.2-FAQ001 Hours of Service Exceptions
When can a movement of a CMV during an off-duty period be considered personal conveyance? FMCSA-HOS-PC-395.8-FAQ12 Personal Conveyance guidance
Would a driver delivering an empty commercial motor vehicle designed or used to carry passengers, from the manufacturer or distributor to a dealer be required to comply with the hours-of-service regulations for passenger-carrying drivers? FMCSA-HOS-395.5-Q01 Hours of Service Maximum Driving Time
Does § 390.23 create an exemption from the FMCSRs each and every time the delivery of electricity is interrupted, no matter how isolated or minor the occurrence? FMCSA-RG.390.23-Q001 Applicability of emergency exception to electrical outages
If a driver is required repeatedly to respond to satellite or similar communications received during a 10-hour off-duty period (8-hour off-duty period for passenger transportation), does this activity affect a driver’s duty status? FMCSA-HOS-395.2-Q31 Hours of Service Definitions
Upon termination of direct assistance to a regional or local emergency relief effort, as specified in § 390.23(a), may utility company line crews return directly to the motor carrier’s terminal or the driver’s normal work reporting location without comply FMCSA-RG-390.23-FAQ004 Are utility service vehicles exempt while returning after emergency relief?
Does the emergency conditions exception in 49 CFR 395.1(b)(2) apply to a driver who planned on arriving at a specific rest area to complete his 11 hours driving and found the rest area full, forcing the driver to continue past the 11 hours driving looking FMCSA-HOS-395.1-FAQ28 Hours of Service Exceptions
Do the FMCSRs apply to Indian Tribal Governments? FMCSA-RG-390.3T-Q020 Applicability of FMCSRs to Indian Tribal Governments