California Trucking Compliance: The State That Writes Its Own Rulebook

Who this guide is for

California is home to more interstate carriers than any other state: 63,956 in FMCSA's census, 91.9% of them running 10 or fewer power units, plus 253,984 intrastate carriers listed in the same file. California also records the most roadside inspections in the country: 891,104 in the latest 24-month window.

This guide is for California owner-operators, small fleets and safety managers, and for out-of-state carriers that run into California. Metro pages: Los Angeles and Sacramento.

USDOT, CA number and Motor Carrier Permit

The trap most new California carriers hit: FMCSA's online "Do I need a USDOT number?" tool can tell an intrastate non-hazmat carrier that it does not need one, but the CHP will not issue a CA number without it. Household goods and passenger carriers operating under California Public Utilities Commission authority are listed as exempt from the MCP; check the DMV list of exemptions for your operation.

California intrastate hours of service and ELDs

Under 13 CCR 1212.5 (as amended effective April 1, 2020), California intrastate truck drivers may drive up to 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive after the 16th hour after coming on duty, and may not drive after 80 hours on duty in any 8 consecutive days (agricultural haulers under section 1212(k) excepted). Under adverse driving conditions a driver may drive up to 2 more hours, to a maximum of 14 hours after 10 consecutive hours off, and still may not drive after the 16th hour on duty (13 CCR 1212(b)). Intrastate bus drivers and drivers of flammable-liquid tank vehicles over 500 gallons are held to 10 hours of driving. The intrastate short-haul log exception uses a 100 air-mile radius and release within 12 consecutive hours, narrower than the federal 150 air miles and 14 hours.

California's regulation requires intrastate drivers to comply with the California hours rules in 13 CCR 1212 and 1212.5; the CHP's ELD guidance notes that a driver logging under the stricter federal limits is also in compliance. Either way, intrastate carriers and drivers have had to use ELDs since January 1, 2024 (13 CCR 1213(a)(1)), with no grace period. Exemptions include drivers who keep records of duty status no more than 8 days in any 30-day period and vehicles manufactured before model year 2000. The ELD rule does not move intrastate drivers onto federal hours.

Driver age: California allows CDL holders 18 or older to drive for hire within California if they do not engage in interstate commerce; drivers must be 21 to haul hazardous materials or wastes, even intrastate. At renewal, DMV may issue an intrastate-only restricted CDL to a driver with a disqualifying medical condition and a safe driving history with it. Our ELD mistakes guide applies to the new intrastate ELD users as much as to interstate fleets.

BIT terminal inspections and 90-day maintenance

California's Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) program (called the Biennial Inspection of Terminals before 2016) puts covered carriers through CHP terminal inspections of vehicles, maintenance records and driver records. Since January 1, 2016 the program has also covered commercial motor vehicles over 26,000 pounds GVWR, in addition to earlier categories such as truck tractors, three-axle trucks over 10,000 pounds, and placarded hazmat vehicles. Since the same date, CHP has selected carriers for BIT inspections with a performance-based system tied to their federal SMS BASIC percentiles, so CSA scores influence how often a California terminal is inspected. Not every carrier that needs an MCP is in BIT.

Separately, California carriers must perform and document a preventive maintenance inspection on their vehicles every 90 days (Vehicle Code 34505.5); the CHP 108 form may be used. Missing 90-day records is one of the most common gaps a BIT inspection finds, because the record has to exist for every vehicle for every period. Our inspection recordkeeping guide covers the federal annual side.

CARB rules that reach every truck in California

Two California Air Resources Board programs apply to trucks operating in California regardless of where the carrier is based:

• Truck and Bus Regulation: since January 1, 2023, diesel vehicles over 14,000 pounds GVWR operating in California must have a 2010 or newer engine, with few exceptions. DMV denies registration to non-compliant vehicles.
• Clean Truck Check: the heavy-duty inspection and maintenance program applies to subject vehicles, including out-of-state vehicles operating in California. Operators report passing test results and pay an annual compliance fee. Check CARB's current fact sheets for the vehicle threshold, fee and testing schedule.

These are environmental rules, not FMCSA safety rules, but a compliance program for a California fleet has to track them alongside DQ files and logs.

What California roadside inspections find

California's inspection numbers are large and, on average, relatively clean. The driver out-of-service rate at California inspections was 3.6% and the vehicle rate 16.0%, both below national averages (6.2% and 22.5%), and 34.9% of vehicle inspections recorded a maintenance violation against 48.9% nationally. Brakes are still the largest violation group by a wide margin.

Source: Fleet Regulators analysis of FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) input files, monthly run published October 2026, covering roadside inspections recorded September 25, 2024 to September 24, 2026. "In the state" means the inspection was reported by California, whatever the carrier's home state. Driver rates use Level 1, 2, 3 and 6 inspections; vehicle rates use Level 1, 2, 5 and 6. Group names are FMCSA's. Same method as our HOS roadside violations study.

California-based interstate carriers, wherever inspected, had a driver out-of-service rate of 6.3% and a vehicle out-of-service rate of 19.2%. These figures describe what inspectors recorded, not how safe carriers in the state are. Rates move with enforcement priorities, which inspection levels a state favors, where it inspects, and which carriers pass through. California's high inspection volume includes many terminal and scale inspections of trucks that pass.

California compliance checklist

• Get a USDOT number first, then a CA number through the CHP 362, then a Motor Carrier Permit from DMV.
• Find out whether your vehicles put you in the BIT program, and keep terminal records ready for a CHP inspection.
• Document a 90-day preventive maintenance inspection for every vehicle, every period.
• Equip intrastate drivers with ELDs unless an exemption applies; decide and document whether they run California or federal hours.
• Keep intrastate-only drivers (age 18 to 20, restricted CDLs) off interstate loads and hazmat.
• Confirm Truck and Bus engine compliance and Clean Truck Check reporting for every subject vehicle.
• Maintain driver qualification files (see the DQ file checklist) and drug and alcohol program records.

How Fleet Regulators supports California carriers

We support California carriers remotely from Austin, Texas; we have no California office. What we can do for California fleets: organizing 90-day maintenance and terminal records before a BIT inspection, setting up intrastate ELD and HOS log auditing, building driver qualification files, and lowering the BASIC percentiles that drive both CSA scores and BIT selection. For a pending review see DOT audit help.

About Fleet Regulators

Outsourced safety department, Austin, Texas

Fleet Regulators was founded by Rhythm Gandhi (The Safety Gal) and supports motor carriers remotely in all 50 states with DOT audit preparation, HOS log auditing, driver qualification files, and CSA score work. More about Rhythm and the team.