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
59.9%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 | 392.4(a) | Use of drugs | OOS | 3,919 |
| #2 | 392.5(a)(2) | BAC 0.04+ | OOS | 778 |
| #3 | 392.5(a) | Use/possession of alcohol | OOS | 141 |
| #4 | 392.5(a)(1) | BAC 0.02-0.039 | OOS | 60 |
| #5 | 382.215 | Positive drug test - operating CMV | OOS | — |
| #6 | 382.217 | Refusing to submit to required test | OOS | — |
| #7 | 392.4(b) | Possession of drugs | OOS | — |
| #8 | 392.5(c) | Driving within 4 hours of consuming alcohol | OOS | — |
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.