Intrastate ELD Rules by State (2026 Guide)

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Rules, prices and device details on this page were checked October 2026 against the official sources listed at the bottom. Where a provider doesn't publish a number, we say so instead of guessing.

The federal ELD mandate covers interstate commerce. If your trucks never cross a state line, and your freight isn't part of an interstate move, your state's rules decide whether you need an ELD and how many hours you can drive. Most states follow the federal rules closely, but the differences can be big enough to cost you a violation. This guide explains how states adopt FMCSA rules, the limits states are allowed to change, and the specific rules we verified from official state sources in October 2026.

One honest note before we start. Fifty states means fifty rulebooks, many of them updated through emergency rules and incorporation dates. We've only put rules in our table that we checked against an official source. For any state not covered, the general pattern below holds, but confirm with your state's motor carrier enforcement agency before you rely on it.

How States Adopt FMCSA Rules

States get federal safety grants through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. To qualify, their intrastate rules have to be compatible with the federal rules. The allowed differences are listed in 49 CFR 350.305. Here's what that section lets a state do for intrastate commerce:

Weight exemption. A state may exempt vehicles under 26,001 pounds from its intrastate rules, unless the vehicle hauls placarded hazardous materials or is built or used to carry 16 or more people. Federally, interstate rules start at 10,001 pounds, so this is the biggest gap you'll see.
12 hour driving limit. States may allow 12 hours of driving, as long as drivers can't drive after 16 hours on duty.
Weekly limits. States may use 70 hours in 7 days or 80 hours in 8 days.
Short haul radius. States may use a 150 air mile radius or the federal radius, whichever is greater.
Driver age. Intrastate drivers must be at least 18, while interstate drivers generally must be 21.
Grandfathered industries. States can keep industry specific exemptions that were in effect before April 1988, if the scope hasn't been expanded.

What states can't do: exempt carriers based on whether they're for hire or private, or add new distance exemptions beyond what the federal rules contain. That framework explains why so many state rules look alike. They're all federal rules with some combination of these allowed variances.

Interstate vs intrastate

Before any state rule applies, you have to be truly intrastate. A load that started or will end in another state is generally interstate commerce, even if your leg stays inside one state. A driver hauling a container from a port to a warehouse in the same state can still be in interstate commerce if the freight came from overseas or is headed out of state. When in doubt, ask your state agency, and keep your shipping papers.

State Table of HOS and ELD Rules

These are the states we verified against official sources this month. "Federal" means the state uses the FMCSA rule for that item.

State	Intrastate ELD	Driving limit	On duty limit	Weekly limit	Short haul radius
California	Required since Jan 1, 2024	12 hours after 10 off	No driving after 16th hour	80 hours in 8 days	100 air miles, 12 hours
Texas	Required unless exempt	12 hours after 8 off	15 hours on duty	70 hours in 7 days	150 air miles, 14 hours
Florida	Required since Dec 31, 2019 enforcement	12 hours after 10 off	No driving after 16th hour	70/7 or 80/8	150 air miles
Georgia	Required since Jan 1, 2019	Federal	Federal	Federal	Federal short haul
Michigan	Required (Part 395 adopted)	Federal	Federal	Federal	Federal
Alaska	Federal Part 395 adopted	15 hours after 10 off (Alaska rule)	No driving after 20 hours on duty	70/7 or 80/8	Federal

Now the details behind each row.

California

California required ELDs for intrastate carriers starting January 1, 2024, under 13 CCR 1213. Intrastate truck drivers can drive 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off, can't drive after the 16th hour, and have an 80 hour limit in 8 consecutive days with a 34 hour restart. Tank vehicles over 500 gallons hauling flammable liquid are limited to 10 hours. California's short haul exception is narrower than most, at 100 air miles and 12 hours. Full details are in our California ELD rules guide.

Texas

Texas applies its intrastate rules to vehicles over 26,000 pounds, uses 12 hours of driving after 8 hours off with a 15 hour on duty limit, and caps the week at 70 hours in 7 days with a 34 hour restart. ELDs are required under 37 TAC 4.12(a)(7) unless exempt. Oilfield and construction drivers can restart with 24 hours off. See our Texas ELD rules guide.

