CVSA defines Level I through Level VIII, plus a Level IX post-crash inspection. The number is not a grade. It says how deep the inspector went: a Level I covers the driver’s credentials and logs plus brakes, tires, lights, steering, suspension, coupling and cargo securement; a Level II is the same list without going under the truck; a Level III is the driver and paperwork only. Critical violations are judged against CVSA’s out-of-service criteria, and a clean Level I, V or VI earns a CVSA decal good for the month of issue plus two more. None of it counts as the annual inspection in 49 CFR 396.17. What matters to your insurance is what happens afterward: the report flows into FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System, and the public out-of-service summary is the first thing an underwriter pulls.
The levels, one by one
CVSA, which writes the North American Standard Inspection Program, lists Level I through VIII plus a Level IX post-crash inspection.
- Level I, North American Standard Inspection. The full workup: CDL, medical certificate, alcohol and drugs, logs and hours, seat belt, then brakes, cargo securement, coupling, driveline, exhaust, frame, fuel, lights, steering, suspension, tires, wheels, wipers and trailer bodies.
- Level II, walk-around. Same list, limited to what can be checked without getting under the vehicle; if more than 20 percent of exposed pushrod travel can’t be measured, a Level I is written up as a Level II.
- Level III, driver/credential/administrative. CDL, medical certificate, logs and hours, seat belt, inspection reports, and carrier identification and status. Mechanical defects don’t go on a Level III; traffic violations do.
- Level IV, special. A one-time look at one item, usually for a study or suspected trend.
- Level V, vehicle-only. Every vehicle item from a Level I, no driver present, at any location.
- Level VI, radioactive materials. A Level I with added procedures and its own out-of-service criteria for transuranic waste and highway route controlled quantities of radioactive material.
- Level VII, jurisdictional mandated. A state or provincial program that fits no other level: school buses, limousines, taxis, hotel shuttles. No CVSA decal.
- Level VIII, electronic. Done wirelessly while the truck is moving, no officer contact, checking the driver’s credentials and hours and the carrier’s USDOT number, registration, authority, UCR and federal out-of-service orders. FMCSA calls it most similar to a Level III; as of October 2025 it was still an operational test whose data does not touch your safety record.
Out-of-service criteria and the CVSA decal
The pass-fail standard is the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria: the critical violations that keep the driver, vehicle or cargo off the road until corrected. CVSA updates the handbook every year, effective April 1. Under 49 CFR 396.9 an out-of-service vehicle gets an “Out-of-Service Vehicle” sticker, nobody operates it until the listed repairs are done or removes the sticker early.
The reverse is the decal. If a Level I, V or VI finds no critical vehicle violations, a CVSA-certified inspector applies one, on a power unit at the lower right of the passenger-side windshield. It is valid for the month of issue plus two months; a vehicle wearing a valid one generally isn’t re-inspected, though nothing prevents it. The decal speaks only to the vehicle: a driver can be placed out of service and the truck can still earn one.
Roadside is not the annual inspection
A roadside inspection is not the periodic inspection. Since July 2016 FMCSA guidance has said a violation-free CVSA Level I or Level V does not satisfy 49 CFR 396.17, because it does not cover every item on the list. Under 396.17 every component in Appendix A to Part 396 must pass an inspection in the preceding 12 months, with proof on the vehicle: the report, or a sticker or decal showing the date, who keeps the report, the vehicle’s identity and a pass certification. Each unit in a combination counts, the inspector must be qualified under 396.19, and the report is kept 14 months under 396.21. A state periodic inspection meeting Appendix A counts for 12 months from the last day of that month, and a truck under a mandatory state program FMCSA has found as effective as 396.17 complies through that program (396.23).
The roadside report has its own clock: the driver delivers it to the carrier at the next terminal or, if none is due within 24 hours, sends it immediately. The carrier has 15 days from the inspection to certify on the form that every violation was corrected, return it if the state asks, and keep a copy for 12 months. The compliance calendar lays these deadlines out.
