DON JERRELL
HNI Associate Vice President

As of May 28, interstate truck drivers and bus drivers no longer will need to report out-of-state traffic convictions to their home-state licensing agency.  Drivers still must report a conviction to their employer within 30 days of the conviction, however. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration killed the rule April 26 because technology has made self-reporting by drivers redundant. Self-reporting of traffic convictions started in 1986, but since 1994, states have been required to share this information electronically.  

Eliminating the redundant regulation will ease the reporting burden on both drivers and on state driver licensing agencies. Removing the redundancy also satisfies an order from President Obama to streamline regulations.

"Elimination of the regulation will not affect safety," the FMCSA said in a statement. "Today's action maintains the electronic reporting requirements by states, but eliminates the redundant reporting by interstate truck and bus drivers."

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) raised concern that some states could fall out of compliance with conviction reporting standards. The FMCSA replied that if drivers need to start self-reporting again, notification will be shared by the Federal Register, FMCSA's website, and social media.

Click here to read the final FMCSA rule in the Federal Register, the daily journal of the U.S. Government.

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