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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
Section § 385.415: What operational requirements apply to the transportation of a hazardous material for which a permit is required? FMCSA-HMSP-385.415-Q001 Hazardous Materials Safety Permits
Does a foreign-based motor carrier’s accident register have to include accidents that occur in Canada or Mexico? FMCSA-RG-390.15-FAQ004 Canadian/Mexican motor carrier accident reports for accidents in Canada/Mexico
Is a driver training school required to keep a driver qualification file on each student? FMCSA-DQ-391.51-Q002 Driver qualification files
A motor carrier uses a consortium/third party administrator (C/TPA) to conduct its random selection of driver names. The C/TPA has many motor carriers in its random selection pool. The C/TPA has set up its random selection program to pick driver names and FMCSA-D&A-382.305-FAQ013 Applicability of Section § 382.305
Does the exception in §395.1(k) for “drivers transporting agricultural commodities or farm supplies for agricultural purposes” cover the transportation of poultry or poultry feed? FMCSA-HOS-AG-395.1-FAQ30 Hours of Service Agricultural Commodities
When an interstate tow truck operator responds to a request for assistance from a Federal, State or local police officer to move wrecked or disabled motor vehicles, what should the Record of Duty Status (RODS) required by Section 395.8 reflect for the tim FMCSA-RG-390.23-Q005 RODS entry for tow trucks responding to police call
Are motor vehicles being transported considered to be HM for purposes of the financial responsibility requirements, thus requiring the higher limits set forth in the regulations? FMCSA-INS-387.3-Q008 Whether motor vehicles being transported are considered hazardous materials for purposes of the financial responsibility requirements
If a driver has been notified of his/her selection of random drug and/or alcohol testing and the testing cannot be completed because of “unforeseeable obstacles” at the collection site (i.e. collection site closed, collector unavailable when driver shows FMCSA-D&A-382.305-FAQ015 Drug & Alcohol Random Testing
Many small school districts are affiliated through service units which are, in essence, a coalition of individual districts. Can these school districts have one common confidant for purposes of receiving results and keeping records? FMCSA-D&A -382.401-Q01 Drug & Alcohol Testing – Record Retention
Part 387 Section § 387.9: Financial responsibility, minimum levels. FMCSA-INS-387.9-Q005 Insurance requirements for a motor carrier operating a tube trailer where the cylinders are manifolded together