FMCSA narrows return rule for completed inspection reports
Completed roadside inspection forms will now go only to states that ask for them, cutting a burden FMCSA said was unnecessary.
Photo credit
Photo by Omar Gerardo via Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/semi-truck-on-scenic-highway-with-mountains-34902065/)FMCSA is changing its rule on completed roadside inspection reports, according to the Federal Register notice published June 22, 2026.
The agency said motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers no longer have to sign and return a completed roadside inspection form to the issuing state agency unless that state requests the form. FMCSA said it was aware that not all issuing state agencies require the return of these reports, and that sending forms to a state that does not require or request them creates an unnecessary burden.
Under the revised rule, completed forms will only be returned to states that ask for them. FMCSA said the change responds to a petition for rulemaking from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).
The notice does not give a separate compliance date in the text provided.
What it means
Drivers
The rule changes how completed roadside inspection forms are handled after an inspection, based on whether the issuing state asks for the return.
Fleets
Motor carriers and intermodal equipment providers will only need to return completed forms to states that request them, according to FMCSA.
Safety pros
The change updates the inspection-report process and reflects FMCSA’s response to a CVSA petition.
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