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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
What is the definition of "Certificate of Registration" in §387.7(b)(3)? FMCSA-INS-387.7-Q002 Definition of “Certificate of Registration” in 49 CFR 387.7(b)(3)
Question 4: Would a mechanic who is employed by a leasing company and only works on CMVs that the leasing company leases to other motor carriers be required to meet the brake inspector certification requirements? FMCSA-VM-396.25-Q04.cm Must a leasing company mechanic meet the brake inspector requirements?
Question 1: May a driver be exempted from wearing seat belts because of a medical condition such as claustrophobia? FMCSA-DRV-392.16-Q001 Use of seat belts
A driver used by a motor carrier operates a CMV to and from his/her residence out of State. Is this considered interstate commerce? FMCSA-RG-390.5T-Q005 Extent of “interstate commerce” when applied to personal conveyance
Do the physical qualification requirements of the FMCSRs infringe upon a person’s religious beliefs if such beliefs prohibit being examined by a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy? FMCSA-MED-391.41-Q2 Driver Physical Qualification Standards
What must an employer do to avail itself of the exceptions to pre-employment testing listed under §382.301(c)? FMCSA-D&A-382.301-Q05 What an employer must do to avail itself of the exceptions to pre-employment testing listed under §382.301(c)
Question 10: Can an employee receive the follow-up from an SAP who did not conduct the initial SAP evaluation? FMCSA-D&A-382.605-Q10 Drug & Alcohol Testing – Initial and Follow-up SAP Evaluations
May a driver who is taking advantage of the 100-air-mile radius exemption in §395.1(e) be intermittently off-duty during the period away from the work-reporting location? FMCSA-HOS-395.1-Q20 Hours of Service Exceptions
Are lighting devices on mobile homes/house trailers required to be permanently mounted? FMCSA-VEH-393.25-Q01
How should an employer compute the number of random tests to be given to ensure that the appropriate testing rate is achieved given the fluctuations in driver populations and the high turnover rate of drivers? FMCSA-D&A-382.305-Q14 Guidance on how to account for fluctuations in driver population when computing the number of random tests to be given