ELD Exemptions: Who Qualifies and What Records Still Apply

Start with the right question

An ELD exemption never removes every rule. Most of them swap one kind of record for another, and the hours of service limits usually still apply. For each exemption below you will find who qualifies and what you still have to keep. If none fits, the standard rule from our ELD mandate guide applies.

150 air-mile short-haul

Who qualifies. Under 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1), a driver is exempt from logs and supporting documents if all of these are true:

• You operate within 150 air miles (172.6 statute miles) of your normal work reporting location.
• You return to that location and are released within 14 consecutive hours.
• You get at least 10 consecutive hours off between each 14-hour shift (8 hours for passenger carriers).

What still applies. The carrier keeps time records for 6 months showing when you reported, total on-duty hours, when you were released, and the prior 7 days' total for new or intermittent drivers. The 11-hour, 14-hour, and 60/70-hour limits still apply. The 30-minute break does not.

A plumbing contractor running service trucks around one metro area usually fits here. A driver who takes one load 300 miles out loses the exception for that day and needs a log for it.

Non-CDL short-haul

Who qualifies. Under 395.1(e)(2), drivers of property-carrying vehicles that do not require a CDL who stay within 150 air miles and return to their normal work reporting location at the end of each duty tour. You may drive until the 14th hour after coming on duty on 5 days of any 7-day period, and until the 16th hour on 2 days of that period.

What still applies. The same 6-month time records kept by the carrier, plus the 11-hour driving limit and the 60/70-hour limit. The 14-hour rule is replaced by the 14/16 schedule above, and the 30-minute break does not apply. Drivers using this exception cannot also use the 395.1(e)(1) short-haul exception, the sleeper berth provisions, or the 16-hour exception in 395.1(o).

Logs on 8 or fewer days in any 30-day period

Who qualifies. 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1)(ii)(A)(1) lets a carrier use paper logs instead of an ELD for a driver who needs a record of duty status on no more than 8 days within any 30-day period. This mostly helps local drivers who occasionally run past the short-haul limits.

What still applies. Paper logs on the days they are required, all hours of service limits, supporting documents, and 6-month retention. The 30-day period rolls. A driver on day 9 needs an ELD, so carriers should count carefully.

Driveaway-towaway

Who qualifies. Operations where the vehicle being driven is the cargo, such as delivering a new truck to a dealer, or where the vehicle being transported is a motor home or recreational vehicle trailer.

What still applies. Paper logs and all hours of service limits. For motor homes and RV trailers, FMCSA notes that at least one set of the transported vehicle's wheels must be on the road surface.

Vehicles from before model year 2000

Who qualifies. Vehicles manufactured before model year 2000, as shown by the VIN on the registration. FMCSA reissued its guidance on October 2, 2026 (FAQ020) and kept the same position: a vehicle with an engine older than model year 2000 is also excepted, even if the VIN shows a later year. That covers many glider kits and engine swaps. The guidance says the carrier should keep documentation of engine changes at its principal place of business.

What still applies. Paper logs and all hours of service limits. Many older engines lack the electronic data an ELD reads, which is the reason for this exception.

Agricultural operations

Who qualifies. Under 395.1(k), the hours of service rules in Part 395, including logs and ELDs, do not apply during planting and harvesting periods set by each state to drivers hauling:

• Agricultural commodities from the source to a point within 150 air miles of the source.
• Farm supplies from a distribution point to a farm or other use location within 150 air miles.
• Farm supplies from a wholesale to a retail distribution point within 150 air miles.
• Livestock, including insects, within 150 air miles of the livestock's final destination.

Separately, 395.1(s) excludes drivers of covered farm vehicles as defined in 390.5.

What still applies. The exception covers only the hauls listed above, during the seasons your state sets. Outside those conditions the normal hours of service and ELD rules apply. Planting and harvest dates vary by state, so confirm yours.

Rental trucks rented for 8 days or less

Who qualifies. Drivers of property-carrying CMVs rented for 8 days or less, for any reason, under an FMCSA exemption granted to the Truck Renting and Leasing Association. The current renewal (87 FR 55887) runs through October 12, 2027.

What still applies. Paper logs if required, all hours of service limits, a copy of the exemption notice, and the rental agreement in the truck showing the parties, the vehicle, and the rental dates. Swapping rental trucks on 8-day cycles or renewing the same rental for another 8 days violates the exemption.

Intrastate operations follow state rules

Everything above is federal. A carrier that operates only within one state follows that state's rules, which often adopt the federal framework with different weight thresholds, radius limits, or hours. Check with your state agency before assuming either an exemption or a requirement.

When an ELD makes sense anyway

Exempt carriers can still choose an ELD. Some do it because a broker requires one (see broker ELD requirements), or because their drivers move in and out of the short-haul radius. DocuDrive is $20 per truck per month with no contract and GPS tracking included, so you can start and stop as your operation changes. See pricing or the 14-day free trial.