Rules of the road
Updated September 27, 2026
CSA stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability, FMCSA’s safety program. Its Safety Measurement System (SMS) ranks carriers, not drivers.
FMCSA does not give drivers a CSA score. But every inspection and crash on your record still counts. It feeds the SMS results of the carrier you drive for. It also follows you to your next job through your PSP report.
This guide explains what CSA measures and how a violation turns into points. It also covers what follows you as a driver, and how to check and fix your own record.
What Is a CSA Score?
CSA is FMCSA’s program for finding carriers with safety problems and stepping in. It has three parts:
- Measure.The Safety Measurement System (SMS) sorts safety data into categories.
- Intervene.FMCSA contacts carriers with problems, from warning letters to investigations.
- Evaluate.A safety fitness rating decides whether a carrier is fit to operate.
When people say “CSA score,” they mean the SMS percentile a carrier gets in each category. The SMS groups carriers with others that have a similar number of inspections or crashes. It then ranks them from 0 to 100. The higher the percentile, the worse the result.
FMCSA updates the SMS once a month. It uses roadside inspections and crash reports from the past two years, plus the results of investigations.
The Seven BASICs
The SMS sorts data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, or BASICs:
| BASIC | What counts |
|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, inattention, texting, hand-held phone use, no seatbelt |
| Crash Indicator | A carrier’s history of crash involvement |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | Breaking the hours rules, including logbook problems |
| Vehicle Maintenance | Brakes, lights, other defects, and failing to make required repairs |
| Controlled Substances/ |
Use or possession of drugs or alcohol |
| Hazardous Materials Compliance | Leaking containers, improper packaging, or wrong placards |
| Driver Fitness | An invalid license, or being medically unfit to drive |
FMCSA says every safety violation on a roadside inspection counts, not only out-of-service violations. A violation on the inspection report is used even if the officer wrote no ticket.
How Inspections and Violations Become Points
People call them CSA points. In FMCSA’s method, each violation gets two weights.
Severity weight
Each violation gets a weight from 1 to 10, based on how closely it links to crash risk inside its BASIC. A 1 is the lowest risk and a 10 the highest. A violation that led to an out-of-service order can carry extra weight in some BASICs.
The total severity for one inspection in one BASIC is capped at 30.
Time weight
Recent violations count more than old ones:
- 3xPast 6 months: the severity is multiplied by 3.
- 2x6 to 12 months ago: multiplied by 2.
- 1x12 to 24 months ago: multiplied by 1.
- 0Older than 24 months: no longer used in the SMS.
So a violation from last month counts three times as much as the same violation from 18 months ago. The SMS then adjusts each result for how many inspections the carrier had, to reflect how much it is on the road.
These weights come from FMCSA’s SMS Methodology, Version 3.21, revised May 2026. Check FMCSA’s current methodology before you rely on the details.
Do Drivers Have a CSA Score?
Not an official one. FMCSA’s own fact sheet for drivers says it does not create or endorse “scores” that other companies sell for drivers.
Your record still matters in two ways:
- It counts for your carrier. Inspections and crashes while you drive under a carrier’s authority go into that carrier’s SMS results.
- It follows you. Your inspections and crashes stay on your own record. A new carrier can see them on your PSP report when you apply.
A new carrier does not take on your old violations in its own SMS results. Only violations you get while driving under its authority count against it. But your history is still part of how carriers decide whom to hire.
Clean record and 9-car experience? Start your application from your phone.
How to Check Your Record
Drivers check their record through FMCSA’s Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). A PSP report shows:
Order it at psp.fmcsa.dot.gov. A single record costs $10 as of September 27, 2026. You can also get it free with a Freedom of Information Act request. PSP Monitoring is a free option that emails you when your record changes.
Carriers see their own SMS results by logging in. Since a 2015 federal law, the SMS results for property carriers are no longer shown to the public.
How to Challenge Wrong Data
If an inspection or crash on your record is wrong, use DataQs. It is FMCSA’s system for asking for a review of federal and state safety data. Drivers can create their own account and file a Request for Data Review.
If you fought a ticket in court
Send certified court papers through DataQs. The result changes how the violation is used:
- Dismissed or not guilty: the violation is removed.
- Convicted of a different charge: the severity weight drops to 1, with no out-of-service weight.
This applies to inspections on or after August 23, 2014.
If a crash was not your fault
FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination Program reviews eligible crash types. File the request through DataQs with the police report and other evidence. FMCSA does not accept crashes older than 5 years.
A crash found not preventable still appears in the SMS, marked as reviewed. It is left out of the Crash Indicator math, and the finding is noted on your PSP record.
Keeping Your Record Clean
Every BASIC maps to rules you already work under. The same habits that keep you safe keep your record clean:
- Hours: keep your log accurate and inside the limits.
- Vehicle: inspect your truck and trailer before each trip and report defects.
- Driving: no speeding, no hand-held phone, seatbelt on.
- Paperwork: a valid license and a current medical card.
- Your record: pull your PSP report once in a while and fix mistakes early.
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CSA Score FAQs for Drivers
What is a CSA score?
It is the common name for a carrier’s percentile in each safety category of FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System. Percentiles run from 0 to 100, and a higher percentile means worse performance.
Do truck drivers have a CSA score?
Not an official one. FMCSA says it does not create or endorse driver scores sold by other companies. Your inspections and crashes still count toward your carrier’s results and appear on your PSP report.
How long do violations stay on my CSA record?
The SMS uses the past 24 months, and newer violations count more. A PSP report shows 3 years of inspections and 5 years of crashes.
How do I check my CSA score as a driver?
Order your PSP report at psp.fmcsa.dot.gov. It shows your crash and inspection history from FMCSA’s data. It does not contain a score.
What are the seven CSA BASICs?
Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Driver Fitness.
How do I remove a violation from my record?
File a Request for Data Review in DataQs. If a court dismissed the ticket or found you not guilty, send certified court papers and the violation is removed.
Sources
Last checked September 27, 2026. FMCSA updates its methods and fees. Confirm the current details with FMCSA before you rely on them. This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.