# Florida DOT Compliance: What Changes for Intrastate Trucks and What Never Does Canonical page: https://fleetregulators.com/locations/florida Page type: Location guide | Published: 2026-11-07 | Last updated: 2026-11-07 Summary: Florida intrastate trucking rules: 12/16-hour limits, the 26,001 lb threshold, a fixed federal adoption date, USDOT rules and FHP enforcement. --- Florida carriers that cross state lines, or haul placardable hazmat, follow the federal rules in 49 CFR exactly as carriers in any other state do. The differences are for **intrastate** work: under Florida Statutes s. 316.302, intrastate drivers not hauling placardable hazmat may drive 12 hours (federal: 11) and may not drive after the 16th hour on duty (federal: 14), and most of the federal rules start at 26,001 pounds rather than 10,001. Florida adopted the federal rules for intrastate carriers as they stood on December 31, 2023, so later federal changes do not automatically apply to intrastate operations. Mixed fleets need to track which trips are interstate, because one interstate load puts that driver back under federal Part 395. On this page 1. Who this guide is for 2. Federal rules vs Florida intrastate rules 3. What the Florida differences mean in practice 4. Who enforces trucking safety in Florida 5. USDOT numbers and registration for Florida carriers 6. What Florida roadside inspections find 7. Where Florida carriers get caught out 8. Florida compliance checklist 9. How Fleet Regulators supports Florida carriers 10. Frequently asked questions 11. Sources ## Who this guide is for This guide is for Florida owner-operators, small fleets, and safety managers who need to know which rules apply to their trucks and drivers, and what Florida enforcement focuses on. Florida is home to 30,969 interstate carriers in FMCSA's census, the fifth-largest count of any state, and 88.9% of them run 10 or fewer power units. The census also lists 115,923 intrastate carriers based in Florida, which is why the intrastate rules below matter to so many operators. 30,969 Florida-based interstate carriers (5th of 51) 88.9% Run 1 to 10 power units 171,882 Roadside inspections reported by Florida in 24 months If you only run intrastate, read the next two sections closely. If you run interstate at all, the federal rules are your baseline, and our national pages on [hours of service](https://fleetregulators.com/hours-of-service-compliance) and [driver qualification files](https://fleetregulators.com/driver-qualification-files) apply as written. ## Federal rules vs Florida intrastate rules Florida law (s. 316.302(1)(b)) applies 49 CFR Parts 382 to 386 and 390 to 397 to intrastate commercial motor vehicles, then carves out specific differences. The main ones: | Topic | Interstate (federal, every state) | Florida intrastate, no placardable hazmat | | --- | --- | --- | | Driving limit | 11 hours after 10 hours off | 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off | | Driving window | No driving after the 14th hour on duty | No driving after the 16th hour on duty | | Weekly limit | 60/7 or 70/8, 34-hour restart | 70 hours in 7 days or 80 hours in 8 days; 34 consecutive hours off restarts | | Logs (records of duty status) | Short-haul exception per 49 CFR 395.1(e) | Exempt from 395.8 and 395.11 within a 150 air-mile radius if 395.1(e)(1)(iii) and (iv) conditions are met | | Weight where most rules start | 10,001 lb | 26,001 lb; trucks under that still follow Parts 382, 392 and 393 and 49 CFR 396.3(a)(1) and 396.9 | | Minimum driver age | 21 | 18 (state minimum for a CMV, with a narrow farm-products exception under 26,001 lb) | | Federal rule version | Current CFR | CFR as of December 31, 2023, unless s. 316.302 says otherwise | ## What the Florida differences mean in practice Three practical consequences. First, an intrastate truck under 26,001 pounds is not rule-free: drug and alcohol testing (Part 382), driving rules (Part 392), and equipment rules (Part 393) still apply. Second, the longer hours only help on trips that stay in Florida; a driver who takes one load into Georgia is back under the federal 11 and 14. Third, because the adoption date is fixed, Florida intrastate carriers should not assume a federal change that took effect after 2023 applies to them, or that it does not. That needs checking rule by rule, and the legislature can move the date in any session. Florida also keeps narrow exceptions for agricultural, horticultural and forestry hauling, a 1988 driver-salesperson grandfather clause, and a vision exception for some intrastate drivers with clean records who carry a physical examination form dated within 24 months. Each has conditions in the statute; read them before relying on one. Our [interstate vs intrastate guide](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/interstate-vs-intrastate-trucking-compliance) explains how the line between the two is drawn. ## Who enforces trucking safety in Florida Roadside inspections and commercial vehicle enforcement in Florida are carried out by the Florida Highway Patrol's Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, part of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). The former Office of Motor Carrier Compliance moved into FHP on July 1, 2011, so older references to "Motor Carrier Compliance" or FDOT weigh-station officers are out of date. Florida law also sets a civil penalty for interstate or intrastate carriers that fail to register under 49 CFR 390.19 (s. 316.3025). We