Guides · ELD

FMCSA keeps revoking ELDs. Here's how to check yours — free, in 30 seconds.

Updated July 1, 2026 · 5 min read

On May 20, 2026, the FMCSA removed twelve more devices from its list of registered ELDs — brands like 888 ELD, Dragon E, Mondo ELD HOS, First ELD, and Cobra ELD. If your device is one of them, you have until July 20, 2026 to replace it. After that date, running it means a citation under the ELD rule and being placed out of service at roadside.

And here's the part most people miss: this isn't a one-time event. FMCSA has pulled dozens of devices off the list since the start of 2025 — roughly a batch a month, each with its own 60-day replacement window. The revoked list is now over 250 devices long. The cheap app-store ELDs that get revoked are exactly the ones new owner-operators tend to buy.

What “revoked” actually means

An ELD only satisfies the federal mandate if it's on the FMCSA's registered list. When the agency finds a device doesn't meet the technical specs (49 CFR Part 395, Appendix A), it moves the device to the revoked list and gives carriers 60 days to switch. During the window, officers are told not to cite you. After it closes, a revoked ELD counts as no ELD at all— that's an hours-of-service violation and an out-of-service order, which for a one-truck operation means a dead truck and a missed load.

How to check your device — free

The FMCSA publishes both lists at eld.fmcsa.dot.gov, free, no account needed — and like everything the government does for free, we'll tell you it's free. We also built a faster way to search both lists at once: our free ELD check. Type your device name, model, or ELD ID and you'll get a straight answer: registered, revoked, or not found (which is its own red flag — an unregistered device never satisfied the mandate in the first place).

Your ELD ID is a short code (like “GEO001”) shown on the device's about/info screen and printed in its manual. Officers use it at roadside; it's the most reliable thing to search.

If your ELD is revoked: your 4-step plan

1. Note your deadline.Each revocation batch has its own 60-day window — the May 20 batch closes July 20, 2026. If you're inside the window, you're legal today but on a timer.

2. Switch to paper logs if the window closed. Reconstruct your records of duty status and run paper logs until the replacement is installed — same as the malfunction rule (49 CFR 395.34, which gives 8 days for a broken device; revocation windows are set per batch by FMCSA).

3. Pick a replacement that's actually registered. Before you buy, run the new device through the same check. Prefer providers that have been on the list for years — the devices getting revoked skew heavily toward brands that appeared recently, sell for $10–20/month, and vanish just as fast.

4. Keep proof.Save your purchase record and install date. If you're ever asked about the gap, you can show you acted inside the window.

The bigger lesson for new carriers

Nobody tells you when your ELD gets revoked. There's no letter, no email from the FMCSA — the list just changes, and the first place many drivers hear about it is a roadside inspection. It's the same trap as every other piece of new-carrier compliance: the rule isn't hard, the dates just move without telling you.

EntrantReady is an independent compliance-readiness service, not affiliated with the FMCSA or any government agency. Anything the government provides for free, we tell you it's free. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Sources: FMCSA registered/revoked ELD lists (eld.fmcsa.dot.gov); FMCSA bulletin, May 20, 2026; 49 CFR Part 395.