FMCSA Violation Code Reference
Browse all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR) violation codes ranked by citation frequency. Filter by BASIC category, OOS eligibility, or search by code number.
BASIC Categories
Select a category to filter
Vehicle Maintenance
21.0%Unsafe Driving
Hours of Service
16.3%Driver Fitness
60.0%General/Admin
Hazardous Materials
28.3%Unknown
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
97.3%Hazardous Materials Compliance
Hours-of-Service Compliance
36.4%Crash Indicator
All Violation Codes
Ranked by citation frequency
| Rank ▼ | Code | Description | OOS | Times Cited ▼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 392.2 | Operating a CMV while ill or fatigued | OOS | 1,208,246 |
| #2 | 393.9(a) | Inoperable required lamps | — | 660,737 |
| #3 | 396.3(a)(1) | Inspection/repair/maintenance - general | OOS | 236,919 |
| #4 | 396.17(c) | No proof of periodic inspection | — | 198,331 |
| #5 | 393.9 | Inoperable Required Lamp | — | 182,266 |
| #6 | 393.11 | Lighting devices/reflectors | — | 180,162 |
| #7 | 393.78 | Windshield condition defective | — | 158,863 |
| #8 | 393.47(e) | Slack adjuster defective | OOS | 157,499 |
| #9 | 393.45(b)(2) | Brake tubing/hoses inadequate | — | 133,588 |
| #10 | 393.75(a)(3) | Tire-flat and/or audible air leak | — | 130,970 |
| #11 | 395.24 | HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner | — | 108,052 |
| #12 | 393.95(a) | Emergency equipment - fire extinguisher missing/defective | OOS | 105,458 |
| #13 | 396.5(b) | Fuel system leak | OOS | 96,018 |
| #14 | 393.53(b) | Steering system components worn | — | 89,707 |
| #15 | 393.75(c) | Tire tread depth insufficient (other axles) | OOS | 86,013 |
| #16 | 395.8(e)(1) | 395.8(e)(1) | — | 78,276 |
| #17 | 393.45(d) | Brake tubing/hoses inadequate | — | 72,830 |
| #18 | 393.55(e) | Coupling device/towing methods defective | — | 66,184 |
| #19 | 392.16(a) | Failing to use seat belt (49 CFR) | — | 64,794 |
| #20 | 393.95(f) | Emergency Equipment - Stopped vehicle warning devices missing or improper | — | 59,468 |
| #21 | 393.48(a) | Inoperative/defective brakes | OOS | 59,449 |
| #22 | 393.60(c) | Glazing/window obstructions | — | 53,470 |
| #23 | 383.23(a)(2) | CDL - wrong class | OOS | 50,385 |
| #24 | 393.45 | Brake tubing/hoses inadequate | OOS | 44,503 |
| #25 | 391.41(a) | Physical qualification - general | OOS | 42,316 |
| #26 | 395.8(a)(1) | Not using the appropriate method to record hours of service | — | 39,561 |
| #27 | 395.30(b)(1) | Driver failed to certify the accuracy of the information gathered by the ELD | — | 37,931 |
| #28 | 393.60(d) | Glazing/window obstructions | — | 37,236 |
| #29 | 391.41(a)(1) | 391.41(a)(1) | — | 35,686 |
| #30 | 393.19 | Hazard warning signal inoperable | — | 30,559 |
| #31 | 395.8 | Record of Duty Status violation (general/form and manner) | — | 30,330 |
| #32 | 393.75(a) | Tires/tubes - general defects | OOS | 26,907 |
| #33 | 390.21(a) | Vehicle marking requirements | — | 26,025 |
| #34 | 393.207(a) | Suspension defective | OOS | 25,723 |
| #35 | 393.43 | Brake - relay emergency valve | OOS | 23,877 |
| #36 | 395.3(a)(2) | Driving beyond 11-hour driving limit | OOS | 23,620 |
| #37 | 395.24(c)(2)(iii) | Driver failed to manually add shipping document number | — | 23,460 |
| #38 | 393.75(a)(1) | Tire-ply or belt material exposed | — | 23,264 |
| #39 | 396.9(d)(2) | Failure to correct defects noted on previous inspection report | — | 22,684 |
| #40 | 393.83(g) | Exhaust - Discharging at a point forward or directly below the driver or sleeper compartment | — | 22,015 |
| #41 | 393.11(a)(1) | Lighting devices/reflectors | — | 21,415 |
| #42 | 393.205(c) | Wheel fasteners loose and/or missing | — | 21,263 |
| #43 | 393.47(a) | Brake chamber - cracked/broken | OOS | 20,741 |
| #44 | 395.3(a)(3)(i) | 395.3(a)(3)(i) | — | 19,877 |
| #45 | 395.8(f)(1) | Drivers record of duty status not current | — | 19,806 |
| #46 | 395.22(h)(4) | Driver failed to maintain supply of blank drivers records of duty status graph-grids | — | 19,597 |
| #47 | 395.8(a) | Failing to keep RODS | OOS | 17,946 |
| #48 | 393.55(d)(1) | Coupling device/towing methods defective | — | 17,654 |
| #49 | 395.24(d) | ELD cannot transfer ELD records electronically | — | 17,629 |
| #50 | 395.22(g) | Portable ELD not mounted in a fixed position and visible to driver | — | 16,675 |
About Violation Codes
Each violation found during a roadside inspection is assigned a code from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (49 CFR Parts 350-399) or Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171-180). These codes map to one of seven BASIC categories used in the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS).
Violations flagged as Out-of-Service (OOS) indicate conditions severe enough to remove a vehicle or driver from service until corrected. OOS violations carry more weight in SMS percentile calculations.
Carriers and drivers who believe a violation was recorded in error can file a Request for Data Review (DataQs) through the FMCSA DataQs system.
Data sources & freshness
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.