Data / Federal rules / 2026-16288
English Language Proficiency; Out of Service Criteria
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on August 10, 2026. Comments closed on October 9, 2026.
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What the agency says
FMCSA proposes to codify the English language proficiency (ELP) driver qualification requirement as an out-of-service (OOS) violation. The rulemaking would ensure uniform enforcement by aligning the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) with the current enforcement tolerances in the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria issued by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The rulemaking responds to a petition from CVSA.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-16288
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM)
- Agency
- Transportation Department; Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Published
- August 10, 2026
- Comments due
- October 9, 2026
- Dates
- Comments must be received on or before October 9, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket No. FMCSA-2026-0826
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 2126-AC99
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 49 CFR 390; 49 CFR 391
- Topics
- Alcohol abuse; Drug abuse; Drug testing; Highway safety; Intermodal transportation; Motor carriers; Motor vehicle safety; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Safety; Transportation
- Pages
- 10
Other documents from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Clarification to the Applicability of Emergency Exemptions; Response to Petitions for Reconsideration 2026-20325 | Final rule | Oct 5 |
| Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement 2026-17893 | Final rule | Sep 1 |
| General Technical, Organizational, Conforming, and Correcting Amendments to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations 2026-14701 | Final rule | Jul 21 |
| Completed Inspection Report Disposition 2026-12450 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Removal of Self-Reporting Requirement 2026-12449 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Rescinding the Requirement for Electronic Logging Device Operator's Manual Located in Commercial Motor Vehicles 2026-12448 | Final rule | Jun 22 |
| Fees for Commercial Driver's License Information System 2026-09943 | Proposed rule | May 18 |
| Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement 2026-08498 | Proposed rule | May 1 |
Everything from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · Rules on alcohol abuse · Rules on drug abuse · Rules on drug testing · Published in August 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.