34 Hour Restart Rule: 5 Things Every Driver Should Know (2026)
The weekly limit is the clock that catches drivers off guard. You can have plenty of time left on your 11 and 14 hour clocks and still be parked because the 70 hour total ran out. The 34 hour restart is the tool that resets that weekly total in one go. Here are the five things that matter most.
Use the Restart Calculator
Enter the date and time you went off duty and the calculator shows the earliest moment your restart is complete, plus how many weekly hours you will have when you come back. Nothing you enter is saved or sent anywhere.
1. What the Restart Does
Under 49 CFR 395.3(c), any period of 7 or 8 consecutive days can end with an off duty period of 34 or more consecutive hours. When you come back, your 60 hour or 70 hour count starts again at zero. You get the full weekly allowance back, whatever you had used before.
| Your cycle | Weekly limit | After a 34 hour restart |
|---|---|---|
| 60 hours in 7 days | 60 on duty hours | Back to 60 available |
| 70 hours in 8 days | 70 on duty hours | Back to 70 available |
The restart only resets the weekly clock. It does not change your daily limits. You still have 11 hours of driving in a 14 hour window after 10 hours off, which our main hours of service guide explains in full.
2. What Counts as Off Duty
The 34 hours must be consecutive and must be off duty, sleeper berth, or a mix of both. Any on duty time in the middle breaks the period and you start counting again. That includes short tasks drivers forget about, like fueling, a quick inspection or helping unload.
Personal conveyance is logged as off duty, so a short trip to a restaurant or motel under the personal conveyance rules does not break a restart. It has to be genuine personal use though. Moving the truck closer to your next pickup is on duty driving.
3. The 2013 Restrictions No Longer Apply
You may still hear that a restart needs two periods between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., or that you can only use it once every 168 hours. Those requirements came in with a 2013 rule. Congress suspended them in December 2014 and they have not come back. Today the rule is simply 34 consecutive hours off, with no night time requirement and no limit on how often you use it.
4. You Do Not Have to Use It
The restart is optional. Many drivers never take a full 34 hours and instead manage their week with a rolling recap. Each day, the hours from the oldest day in your 7 or 8 day period drop off and become available again. On a steady schedule that can be enough.
Here is how the approaches compare for a driver on the 70 hour cycle who has used 68 hours:
| Approach | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 34 hour restart | All 70 hours back after 34 hours off | Drivers who ran heavy days and are nearly out of hours |
| Rolling recap | Hours from 8 days ago drop off each day | Drivers with even daily hours and no long home time |
| Partial rest, then drive | Only recap hours come back, no reset | Short gaps where 34 hours off is not practical |
5. Who Can Use It
The restart in 395.3(c) is written for property carrying drivers. Passenger carrying drivers work under 395.5 and do not have a 34 hour restart, so they rely on the rolling 60 or 70 hour count. Our bus driver hours of service guide covers those rules. Oilfield drivers have their own shorter 24 hour restart under 395.1(d), explained in our oilfield hours of service guide.
Some states set their own intrastate cycles. If you only run in one state, check our state by state guide to see which numbers apply to you.
How Your ELD Shows a Restart
Most ELD apps show the restart as a countdown once you go off duty and reset the cycle clock automatically at 34 hours. If you log any on duty task in the middle, the countdown starts over, which is the quickest way to spot a broken restart. Before you head home for a reset, check that your last status is off duty and not on duty. A status left running is one of the most common reasons a restart fails to register.
A restart that looks right in the app but hides on duty time will not hold up in an audit. Auditors compare log status with fuel receipts, toll records and GPS data, so make sure the log reflects what you actually did.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the restart?
At least 34 consecutive hours off duty, in the sleeper berth, or a mix of both.
Do I need two nights from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. in my restart?
No. That requirement was suspended in December 2014 and is not part of the current rule.
How often can I take a 34 hour restart?
There is no limit. The once per 168 hours restriction was suspended along with the night time rule.
Can bus drivers use the 34 hour restart?
No. The restart in 395.3(c) applies to property carrying drivers. Passenger carrying drivers follow 395.5 and use a rolling 60 or 70 hour count.
Sources
All prices, terms and registration details were checked October 2026 on the pages below. Providers change pricing often, so confirm before you buy.