Enforcement

FMCSA's DataQs reforms are officially in effect in all 50 states, with deadlines for decisions

Challenges to inspection and crash records now get a three-stage review the issuing officer cannot decide alone: states must open a request within a week and decide the initial review in 21 days — but the burden of proof stays entirely with the driver or carrier filing.

By CDLWire · Published October 17, 2026

Summarized from Commercial Carrier Journal.

A driver reviewing an inspection report beside a semi truck at a weigh station

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has officially announced the implementation of its reformed DataQs requirements, with all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories now meeting the new standards, according to Commercial Carrier Journal on Oct. 15.

DataQs is the system drivers and carriers use to challenge inspection, violation and crash records they believe are inaccurate. Under the reforms, a challenge gets a three-stage review: an initial review that ensures the decision is not made solely by the issuing officer when a correction is denied, a reconsideration conducted by independent subject-matter experts who were not involved in the initial decision, and a final review completed by a senior decision-maker or an independent panel.

The stages now carry deadlines. States have a week to open a challenge, known as a request for data review, and 21 days from submission to decide and communicate the initial review. A reconsideration decision must be made and communicated within 21 days of appeal, and final reviews must wrap up within 45 days of the request. The changes also bar the inspecting or issuing officer from deciding challenges to their own work, require more transparency in the reasons when a challenge is denied, and tie states' adherence to their eligibility for Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program funding.

"Truck drivers and motor carriers deserve a fair shot when they believe their safety record contains inaccurate information," FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said. "We promised the trucking industry that we would strengthen the DataQs process by improving timeliness and enhancing due process, and we are delivering."

One limit did not change: FMCSA emphasized that the burden of proof in every DataQs review is entirely with the requestor — the driver or carrier challenging the record — and states retain discretion to reject requests submitted without minimal factual or legal justification. A timely, thorough filing with evidence remains the carrier's job.