FMCSR 393.11S Lighting Devices & Reflectors: Driver FAQ

No — almost certainly not. Across all-time inspection records, 393.11S carries a 0.0% out-of-service rate: only 1 truck was placed OOS out of 2,790 total citations. Compare that to the all-FMCSR average OOS rate of 31.4%, and it's clear this code sits far below the threshold inspectors typically use to pull equipment. You will almost always be allowed to continue driving after receiving this citation. That said, the underlying defect — missing or inadequate lighting or reflectors — is still a real safety problem and needs to be corrected before your next inspection.

A 393.11S violation carries a severity weight of 3 in the CSA scoring system. Your actual point total depends on when the inspection occurred. FMCSA applies a time-based multiplier: violations from the most recent 6 months are multiplied by 3, those from 7–12 months ago by 2, and those older than 12 months carry no multiplier. So a fresh 393.11S inspection gives you 9 CSA points (3 × 3). Because the code falls under the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC, it affects carrier SMS scores — which matters especially if your carrier is already near an intervention threshold.

Fix the lighting defect immediately and check for the violations that routinely appear on the same inspection. Our inspection records show that in the last 90 days, 393.11S citations co-occurred with 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) on 201 shared inspections — the most common pairing. Other frequent companions include 393.11LR (105 shared inspections), 393.78 windshield defects (96), and 396.17C no proof of periodic inspection (91). Practically speaking:

1. Replace or repair every non-functioning or missing lamp and reflector before your next trip.
2. Pull your last annual inspection report — missing paperwork showed up on 91 related inspections.
3. Walk the entire truck for other lighting issues; multiple lighting codes on one report compound your CSA exposure fast.

It's relatively low-severity in terms of OOS risk, but it's not rare. At 2,790 all-time citations, 393.11S ranks #462 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes nationally — solidly in the top 15% by volume. Its 0.0% OOS rate compares favorably to peers: the broader 393.11 lighting code carries a 1.8% OOS rate across 179,734 citations, and 393.9(a) runs a 15.4% OOS rate across 660,737 citations. So while 393.11S won't park your truck, inspectors are clearly writing it frequently enough that it represents a real audit target, not an obscure edge case.

Yes, you can submit a DataQs Request for Data Review (RDR) to challenge a 393.11S citation. Because this is an equipment-condition finding rather than a documentation violation, a successful challenge typically requires evidence that the cited lighting or reflector was actually compliant at the time of inspection — repair invoices dated before the inspection, photographs, or a certified mechanic's statement are the most useful. Submit your RDR through the FMCSA DataQs portal within the recommended window. If the state patrol or inspection agency agrees the citation was issued in error, the record can be corrected or removed, which would eliminate the CSA points associated with it.

Texas dominates enforcement of this code by a wide margin. Looking at the last 180 days, Texas accounts for 778 citations with a 0.0% OOS rate — dwarfing every other state in our records. Iowa is a distant second at 21 citations, followed by Illinois at 7 and New Mexico at 1. If your routes run through Texas, treat pre-trip lighting checks as non-negotiable. The concentration in TX likely reflects both the state's high CMV traffic volume and the active enforcement posture of the Texas DPS Motor Carrier Bureau.

Don't wait. Even though the OOS rate is effectively 0.0%, the citation volume is accelerating: our inspection records show 1,743 citations in just the last 12 months out of 2,790 all-time — meaning roughly 62% of every citation ever written for this code happened in the past year. The last 90 days alone produced 377 citations. That trend signals heightened inspector attention to lighting compliance. A defective lamp or missing reflector that gets written up once will get written up again on your next encounter, stacking CSA points. Fix it the same day you're cited.

It hits both — but in different ways. Under FMCSA's CSA system, roadside inspection violations are linked to the carrier's DOT number for SMS scoring purposes, affecting their Vehicle Maintenance BASIC. The driver's PSP (Pre-Employment Screening Program) record also retains the inspection event for three years. That means a prospective employer pulling your PSP will see the 393.11S citation. Carriers with the highest citation counts in our records — such as RUBEN CARLOS TREVINO SANCHEZ (USDOT 1649689) with 24 citations and TRANSPORTE INTERNACIONAL LOPEZ OCHOA SA DE C V (USDOT 1041907) with 15 — demonstrate how repeated lighting violations accumulate at the carrier level and attract regulatory scrutiny.