FMCSA denied the FOPT paper-log ELD exemption. Paper RODS are not an opt-out.

On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, FMCSA denied a request from the Federation of Professional Truckers (FOPT). FOPT had asked the agency to let professional drivers keep paper records of duty status (RODS) instead of using an electronic logging device (ELD). FMCSA published a notice of final disposition in the Federal Register denying the application.

What FOPT asked for

Under 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(i), drivers who have to keep RODS must use an ELD. FOPT wanted an exemption so professional drivers could log by hand on paper instead. The application was published for comment on Monday, February 9, 2026 (91 FR 5800), under Docket FMCSA-2025-1282. The denial is FR Doc. 2026-20043, at 91 FR 61914 through 61916.

What the denial says

1. It's a denial. There's no new paper-log opt-out for drivers who have to keep RODS.
2. Public comments. FMCSA counted 901 public comments, 890 of them unique. Most individual commenters supported the exemption. Several safety groups and the American Trucking Associations opposed it or argued ELDs should stay.
3. The statute requires ELDs. Section 32301(b) of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act, passed as part of MAP-21 (Pub. L. 112-141, Friday, July 6, 2012), directed the Secretary to require ELDs on interstate CMVs driven by anyone who has to keep RODS. FMCSA says it's bound by that and can't grant a blanket exemption to drivers or carriers who don't want to use ELDs.
4. The safety case wasn't made. FMCSA also found FOPT didn't show the exemption would likely be as safe as, or safer than, the current rules. FOPT talked about educating members, random internal audits, and removing violators from the program. But the request covered any driver who wanted the exemption, not just FOPT members, and FMCSA said FOPT didn't explain how those steps would work for drivers outside its membership.
5. The existing paper exception still applies. Under 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A)(1), a carrier can still let a driver keep paper RODS if that driver needs RODS on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period. The denial notice cites that as (iii), but the live eCFR has it at (ii). This isn't a new right. It's the same exception that already existed. The denial doesn't expand it or take it away.

What it means for you

If you have to keep RODS and you don't fit the 8-days-in-30 exception, you still need a registered ELD. Anyone claiming "paper logs are coming back" because somebody filed an exemption request was wrong before September 30, and they're still wrong now. Trailer type doesn't matter, whether it's a dry van, reefer, flatbed, or tanker. The ELD rule follows the RODS requirement, not the trailer.

Related deadlines

The replacement deadline for five revoked ELD models, including Moonlight and HGRS, was Tuesday, October 6, 2026. If your device is on that list, you're running without a compliant ELD until you replace it. That's about the device, not paper logs coming back. The nationwide paper medical card exemption ended at the end of Sunday, October 11, 2026, for everyone but Alaska-issued CDL and CLP holders. Q3 IFTA returns are due Monday, November 2, 2026 in many states. None of those turns 395.8 into an opt-out.

Before your next dispatch

1. Confirm whether you have to keep RODS. If you do, plan on an ELD unless you actually qualify for the 8-days-in-30 paper exception in 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A)(1).
2. Don't plan around a blanket paper-log exemption. FMCSA denied this one and pointed to MAP-21.
3. If your ELD is one of the five FMCSA revoked on August 6, 2026, the October 6, 2026 deadline is gone. Swap it now and keep the receipt in the truck file.
4. Keep the Federal Register denial link or PDF in the safety binder in case someone claims paper logs are allowed again.
5. Give leased-on drivers the same guidance as company drivers. The RODS rule applies no matter whose authority the truck runs under.

Paper logs didn't become optional on September 30. The exemption request is closed, and the 8-days-in-30 exception is still the only paper option the denial mentions. Keep using your registered ELD, or replace it if you need to.

Sources

• Federal Register: Electronic Logging Device Requirements; Application for Exemption; Federation of Professional Truckers (FR Doc. 2026-20043) (published September 30, 2026; 91 FR 61914-61916; ACTION: Notice of final disposition; denial of application for exemption; Docket FMCSA-2025-1282)
• GovInfo PDF: 2026-20043
• Regulations.gov docket FMCSA-2025-1282
• Federal Register application notice (91 FR 5800, February 9, 2026) (91 FR 5800; Docket FMCSA-2025-1282)
• 49 CFR 395.8 (ELD / RODS; 8-days-in-30 paper exception at 395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A)(1))
• FMCSA: Registered ELDs and revoked devices (device list for the October 6, 2026 revoke deadline already covered on DueHaul)
• Federal Register notice, FR Doc. 2026-20649: paper medical card exemption renewed for Alaska only (published October 8, 2026)

Access date for linked pages: October 2, 2026. Updated October 20, 2026 to reflect the October 6 and October 11 deadlines and the Alaska medical card exemption. Not legal advice. Check the live Federal Register denial, 49 CFR 395.8, and your own RODS duty before you change how you log.