The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a final rule in the Federal Register on June 22, 2026, titled "Removal of Self-Reporting Requirement." It took effect on July 22, 2026. The rule removes the requirement that commercial driver's license (CDL) holders report traffic convictions from other States to their own licensing State. The rule is already in effect; goraedu is covering it now because it predates our news section.
What changed
Before the rule, 49 CFR 383.31(a) required a driver with a commercial learner's permit or CDL who was convicted of a traffic law violation (other than parking) "in a State or jurisdiction other than the one which issued his/her permit or license" to notify an official of the issuing State within 30 days.
FMCSA's summary of the final rule states: "FMCSA amends the regulations requiring commercial driver's license (CDL) holders to self-report motor vehicle violations to their State of domicile. With the implementation of the exclusive electronic exchange (EEE) of violations between State Drivers Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) in 2024, self-reporting is no longer necessary."
The amendments, as listed in the rule:
- 49 CFR 383.31(a), the State self-report, is removed.
- Former paragraphs (b) and (c) become (a) and (b). The last sentence of the employer paragraph is deleted; it had said that a driver who is not currently employed "must notify the State or jurisdiction which issued the license according to § 383.31(a)."
- The notification-content paragraph now refers only to the employer (the phrase "State official and" is removed).
- Paragraph (d), which treated a driver as compliant when the conviction occurred in a State in substantial compliance with 49 CFR 384.209 and had not been de-certified under 49 CFR 384.405, is removed.
- 49 CFR 384.409 loses its second sentence, which referenced 383.31(a).
FMCSA states there were "no substantive changes made from the NPRM," which it published on May 30, 2025, "but this rule does finalize an additional deletion of the phrase 'State official and' as a conforming change."
What stays the same
Notifying your employer is still required. Current 49 CFR 383.31(a) states that a person who operates a commercial motor vehicle and holds a CDL, convicted of violating a State or local traffic control law (other than a parking violation), "in any type of motor vehicle," "shall notify his/her current employer of such conviction. The notification must be made within 30 days after the date that the person has been convicted." The written notice must still include the items listed in 383.31(b), such as the driver's full name, license number, date of conviction, the offense, whether it was in a commercial motor vehicle, the location and the driver's signature.
State rules can still apply. In its response to comments, FMCSA writes: "The Agency advises CDL holders to continue to check and comply with the requirements of their State of domicile. Nothing in this rule absolves a CDL holder from having to comply with a State requirement if that requirement exists." FMCSA also states it "will not be compiling" a list of States that still require driver reports.
What this means for exam study
The final rule does not mention the CDL knowledge tests. Current 383.31 has one 30-day notice for convictions: to the current employer. The 30-day State notice for out-of-State convictions is no longer in 383.31. Our CDL standards study guide already quotes the current 383.31 text.