Truck Speed Limiter Law in the US: The Federal Rule Is Dead. Now What?

There is no federal law requiring speed limiters on US trucks. FMCSA and NHTSA withdrew their proposal on July 24, 2025. But that is not the whole picture. Trucks running into Ontario or Quebec must be governed at 65 mph, states have started ordering speed limiting devices for extreme speeders, and diesel at $6 a gallon has made the business case on its own.

What happened to the federal speed limiter rule?

It was withdrawn. In 2016 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposed requiring a speed limiting device on heavy vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 26,000 pounds. FMCSA followed up with an advance notice in 2022.

Both were withdrawn in a Federal Register notice that took effect on July 24, 2025. The agencies said the withdrawal does not stop carriers using speed limiting devices, and that operators can still limit their own vehicles. We have not found a newer federal proposal.

Does any law still require a speed limiter on a US truck?

Yes, if it crosses into Ontario or Quebec. Both provinces require the speed limiter on heavy trucks to be active and set to no more than 105 km/h, which is 65 mph, and the rule applies whatever the plate.

• Ontario. Commercial motor vehicles built after December 31, 1994, with an electronic engine and a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 11,794 kg (26,000 lb) or more must have their speed limiting system set at 105 km/h, according to the province’s commercial vehicle safety requirements.
• Quebec. A ministerial order under the Highway Safety Code requires the same 105 km/h setting for heavy vehicles assembled after 1994 with a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 11,794 kg. Emergency vehicles are among the exceptions.

If your trucks run cross-border freight into either province, check that the setting is in place and that you can show it.

What are US states doing?

States have so far aimed at problem drivers, not fleets.

• Virginia. A law signed in 2025 lets judges order speed limiting devices for drivers convicted of driving faster than 100 mph. It came into force on July 1, 2026, and Virginia is the first state to run such a program in full.
• California. A 2024 bill would have required new cars to warn drivers going 10 mph or more over the limit by the 2030 model year. The governor vetoed it in September 2024, citing the federal government’s own review of the technology.

The direction is clear even without a mandate: speed limiting technology is moving from the trucking debate into ordinary traffic law.

If it is not required, why do fleets fit speed limiters?

Because of fuel and risk.

Fuel. The EIA’s weekly on-highway diesel price hit $6.53 a gallon in the week of September 21, 2026, the highest in a series going back to 1994. In January it was $3.48. The EPA’s SmartWay program says a heavy truck at 65 mph instead of 55 mph can use up to 20% more fuel. Across whole fleets, an independent trial of 177 vans and 30 trucks measured an average 5% saving after speed limiters were fitted (CE Delft for Novem, 2009). For a truck covering 100,000 miles at 6 mpg, 5% is about $5,290 a year at $6.35 a gallon.

Risk. NHTSA’s Speeding: 2024 Data counts 11,288 deaths in speeding-related crashes in 2024, 29% of all US road deaths. When a truck is in a serious crash, its speed is one of the first things examined. A cap set by the fleet, and evidence that it was in place, is a strong answer.

Control. No mandate means you choose the speed. You can set a cap that suits your routes rather than one written for every truck in the country.

Engine setting or aftermarket limiter?

Most modern heavy trucks have a road speed setting in the engine computer, and that is what Ontario and Quebec check. An aftermarket limiter adds value where the engine route falls short: vans and pickups that have no fleet setting, mixed fleets that need one policy, and fleets that want a sealed cap that does not change at service. The comparison is in speed governor for trucks: engine setting or aftermarket?, and the products are in truck and van speed limiters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a speed limiter law for trucks in the US?

No federal law requires one. The FMCSA and NHTSA proposal for heavy trucks over 26,000 pounds was withdrawn on July 24, 2025. Carriers can still choose to limit their own trucks.

Is the speed limiter mandate coming back?

We have not found a new federal proposal since the withdrawal. If one is published, the Federal Register is where it will appear first.

Do US trucks need speed limiters in Canada?

In Ontario and Quebec, yes. Heavy trucks built after 1994 with a gross vehicle weight rating of 11,794 kg (26,000 lb) or more must have their speed limiter set to no more than 105 km/h, 65 mph, including trucks plated in the US.

Do any states require speed limiters?

Not for fleets. Virginia lets judges order speed limiting devices for drivers convicted of going over 100 mph, from July 1, 2026. California vetoed a bill for speed warnings in new cars in 2024.

What speed should we set?

That is your decision. For trucks that run into Ontario or Quebec, 65 mph meets both. For the rest, look at your routes and posted limits, and weigh time against fuel.

How do US fleets buy AutoKontrol speed limiters?

Through Scorpion, our parent group’s US team. Start with the quote form and fitting is agreed per job, by your own technicians or our engineers and partners.

No mandate, your rules

With no federal rule, the speed your trucks run at is a business decision, and at $6 diesel it is a big one. Tell us what you run and we will match a limiter to each vehicle and price it. Get a quote or book a free consultation. How US fleets buy is set out on our US speed limiters page.

AutoKontrol has made speed limiters in Britain since 1985 and supplies fleets in more than 50 countries, with approvals including ISO 9001, UTAC, TÜV and VCA.