International Roadcheck
International Roadcheck is CVSA’s annual three-day enforcement event across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In 2026 inspectors completed 54,575 inspections: 31,241 at Level I, 11,502 at Level II, 10,528 at Level III and 1,304 at Level V. They placed 10,350 vehicles (19 percent) and 3,184 drivers (5.8 percent) out of service and applied 17,680 decals. Brake systems and tires led the vehicle list; no medical card and hours of service led the driver list. The 2026 focus areas were ELD tampering and cargo securement.
Where the results go: CSA, SMS and your underwriter
The report feeds FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System under CSA, which sorts violations into seven BASICs: Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Hazardous Materials Compliance and Driver Fitness. The mechanics:
- Violations count with or without a ticket. Events drop off after 24 months; the last six months weigh three times months 13 to 24.
- Each violation has a severity weight of 1 to 10 within its BASIC; in Vehicle Maintenance an out-of-service violation adds 2.
- Clean inspections help: Vehicle Maintenance divides weighted violations by all relevant inspections (Levels I, II, V and VI), clean ones included.
- Ranking needs five relevant inspections and at least one violation in the BASIC; the Vehicle Maintenance threshold is the 80th percentile for a general carrier, 75th for hazmat, 65th for passenger.
Since the FAST Act a property carrier’s percentiles are not public; you log in to see them. The SAFER Company Snapshot is: safety rating, roadside out-of-service summary and crash record, free by USDOT number, and underwriters pull it first. When I shop a trucking account, the questions are the ones that snapshot raises: the vehicle out-of-service rate, what the new entrant audit found, and the maintenance program today.
Common questions
Which inspection level is the most common?
During the 2026 International Roadcheck, Level I accounted for 31,241 of 54,575 inspections, with Level II and Level III next. Level V, with no driver present, was the smallest group.
Does a CVSA decal replace my annual inspection?
No. FMCSA guidance since July 2016 says a violation-free CVSA Level I or Level V inspection is not equivalent to the periodic inspection in 49 CFR 396.17, which requires every Appendix A component to pass within the preceding 12 months with documentation on the vehicle. The decal is good for the month of issue plus two months and speaks only to critical vehicle items, so keep the annual report regardless.
Can my driver be put out of service while the truck passes?
Yes. CVSA’s decal criteria apply to the condition of the vehicle, not the driver, so a driver can be placed out of service and the vehicle can still earn a decal.
How long does a roadside violation affect my CSA data?
Twenty-four months. Violations from the last six months count three times as much as those older than a year, and anything past 24 months is no longer used.
What do I do if a roadside inspection report is wrong?
File a Request for Data Review in FMCSA’s DataQs system; with certified court documentation, a citation that was dismissed or found not guilty removes the violation from the SMS. The carrier’s 15-day certification under 49 CFR 396.9 still applies, and keep your copy of the report for 12 months.
Sources
- CVSA: All Inspection Levels (North American Standard Inspection Program)
- CVSA: About Inspection Decals
- CVSA: North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria
- CVSA: 2026 International Roadcheck results (Aug. 25, 2026)
- FMCSA: Operational Test of In-Motion CMV Inspections (Level VIII), updated Oct. 3, 2025
- 49 CFR Part 396 (eCFR): §§ 396.9, 396.17, 396.19, 396.21 and 396.23
- Federal Register, 81 FR 47732 (July 22, 2016): Amendments to Regulatory Guidance Concerning Periodic Inspection of CMVs
- FMCSA CSA: Safety Measurement System methodology, version 3.21 (June 2026)
- FMCSA SAFER: Company Snapshot
General information about the CVSA North American Standard Inspection levels, the out-of-service criteria, 49 CFR Part 396, FMCSA’s 2016 periodic inspection guidance and FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice; CVSA’s current handbook, Part 396 and FMCSA’s current procedures control. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.