Florida

Under Florida Statutes 316.302, intrastate drivers not hauling placarded hazmat can drive 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off, can't drive after the 16th hour on duty, and are limited to 70 hours in 7 days, or 80 hours in 8 days if the carrier runs every day. 34 hours off ends the period. Drivers staying within 150 air miles of their base can skip logs if they meet the federal time record conditions. Florida's HSMV says the Florida Highway Patrol began enforcing the ELD mandate for intrastate drivers on December 31, 2019. Florida also has wide exemptions for agricultural hauling during harvest.

Georgia

Georgia's Department of Public Safety announced that intrastate carriers operating solely in Georgia must comply with the federal ELD rule beginning January 1, 2019. Drivers using the 100 or 150 air mile short haul exceptions, or who log 8 days or less in a 30 day period, are exempt from the ELD requirement. Georgia's FAQ notes that vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more used in business are commercial motor vehicles for most safety rules, so Georgia's net is wider than states that use the 26,001 pound exemption.

Michigan

Michigan adopts Part 395 for intrastate carriers, including the ELD requirements, under its Motor Carrier Safety Act. The Michigan State Police guidebook lists intrastate exemptions under MCL 480.15, including non CDL drivers, government drivers operating government vehicles, utility service vehicle drivers and Michigan intrastate farm vehicle drivers. Michigan also has a seasonal construction provision allowing 12 hours of driving and 16 hours on duty.

Alaska

Alaska adopts Part 395 by reference in 17 AAC 25.220, and the federal rules contain special Alaska limits for property carriers: up to 15 hours of driving after 10 hours off, no driving after 20 hours on duty, and 70 hours in 7 days or 80 hours in 8 days. Alaska exempts certain intrastate vehicles at or under 26,000 pounds used in fishing operations outside Anchorage and Fairbanks, and exempts interstate vehicles at or under 26,000 pounds from the ELD rules unless they haul placarded hazmat or carry more than 15 passengers.

Notable Differences

Patterns jump out once you line the states up.

Adopted Fully

States like Georgia and Michigan largely adopt the federal hours of service and ELD rules for intrastate carriers, with targeted exemptions. For carriers in these states, the simplest approach is to run the federal ruleset all the time. The main thing to check is the weight threshold. Georgia applies safety rules from 10,001 pounds, while many other states start at 26,001 pounds for intrastate work.

Partial Adoption

States like California, Texas and Florida adopt the federal framework but use the 350.305 variances for hours. They allow 12 hours of driving and a longer on duty window, and they often use the 70/80 hour weekly rules. California is an outlier on short haul, with a smaller 100 air mile radius. Texas is an outlier on rest, with 8 hours off instead of 10.

Agricultural Carve Outs

Nearly every state protects farmers. Federally, 49 CFR 395.1(k) exempts agricultural commodity haulers within 150 air miles of the source during planting and harvest seasons, as set by each state. Texas sets its season as the whole year. Florida exempts harvest hauling from its weekly limit, and California gives farm product haulers a 112 hour limit over 8 days. If you haul ag products, read your state's rules closely, because you may not need logs at all for much of the year.

Industry restarts

Oilfield and construction carriers get special treatment in several states. Texas and California both allow a 24 hour restart for oilfield work, and both offer construction restarts. These are grandfathered or allowed variances, and they matter a lot to fleets in those industries.

How to Stay Compliant Across States

If you run in more than one state, or switch between intrastate and interstate work, here's how to keep it clean.

Pick an ELD with state rulesets. Most major ELDs offer intrastate rulesets for states like California, Texas and Florida. Confirm the ones you need before you buy, and check the device is on the FMCSA registered list.
Set the default to the strictest rule you regularly face. If a driver sometimes runs interstate, federal rules are usually the safer default.
Switch rulesets deliberately. Make switching part of dispatch. The load should determine the ruleset, not the driver's memory.
Track short haul eligibility daily. State radii and hour limits differ. California uses 100 air miles and 12 hours. Texas and Florida use 150.
Keep time records for 6 months. Every short haul exception we checked requires it.
Train dispatchers on the differences. Most violations start in planning.
Recheck rules each year. States update their incorporation dates and adopt new federal changes on their own schedules.

When you're exempt anyway

Even where a state requires ELDs, the standard federal exceptions usually carry over: short haul drivers who don't need logs, drivers who log 8 or fewer days in 30, driveaway towaway operations and pre 2000 vehicles. See our ELD exemptions guide for the federal list.

