FMCSA updates the DataQs data-correction system

DataQs background

DataQs is an online system that allows motor carriers, drivers, and other industry personnel to view and track FMCSA crash and inspection data. Interested parties use the system — available at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov — to submit a “Request for Data Review” (RDR) when they believe data may be incomplete or incorrect. In 2024, DataQs processed more than 71,000 requests, including at least 8,300 related to crash data. The FMCSA says the revisions announced April 15, 2026, will establish a more streamlined framework for handling RDRs, specifically for states receiving Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) funding from FMCSA. The states will need to:

• Designate points of contact for crash and inspection RDRs.
• Review requests submitted within three years of an inspection and within five years of a crash.
• Include detailed explanations of their decisions, including evidence reviewed and next steps in the review process, for all decisions, especially those where no data correction is made.
• Participate in FMCSA program reviews and follow established policies, including those related to adjudicated citations.

Three-stage review

States will also need to implement a multi-stage, independent review structure that includes:

• Initial review within 21 days to ensure decisions are not made solely by the issuing officer when denying a correction;
• Reconsideration within 21 days. conducted by independent subject matter experts not involved in the initial decision; and
• Final review completed within 45 days by a senior decision-maker or independent panel, helping to remove bias from the determination.

The FMCSA is requiring states to submit DataQs Implementation Plans detailing how they will meet the new requirements, address backlogs, and prevent future delays. The approved plans will be publicly available through the DataQs system.

States will need to begin submitting draft plans in June 2026 and implement them before the end of September.

Find more information at https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-07429.pdf