Texas ELD Rules: Intrastate Hours of Service Explained
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.
Texas has its own hours of service rules for trucks that never leave the state, and they're more generous than the federal ones in some places and stricter in others. The state also requires ELDs for intrastate carriers unless an exemption applies. Everything here comes from Title 37 of the Texas Administrative Code, sections 4.11 and 4.12, which the Texas Department of Public Safety enforces. Checked October 2026.
Texas Intrastate Requirements
Texas adopts most of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations by reference in 37 TAC 4.11, then carves out intrastate differences in 4.12. For intrastate operations, the rules apply to:
- Vehicles or combinations with an actual gross weight or gross weight rating over 26,000 pounds
- Farm vehicles or combinations at 48,000 pounds or more, plus other categories listed in 4.11(c), such as vehicles hauling placarded hazardous materials and certain passenger vehicles
That 26,000 pound line is the key difference from interstate rules. A 20,000 pound box truck running only inside Texas generally isn't covered by the state's hours of service rules, while the same truck crossing into Oklahoma is a federal CMV, because the federal threshold is 10,001 pounds.
The ELD rule
Under 4.12(a)(7), unless an exemption applies, a motor carrier operating commercial motor vehicles intrastate must install an ELD and require each driver to use it under 49 CFR Part 395. Texas uses the federal definition of an ELD, so your device has to be on the FMCSA registered ELD list. The federal ELD exceptions, like the 8 days in 30 rule and pre 2000 engines, carry over because Texas adopts Part 395.
HOS Limits
| Rule | Texas intrastate | Federal (FMCSA) |
|---|---|---|
| Driving limit | 12 hours after 8 consecutive hours off | 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off |
| On duty limit | No driving after 15 hours on duty, after 8 consecutive hours off | No driving after the 14th hour |
| Weekly limit | 70 hours in any 7 consecutive days | 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days |
| Restart | 34 or more consecutive hours off | 34 consecutive hours off |
| Sleeper berth split | Two periods, neither under 2 hours | 7/3 or 8/2 split |
| Short haul radius | 150 air miles, back within 14 hours | 150 air miles, back within 14 hours |
12 Hour Driving Rule
The 12 hour limit after 8 hours off is the headline. Note how the on duty limit works: Texas counts on duty hours, 15 of them, not a fixed clock window like the federal 14 hours. Off duty breaks during the day don't count toward the 15. That's a meaningful difference for drivers who wait a lot at job sites or plants.
Break the 12 or 15 hour limits and you'll be placed out of service for 8 consecutive hours under 4.12(a)(2). Break the 70 hour limit, and you're out of service until you're no longer in violation, per 4.12(b)(2).
Sleeper berth
Texas drivers can get the equivalent of 8 hours off with 8 consecutive hours off duty, 8 hours in the sleeper berth, a combination, or two sleeper periods. When splitting, neither sleeper period can be shorter than 2 hours, driving before and after each period can't add up to more than 12 hours, and there's no driving after the 15th hour of on duty time.
Exemptions
150 Mile Radius
Under 4.12(a)(4), you don't need a record of duty status if you stay within a 150 air mile radius of your normal work reporting location and:
- Return to that location and are released within 14 consecutive hours
- Get at least 8 consecutive hours off between each 14 hours on duty
- Your carrier keeps time records for 6 months showing when you report, total on duty hours, when you're released, and the prior 7 days for new or intermittent drivers
No record of duty status means no ELD. But exceed the radius or the 14 hours, and you need a log that day.
Oilfield Exceptions
Texas is oil country, and the rules reflect it:
- Oilfield restart. Under 4.12(b)(3), drivers hauling oilfield equipment, including stringing and picking up pipeline pipe, and servicing natural gas and oil field operations, can end a 7 day period with 24 or more consecutive hours off.
- Well servicing rigs. Under 4.12(a)(1), the regulations don't apply intrastate to vehicles used in oil or water well servicing or drilling that are built as a machine with a mast, engine, draw works and chassis.
- Mobile cranes and vehicles carrying seed cotton are also exempt intrastate.
Construction and agriculture
- Construction. Drivers primarily hauling construction materials and equipment can also restart with 24 hours off, under 4.12(b)(4).
- Agriculture. Under 4.12(a)(8), Part 395 doesn't apply to drivers hauling agricultural commodities intrastate for agricultural purposes within 150 air miles of the source or distribution point during planting and harvesting seasons. Texas defines those seasons as January 1 to December 31, so effectively year round.
Age and medical
Intrastate drivers in Texas can be 18, not 21. Drivers regularly employed as Texas CMV drivers before August 28, 1989, who don't haul placarded hazmat, don't have to meet the federal medical standards, but they're still subject to drug and alcohol testing.
How Texas Enforces ELDs
The Texas Department of Public Safety enforces the rules at roadside and through carrier compliance reviews. Under 4.11, DPS stands in for FMCSA for intrastate carriers. Expect the same transfer process at roadside as anywhere else. Your ELD has to show your logs and send them by the method the officer chooses. Our roadside inspection guide walks through it.
Penalties for intrastate violations come from state law, and DPS doesn't publish a fixed ELD fine schedule on the pages we checked, so we won't guess. Federal penalties for interstate work are covered in our ELD violation fines guide.
Tips for Texas Carriers
- Choose an ELD that offers a Texas intrastate ruleset, and have drivers select it.
- Switch to federal rules for any load that's part of interstate commerce.
- Keep 150 mile radius time records for 6 months.
- Document oilfield and construction restarts clearly in the logs.
- Keep the in cab packet complete.
Comparing states? See our California ELD rules, the full state by state guide and the federal ELD mandate guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Texas intrastate drivers need an ELD?
Yes, unless an exemption applies. 37 TAC 4.12(a)(7) requires intrastate carriers to install ELDs and require drivers to use them.
How many hours can you drive in Texas intrastate?
12 hours after 8 consecutive hours off, with no driving after 15 hours on duty and a limit of 70 hours in 7 days.
What is the Texas short haul radius?
150 air miles, returning and released within 14 hours, with time records kept for 6 months.
What weight triggers Texas intrastate HOS rules?
Generally over 26,000 pounds actual or rated gross weight, plus farm vehicles at 48,000 pounds or more and other categories in 37 TAC 4.11(c).
Is there an oilfield restart in Texas?
Yes. Drivers hauling oilfield equipment and servicing oil and gas field operations can restart their 7 day period with 24 consecutive hours off.
Sources
All prices, terms and registration details were checked October 2026 on the pages below. Providers change pricing often, so confirm before you buy.