do not quote the amount here because it can change; check the current statute. ## USDOT numbers and registration for Florida carriers FLHSMV states that companies operating commercial motor vehicles must register for a USDOT number and display it on power units and intermodal chassis, and that registration fees are not charged to companies engaged solely in intrastate operations. The same page lists an exemption from USDOT registration for intrastate vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight under 26,001 pounds hauling property that does not require placards (s. 316.302(2)(f)). Interstate carriers also need the federal credentials that apply to their operation (operating authority for for-hire interstate carriers, UCR, and IFTA/IRP where they apply). Our guides to [UCR registration](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/what-is-ucr-registration) and [FMCSA operating authority](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/fmcsa-operating-authority-new-carriers) cover those. Intrastate household goods movers and moving brokers must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under chapter 507, Florida Statutes. ## What Florida roadside inspections find Florida's inspection profile is unusual: lighting dominates. The two most frequent violation groups at Florida-reported inspections are clearance and identification lamps and general lighting, ahead of brakes. Vehicle inspections recorded at least one maintenance violation 56.2% of the time, above the national 48.9%, while hours-of-service violations showed up on 5.0% of driver inspections, below the national 7.8%. | Roadside inspections, September 25, 2024 to September 24, 2026 | Florida | 50 states and DC | | --- | --- | --- | | Inspections reported by the state (all carriers) | 171,882 | 5,653,653 | | Driver out-of-service rate | 6.1% | 6.2% | | Vehicle out-of-service rate | 24.9% | 22.5% | | Driver inspections with at least one HOS violation | 5.0% | 7.8% | | Vehicle inspections with at least one maintenance violation | 56.2% | 48.9% | | Most frequent violation groups at Florida inspections | Violations | Share of all violations recorded | | --- | --- | --- | | Clearance and identification lamps (FMCSA: Clearance Identification Lamps/Other) | 31,683 | 17.3% | | Lighting | 24,736 | 13.5% | | Brakes, other than adjustment (FMCSA: Brakes All Others) | 15,171 | 8.3% | | Windshield, glass and markings (FMCSA: Windshield/ Glass/ Markings) | 14,705 | 8.0% | | Emergency Equipment | 14,627 | 8.0% | 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 Florida, 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](https://fleetregulators.com/research/most-common-hos-roadside-violations). Florida-based interstate carriers, wherever they were inspected, had a driver out-of-service rate of 8.7% and a vehicle out-of-service rate of 23.5%. 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. The practical reading: in Florida, the cheapest violations to prevent are the most common ones. A working pre-trip that actually checks every lamp, and a shop habit of fixing lighting the same day, address the top two groups directly. Our [roadside inspection checklist](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/dot-roadside-inspection-checklist-for-carriers) and [Vehicle Maintenance BASIC guide](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/vehicle-maintenance-basic-guide) explain why those small items carry real CSA weight. ## Where Florida carriers get caught out - **Running intrastate hours on an interstate load.** The 12/16 limits disappear the moment a trip crosses the state line or a load requires hazmat placards. Dispatch has to know which rulebook each run is under before the driver starts. - **Assuming "under 26,001 means exempt."** Lighter intrastate trucks still need drug and alcohol testing where Part 382 applies, safe-driving compliance, equipment that meets Part 393, and the Part 396 duties to inspect, repair and act on roadside inspection reports. - **Using the short-haul log exemption without meeting its conditions.** The Florida exemption depends on the 150 air-mile radius and the 395.1(e)(1)(iii) and (iv) conditions; drivers outside them need records of duty status. - **Lamps and markings.** The inspection data says it plainly: lighting is Florida's most common finding. - **Old references.** Training material that still cites FDOT Motor Carrier Compliance, or federal limits for intrastate drivers, is out of date in both directions. ## Florida compliance checklist - Classify every vehicle: GVWR/GCWR above or below 26,001 lb, placardable hazmat or not, interstate or intrastate. - Record, per trip, whether the driver is under federal Part 395 or Florida's intrastate limits. - Confirm drivers using the 150 air-mile log exemption meet every condition; everyone else keeps ELD or paper logs as required. - Keep a complete driver qualification file (see the [DQ file checklist](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/driver-qualification-file-checklist)) for each driver, including medical certification. - Enroll covered drivers in a drug and alcohol program and run [Clearinghouse queries](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/what-is-fmcsa-clearinghouse-and-how-does-it-work). - Display the USDOT number on power units and keep the MCS-150 current. - Check lamps, reflectors and markings on every pre-trip; repair lighting the same day. - Keep annual inspection records for each