DataQs deadlines: opening and review stages

Which requests the revised State process covers

The revised State DataQs process applies to requests submitted on or after September 18, 2026. It is not retroactive and does not establish deadlines for Federal reviews. FMCSA's September 2026 DataQs Update Fact Sheet supplies the effective date; the April notice supplies the review requirements.

State opening and decision windows

All periods below are calendar days. The 7-day opening window is included in the 21 days for Initial Review, not added to them. The stages are Initial Review → Reconsideration → Final Review.

Opening (7 days): "States must open an RDR within seven days of submission of an Initial Review request." (91 FR 20567).

Initial Review (21 days): "States must reach a decision on an RDR in Initial Review and communicate it to the requestor within 21 days of submission." (91 FR 20567).

Reconsideration (21 days): "States must reach a decision on any Reconsideration Review and communicate it to the requestor within 21 days of the request for Reconsideration Review." (91 FR 20567).

Final Review (45 days): "States must reach a decision on any Final Review and communicate it to the requestor within 45 days of the request for Final Review." (91 FR 20567).

The filer's review and information windows

For Reconsideration or Final Review, the notice requires: "requestors must submit any request for a Reconsideration or Final Review within 30 days of the State issuing the decision in the previous stage." (91 FR 20567).

Requested information: "For all stages of review, if the State requests additional information from the requestor, the requestor has 14 days to provide the information." (91 FR 20567).

If the requestor does not respond, the State will close the request as "Closed--No Requestor Response" unless a decision can be made with the information already on the record (91 FR 20567).

When the State's clock pauses

The notice states: "If a State returns a request at any stage for additional information, the State's timeline to reach a decision is paused." The 14 days allotted for the requestor to respond do not count toward the State's review deadline (91 FR 20567).

In its response to comment 2A, FMCSA clarifies that "the clock will resume (not restart back at day one of the review) once the requestor responds." (91 FR 20564).

Reopening a closed request is different from pausing an open one. When a request closed for lack of response is reopened with the previously requested information, it stays at the stage where it closed and the State gets that stage's full 21 or 45 days. Entirely new, unrequested, relevant evidence sends it back to Initial Review (91 FR 20567–20568).

FMCSA's calendar-day clarification

In its response to Question 2, FMCSA states: "The timelines are based on calendar days, rather than business days." (91 FR 20563).

Review decisions, court outcomes, and delay

An Initial Review denial does not end the three-stage State RDR process: Reconsideration and then Final Review are available subject to the 30-day request window and the justification requirement below. FMCSA considers the State's RDR decision final after Final Review is completed; future or related requests are then at the State's discretion (91 FR 20567). A court's disposition of a citation is a separate event documented in an RDR.

A missed review deadline does not mean the request is approved. The notice describes FMCSA monitoring of State compliance with deadlines, not automatic approval (91 FR 20563–20564).

What a further review request must address

For Reconsideration and Final Review requests, the notice requires: "requestors must specifically address the State's previous factual or legal basis for the decision and explain why they believe that decision was incorrect." If the request fails to provide this substantive justification, "the State has the authority to summarily reject the request without further review." (91 FR 20568).