DOT Inspection Levels Explained: Level 1 to Level 9 and the Annual Inspection

Rules of the road

Updated September 27, 2026

Every loaded car hauler gets looked at: at the scale, on the shoulder, and once a year in the shop. Here is what each inspection level covers, what out of service means, and how to get through clean.

What Is a DOT Inspection?

People use “DOT inspection” for two different things:

• A roadside inspection. A certified officer checks you and your rig at a scale, a port of entry, or a safe spot on the road. CVSA says about 4 million of these happen across North America every year.
• The annual (periodic) inspection. A qualified inspector goes over the truck and each trailer once a year. This one is on the carrier’s schedule, not the officer’s.

Both work from a set list of parts and papers. Both draw a line between a problem you fix later and one that parks the truck.

The DOT Inspection Levels

CVSA writes the inspection procedures that officers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico follow. Here is what each level covers, in our words. CVSA’s own page has the full wording.

1. Level I: Full Inspection

   Checks: Driver and vehicle

   The complete check. The officer looks at the driver’s papers and the whole vehicle, including going under it to check brakes and measure brake travel.

2. Level II: Walk-Around

   Checks: Driver and vehicle

   The same driver and vehicle items as a Level I, but only what the officer can see without getting under the truck.

3. Level III: Driver and Paperwork

   Checks: Driver only

   Your license, medical certificate, hours of service and logs, seat belt, inspection reports, and the carrier’s ID and status. No mechanical check.

4. Level IV: Special Inspection

   Checks: One item

   A one-time look at one item, usually to study it or to check a suspected trend.

5. Level V: Vehicle Only

   Checks: Vehicle only

   The Level I vehicle items with no driver present. It can happen at any location, such as a terminal or yard.

6. Level VI: Radioactive Shipments

   Checks: Special loads

   An enhanced Level I for certain radioactive loads. Car haulers will not see this one.

7. Level VII: State or Local Programs

   Checks: Varies

   An inspection a state or local government requires that does not fit any other level. CVSA’s examples include school buses, taxis and limousines.

8. Level VIII: Electronic Inspection

   Checks: Driver and credentials

   A check done wirelessly while the truck is moving, with no officer at the window. It covers items such as who is driving, license and medical status, hours of service, USDOT number, registration and out-of-service orders.

9. Level IX: Post-Crash Inspection

   Checks: Driver and vehicle

   CVSA’s newest level. It is used after a crash with a death, a serious injury, or other high-profile results. It covers every Level I item the inspector can reach.

How many levels are there? CVSA’s levels page lists nine. Its inspections overview still says eight, and many guides online say six. FMCSA’s own inspection data glossary uses an older set of five. For the current list, go to CVSA’s inspection levels page.

What Happens at a Level 1 Inspection

Expect the officer to work through two lists.

Brake travel matters here. CVSA says that if the officer cannot measure enough of the brake pushrods, the inspection counts as a Level II instead.

A Level I or Level V with no critical problems can earn a CVSA decal. The decal is good for up to three months. Trucks with a valid decal are usually not inspected again, but an officer can still do it.

Out of Service: What It Means

CVSA publishes the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria. It is the pass or fail list for inspections. A violation on that list puts the driver, the vehicle or the load out of service until it is fixed.

Federal rules back this up. Under 49 CFR 396.9, an inspector marks a vehicle “out-of-service” when its condition or loading would likely cause a crash or breakdown. Nobody may drive it until the repairs are done. It may only be towed by a vehicle using a crane or hoist.

CVSA updates the criteria every year, effective April 1. The current edition is dated 2026. The handbook is sold by CVSA, so this page does not list the criteria.

After the Inspection: The Report

You get a written report. Under 396.9(d), you give a copy to your carrier when you reach the next terminal or facility. If you will not get there within 24 hours, send it right away by mail, fax or other means.

Within 15 days, the carrier certifies that every violation was fixed. It returns the form to the state only if the state asks, and it keeps a copy for 12 months.

The Annual DOT Inspection

This is the inspection you plan for. Under 49 CFR 396.17, each listed part must have passed an inspection in the last 12 months. Proof of it must be on the vehicle. The rule covers each vehicle in a combination, so the tractor and the trailer each need one.

The parts list is Appendix A to Part 396, “Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards.” For a truck and trailer, it covers:

• Brake system
• Coupling devices
• Exhaust system
• Fuel system
• Lighting devices
• Safe loading
• Steering
• Suspension
• Frame
• Tires
• Wheels and rims
• Windshield glazing and wipers
• Rear impact guard

You may see “Appendix G” in older guides, and even on one FMCSA page. The current federal rule calls it Appendix A to Part 396.

A few more rules from 396.17 through 396.23:

• Proof on the vehicle can be the report itself or a sticker or decal with the date, the vehicle ID, where the report is kept, and a statement that it passed.
• Who can do it: the carrier, or a garage, leasing company or truck stop acting for it. The inspector must be qualified under 396.19, by training or at least a year of experience.
• State programs count. A state periodic inspection that meets Appendix A covers the annual rule for 12 months.
• Records: the carrier keeps the report for 14 months where the vehicle is kept or maintained.

How to Get Through an Inspection Clean

Most of a clean inspection happens before you reach the scale. This is practical advice, not a rule list:

1. Do a real pre-trip. Brakes, air, tires, lights and coupling are on both the Level I list and your pre-trip. Our pre-trip inspection checklist walks through it.
2. Check your load. Cargo securement is a Level I item. On a car hauler, that means every vehicle tied down the way the rules say. See cargo securement for car haulers.
3. Have your papers ready. License, medical certificate, logs, and the last inspection report, where you can reach them.
4. Know where the annual proof is. Be able to point to the sticker or report for the tractor and the trailer.
5. Be calm and clear. Answer what you are asked, and follow the officer’s directions.

How Inspections Feed Your Safety Record

Roadside results do not stay at the scale. FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System uses roadside inspection and crash data from the last two years, updated once a month. Violations on an inspection report count even if the officer only gives a warning. Clean inspections count too, and FMCSA says they can improve a carrier’s data.

Sources

Last checked September 27, 2026. CVSA revises its levels and criteria, and federal rules change. Confirm the current rules with CVSA and FMCSA. This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.

1. CVSA, All Inspection Levels
2. CVSA, North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria
3. CVSA, About Inspection Decals
4. 49 CFR 396.17, Periodic inspection
5. 49 CFR 396.9, Inspection of motor vehicles in operation
6. 49 CFR Part 396, Appendix A, Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards
7. FMCSA CSA, How the Safety Measurement System works