§FMCSR.com
Historical textIn force on Sept. 30, 2003Source: annual CFR editions 1998–2016

§ 396.13 Driver inspection.

Wording in the annual edition revised as of Oct. 1, 1998, superseded August 18, 2020.

govinfo, 2002 edition ↗
Before Jan. 1, 2017 the record is one snapshot per annual CFR edition, revised as of October 1. This is the 2002 edition's wording. An amendment that took effect between Oct. 1, 2002 and Sept. 30, 2003 would not appear until the next edition, so check the citations below and the Federal Register for exact effective dates.
49 CFR § 396.13 — Driver inspection.. Text in force on September 30, 2003. This wording effective October 1, 1998 to August 18, 2020. Source: govinfo, 2002 edition, https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2002-title49-vol4/CFR-2002-title49-vol4-sec396-13. Retrieved from FMCSR.com, https://fmcsr.com/reg/396.13?asof=2003-09-30, on October 26, 2026. Unofficial compilation; verify against the official source.

Before driving a motor vehicle, the driver shall:

(a) Be satisfied that the motor vehicle is in safe operating condition;

(b) Review the last driver vehicle inspection report; and

(c) Sign the report, only if defects or deficiencies were noted by the driver who prepared the report, to acknowledge that the driver has reviewed it and that there is a certification that the required repairs have been performed. The signature requirement does not apply to listed defects on a towed unit which is no longer part of the vehicle combination.

[44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998]

Amendment history

6 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996
  1. March 23, 2026 → presenteCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998; 85 FR 50793, Aug. 18, 2020; 91 FR 7896, Feb. 19, 2026]
  2. Feb. 19, 2026 → March 23, 2026eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998; 85 FR 50793, Aug. 18, 2020]
  3. Sept. 17, 2020 → Feb. 19, 2026eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998; 85 FR 50793, Aug. 18, 2020]
  4. Aug. 18, 2020 → Sept. 17, 2020eCFR, day-precisediff vs. previous
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998]
  5. Oct. 1, 1998 → Aug. 18, 2020annual editions 1998–2016diff vs. previousviewing
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983; 63 FR 33280, June 18, 1998]
  6. Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 1998annual edition 1996
    [44 FR 76526, Dec. 27, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 55868, Dec. 16, 1983]

A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.