The present disclosure provides signaling for multi-panel user equipment (MPUE) activation and deactivation status. The MPUE may include a plurality of panels. The MPUE may determine a number of active panels. The MPUE may transmit a status message indicating at least the number of active panels to a base station. The base station may schedule a communication with the UE for at least one panel of the number of active panels. The MPUE may receive from the base station, a downlink control information (DCI) scheduling a communication for at least one of the number of active panels. The MPUE may communicate according to the DCI using the at least one panel scheduled by the DCI. In another aspect, the MPUE may indicate a nominal number of active panels and implicitly manage a mapping of panel identifiers to an actual number of active panels.