Three FMCSA paperwork rollbacks took effect July 22

Three final rules FMCSA published in the Federal Register on June 22, 2026 became effective on July 22, 2026. All three are final rules, not proposals, and each one removes or narrows an existing paperwork requirement rather than adding a new one.

The first rule ends the federal requirement that CDL holders self-report certain motor-vehicle convictions to their state driver licensing agency. FMCSA's reasoning is that states have exchanged this information electronically among themselves since the exclusive electronic exchange of driver records was implemented in 2024, so the driver's own report duplicated what the state already received.

The second rule rescinds the requirement to keep a physical copy of the ELD operator's manual in the cab. The rule addresses only the manual; the driver still has to be able to operate the device and produce records at roadside.

The third rule, titled Completed Inspection Report Disposition (docket FMCSA-2025-0116), changes 49 CFR Part 396 so that a motor carrier returns a completed, signed roadside inspection report to the issuing state only when that state requests it. FMCSA acted on a petition from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance after recognizing that not every state wants the reports back. Violations noted on the report still have to be corrected and the report still has to be kept on file at the carrier's principal place of business.