Worked Examples

Here's how the differences play out for real drivers.

A Texas dump truck driver

A driver hauls gravel between a quarry and job sites around Houston, never leaving Texas, in a truck rated over 26,000 pounds. Most days, the driver stays within 150 air miles and is released within 14 hours, so no log is needed. On a day when a project runs long and the shift goes past 14 hours, the driver needs a record of duty status that day. Because Texas requires ELDs for intrastate carriers unless exempt, the carrier should have an ELD in the truck for days like that, unless the driver logs 8 or fewer days in any 30. The construction restart lets the driver reset the 70 hour week with 24 hours off.

A California produce hauler

A driver hauls lettuce from fields in the Salinas Valley to a packing shed. Under 13 CCR 1212(k), farm product haulers get 12 hours of driving after 8 hours off and a 112 hour limit over 8 days, but they still keep a record of duty status. After the produce is packed and heads to a distribution center in Arizona, the next leg is interstate, and federal rules apply.

A Florida delivery fleet

A beverage distributor runs heavy trucks around Orlando. Most routes stay well inside 150 air miles and finish within 12 hours, so drivers use time records instead of logs. When a driver isn't released within 12 hours, Florida's guidance says a log is needed that day, and since the intrastate ELD rule applies, the fleet needs ELDs for those days unless another exception fits.

A Georgia lawn care company

A lawn care company runs 14,000 pound trucks with trailers inside Georgia. Because Georgia treats business vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more as CMVs for most safety rules, the company needs to follow the hours rules and keep records. Most days, drivers stay local and qualify for short haul, so they keep time records rather than ELD logs.

A Michigan seasonal crew

A road construction company in Michigan runs dump trucks only inside the state during the paving season. Under Michigan's seasonal construction provision, its drivers may drive up to 12 hours and stay on duty up to 16 hours. The company still needs logs on days outside short haul, so it keeps ELDs in the trucks that travel farther from the yard.

Questions to Ask Your ELD Vendor

Which state intrastate rulesets does your app support today?
Can dispatch assign the ruleset per load, or does the driver choose?
Does the app track short haul eligibility automatically and warn when a driver goes over?
Can it handle state specific restarts, like oilfield and construction?
How fast do you update when a state changes its rules?
Can drivers switch between US and Canadian rules for cross border work?

Get the answers in writing, and test the rulesets in a pilot before rolling out to the whole fleet.

States We Haven't Covered Yet

We'll keep adding states as we verify them against official sources. Until then, here's how to check your own state's rules in about 15 minutes:

Find your state's motor carrier enforcement agency. It's usually the state police, the highway patrol, or the department of transportation or public safety.
Look for the state's adoption of 49 CFR Parts 390 to 396 and the date it adopts them through. That date tells you whether newer federal changes, like the ELD rule, apply.
Look for an intrastate hours of service section, often with "intrastate" or "exceptions" in the title.
Check the weight threshold for intrastate rules. Is it 10,001 or 26,001 pounds?
Call the agency if anything is unclear and write down who you spoke to.

For the federal basics, see our ELD mandate guide and our hours of service guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do intrastate trucks need ELDs?

It depends on your state. Many states, including California, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Michigan, require ELDs for intrastate carriers who must keep logs, with exemptions.

Can states set different hours of service rules?

Yes, within limits. 49 CFR 350.305 lets states allow 12 hours of driving with a 16 hour on duty limit, 70 or 80 hour weekly limits and a 150 air mile short haul radius for intrastate commerce.

What weight triggers intrastate rules?

States may exempt vehicles under 26,001 pounds from intrastate rules unless they carry placarded hazmat or 16 or more people. Some states, like Georgia, apply rules from 10,001 pounds.

Which state has the longest driving limit?

Among the states we checked, Alaska allows up to 15 hours of driving under the federal Alaska rules. California, Texas and Florida allow 12 hours for intrastate drivers.

Does an intrastate leg of an interstate shipment follow state rules?

Generally no. If the freight is moving in interstate commerce, federal rules apply, even when your leg stays in one state.

Sources

All prices, terms and registration details were checked October 2026 on the pages below. Providers change pricing often, so confirm before you buy.