The nine inspection levels
| Level |
|---|
| Level I — North American Standard The full inspection: driver (license, medical certificate, hours, logs, seat belt) and the whole vehicle, including brakes measured from underneath, cargo securement, coupling, frame, tires, lights. |
| Level II — Walk-around Same driver checks and every vehicle item that can be inspected without getting under the truck. |
| Level III — Driver / credentials Driver only: license, medical certificate, logs and hours, seat belt, inspection reports, carrier identification and status. No mechanical items. |
| Level IV — Special A one-time check of a particular item, usually for a study or to confirm a suspected trend. |
| Level V — Vehicle only The Level I vehicle inspection without the driver present — at a terminal, yard or anywhere else. |
| Level VI — Radioactive shipments An enhanced Level I for highway-route-controlled quantities of radioactive material and transuranic waste. |
| Level VII — Jurisdiction-mandated State or provincial programs (school buses, limousines, shuttles, intrastate) that don't fit another level. No CVSA decal. |
| Level VIII — Electronic Done wirelessly while the truck is moving: driver identity, license and medical status, hours of service, USDOT number, registration, authority, UCR and out-of-service orders. |
| Level IX — Post-crash After a crash with a fatality, serious injury or high public profile, or where the state requires it: every accessible Level I item. |
Most roadside stops are Level I, II or III. Level IX, the post-crash inspection, is the newest level CVSA has added. CVSA, All Inspection Levels
The CVSA decal
- Only after a Level I, V or VI inspection with no critical violations under the out-of-service criteria.
- Valid for the month it is issued plus the next two months — up to three months.
- A truck with a current decal is generally not re-inspected during that time, though an officer still can.
CVSA Inspections overview; CVSA Operational Policy 5
Out of service
If a driver or vehicle meets the North American Standard out-of-service criteria — for example too many defective brakes, a driver without a valid license, or hours over the limit — the officer places it out of service. The truck may not be driven (only towed by crane or hoist) and the out-of-service sticker may not be removed until every listed repair is done. §396.9(c)
After the inspection: the carrier's job
- Driver hands in the report at the next terminal, or sends it within 24 hours if not due at one. §396.9(d)(1)
- Fix every violation listed and document the repair. §396.9(d)(2), §396.11
- Sign the certification within 15 days that all violations were corrected; return the form to the state only if it asks. §396.9(d)(3)
- Keep a copy 12 months at your principal place of business or where the truck is housed. §396.9(d)(3)(ii)
- Check the inspection in your record a few weeks later and challenge anything wrong in DataQs — wrong carrier, wrong unit, a violation that wasn't there, or a citation later dismissed in court.
Why clean inspections matter
For the inspection-based BASICs — Hours of Service, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Fitness — your score is divided by the number of relevant inspections, so every clean Level I or II lowers it. At CVSA's International Roadcheck 2026, 19% of inspected vehicles were placed out of service, with brakes and tires the top vehicle violations and a missing medical certificate the top driver violation.
Pass the next one
We keep driver files, logs and maintenance records inspection-ready, and handle the paperwork after every roadside report.
Sources: CVSA, All Inspection Levels and Inspections overview (cvsa.org); CVSA Operational Policy 5; 49 CFR 396.9, 396.11; CVSA International Roadcheck 2026 results. General information, not legal advice. IFTAX is not affiliated with CVSA, FMCSA or any government agency.