FMCSA seeks comments on renewing accident recordkeeping rule

The rule requiring trucking companies to keep records of commercial vehicle accidents will stay in place. The agency is asking for public comments before renewing the paperwork requirement.

Motor carriers must maintain an accident register for three years after each crash. The register must include the date, location, driver name, injuries, fatalities, and hazardous material releases. Carriers do not send these records to FMCSA. They only provide them when federal, state, or local officials ask.

Comments on the renewal must be received by November 9, 2026. Carriers can submit feedback on the paperwork burden or suggest ways to reduce it. The docket number is FMCSA-2026-1552.

FMCSA updated its estimates for how many carriers keep these records and the time it takes. The agency expects about 115,547 carriers to maintain the registers. Each entry takes about 18 minutes to complete. The current information collection expires on March 31, 2027.

Source: Federal Register — https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/09/2026-18276/agency-information-collection-activities-renewal-of-an-approved-information-collection-accident