vehicle ([what to keep](https://fleetregulators.com/blog/dot-annual-inspection-recordkeeping-requirements)). - Recheck s. 316.302 after each legislative session for a new adoption date. Prefer to manage this yourself? The [Compliance Command Center](https://fleetregulators.com/ops-shop/compliance-command-center) workbook tracks DQ files, expirations and HOS issues in one place. ## How Fleet Regulators supports Florida carriers We work with Florida carriers remotely from Austin, Texas. We have no Florida office, and none of this work needs one: daily log reviews run through your ELD provider's portal, driver files live in a shared system, and audit preparation happens on scheduled calls with document checklists. For Florida fleets that means: sorting out which trips run under intrastate or federal hours and auditing logs against the right limits ([HOS log auditing](https://fleetregulators.com/hours-of-service-compliance)); building and maintaining [driver qualification files](https://fleetregulators.com/driver-qualification-files); preparing for a [compliance review or audit](https://fleetregulators.com/dot-audit-help) or a [new entrant safety audit](https://fleetregulators.com/new-entrant-audit-help); and working down maintenance and lighting violations that drive [CSA scores](https://fleetregulators.com/csa-score-improvement). Carriers that want the whole safety function handled use our [fractional safety department](https://fleetregulators.com/fractional-safety-manager). ## Frequently Asked Questions **Can Florida intrastate truck drivers drive 12 hours?** Yes, if the driver is operating intrastate and not hauling placardable hazmat. Florida Statutes s. 316.302 allows 12 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty and no driving after the 16th hour on duty. Interstate trips and placardable hazmat loads stay under the federal 11-hour and 14-hour limits. **Do Florida intrastate carriers need a USDOT number?** FLHSMV states that companies operating commercial motor vehicles must register for a USDOT number and display it, with no registration fee for companies engaged solely in intrastate operations. FLHSMV lists an exemption for intrastate vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight under 26,001 pounds hauling property that does not require placards. **At what weight do the federal rules apply to Florida intrastate trucks?** For most purposes, 26,001 pounds. Intrastate operators below that weight that do not haul placardable hazmat are exempt from Florida's general adoption of the federal rules but must still follow 49 CFR Parts 382, 392 and 393 and sections 396.3(a)(1) and 396.9. **Does every new federal rule apply to Florida intrastate carriers?** Not automatically. Florida adopted the federal rules for intrastate carriers as they existed on December 31, 2023. A federal change after that date applies to Florida intrastate operations only if the legislature updates the date or the statute says otherwise. **Who does roadside inspections in Florida?** The Florida Highway Patrol's Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, within FLHSMV. It took over from the former Office of Motor Carrier Compliance in 2011. **What do Florida inspections find most often?** In FMCSA SMS data for inspections recorded between September 2024 and September 2026, the most frequent violation groups at Florida inspections were clearance and identification lamps and general lighting, followed by brakes and windshield, glass and markings. Sources and Regulatory References - [Florida Statutes s. 316.302, Commercial motor vehicles; safety regulations ↗](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.302) The Florida Senate, 2025 Florida Statutes; accessed 2026-11-07. - [Florida Statutes s. 316.3025, Penalties ↗](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.3025) The Florida Senate, 2025 Florida Statutes; accessed 2026-11-07. - [About Commercial Vehicle Enforcement ↗](https://flhsmv.gov/florida-highway-patrol/commercial-vehicle-enforcement/about) Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; accessed 2026-11-07. - [Florida USDOT Numbers ↗](https://www.flhsmv.gov/florida-highway-patrol/commercial-vehicle-enforcement/safety-enforcement/florida-usdot-numbers) Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles; accessed 2026-11-07. - [Fla. Stat. s. 507.03, registration of movers ↗](https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/507.03) Florida Legislature, 2026 Florida Statutes; accessed 2026-11-07. - [Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, 49 CFR Parts 390-399 ↗](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B) Electronic Code of Federal Regulations; accessed 2026-11-07. - [SMS Input - Inspection (dataset rbkj-cgst) ↗](https://data.transportation.gov/d/rbkj-cgst) FMCSA via data.transportation.gov, rows updated 2026-10-13; accessed 2026-11-07. - [SMS Input - Violation (dataset 8mt8-2mdr) ↗](https://data.transportation.gov/d/8mt8-2mdr) FMCSA via data.transportation.gov, rows updated 2026-10-13; accessed 2026-11-07. - [SMS Input - Motor Carrier Census Information (dataset kjg3-diqy) ↗](https://data.transportation.gov/d/kjg3-diqy) FMCSA via data.transportation.gov, rows updated 2026-10-13; accessed 2026-11-07. Last updated November 2026. Prepared by Fleet Regulators from the sources listed above. This page explains regulations in plain English and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the agency named in each source before acting.