Level One – North American Standard Inspection

Driver’s License
Medical Examiner’s Certificate
Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (if applicable)
Alcohol and drug use
The driver’s record of duty status (as required)
Hours of service
Seat belt usage
Vehicle inspection reports (if applicable)
Brake systems
Cargo securement
Coupling devices
Driveline/driveshaft
Exhaust systems
Frames
Fuel systems
Lighting devices (including headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals, and lamps/flags on projecting loads)
Steering mechanisms
Suspensions
Tires
Van and open-top trailer bodies
Wheels
Rims
Hub
Windshield wipers
Emergency exits
Electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments
Seating
HM/DG and specification cargo tank requirements, if applicable. (Only certified HM/DG and cargo tank inspectors can inspect HM/DG-required items, as needed.)

NOTE: If more than 20 percent of pushrod travel on exposed pushrods cannot be measured, the inspection will not be classified as a Level One Inspection but as a Level Two Inspection instead.

NOTE: In a five-axle vehicle combination where one axle is not measured, two defective brakes will still be required to be placed out of service under the 20 percent brake criteria.

Level Two – Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection

This inspection involves reviewing each item listed under the North American Standard Level Two Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection Procedure.

Driver’s License

Medical Examiner’s Certificate
Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (if applicable)
Alcohol and drug use
The driver’s record of duty status (as required)
Hours of service
Seat belt usage
Vehicle inspection reports (if applicable)
Brake systems
Cargo securement
Coupling devices
Driveline/driveshaft
Exhaust systems
Frames
Fuel systems
Lighting devices (including headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals, and lamps/flags on projecting loads)
Steering mechanisms
Suspensions
Tires
Van and open-top trailer bodies
Wheels
Rims
Hub
Windshield wipers
Emergency exits
Electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments
Seating
HM/DG and specification cargo tank requirements, if applicable. (Only certified HM/DG and cargo tank inspectors can inspect HM/DG-required items, as needed.)

The walk-around inspection is limited to items that can be inspected without physically getting under the vehicle.

Level Three – Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection

This inspection includes the items specified under the North American Standard Level Three Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection Procedure.

Driver’s license
Medical Examiner’s Certificate
Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate
Driver’s record of duty status
Hours of service
Seat belt usage
Vehicle inspection reports
Carrier identification and status

NOTE: Mechanical equipment violations specific to a Level One or Level Two Inspection should not be included in a Level Three Inspection. If applicable, traffic violations/infractions should be part of the Level Three Inspection.

Level Four – Special Inspections

These inspections typically involve a one-time examination of a specific item, often conducted to support a study or to verify or refute a suspected trend.

Level Five – Vehicle-Only Inspection

This inspection includes all vehicle inspection items specified under the North American Standard Inspection (Level One) but is conducted without the presence of a driver, at any location.

Level Six – North American Standard Inspection for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled Quantities (HRCQ) of Radioactive Material

This inspection is for select radiological shipments and includes procedures and enhancements to the North American Standard Level One Inspection, along with radiological requirements and the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled Quantities of Radioactive Material.

As of January 1, 2005, all vehicles and carriers transporting HRCQ of radioactive material are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and must pass the North American Standard Level Six Inspection. Previously, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) voluntarily complied with these requirements.

Select radiological shipments include HRCQ of radioactive material as defined by Title 49 CFR 173.403. Because only a small fraction of transuranics are HRCQ, the U.S. DOE decided to include its transuranic waste shipments in the Level Six Inspection Program.

Level Seven – Jurisdictional Mandated Commercial Vehicle Inspection

This inspection refers to a jurisdiction-mandated inspection program that does not meet the requirements of any other inspection level. Examples include inspection programs for school buses, limousines, taxis, shared-ride transportation, hotel courtesy shuttles, and other intrastate/intra-provincial operations. These inspections may be conducted by CVSA-certified inspectors, other designated government employees, or jurisdiction-approved contractors. Training requirements for inspectors will be determined by each jurisdiction. No CVSA decal will be issued for a Level Seven Inspection, but a jurisdiction-specific decal may be applied.

Level Eight – North American Standard Electronic Inspection

This examination involves checking the items specified under the North American Standard Electronic Inspection Procedure. An electronic inspection must include, where required and/or applicable, a descriptive location with GPS coordinates; electronic validation of the vehicle operator; the appropriate driver’s license class and endorsement(s) for the vehicle being operated; license status; a valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate; the current driver’s record of duty status; hours-of-service compliance; USDOT or (Canada) NSC number; power unit registration; operating authority; Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) compliance; and federal out-of-service orders.

The Level Eight Electronic Inspection is conducted electronically or wirelessly while the vehicle is in motion without direct interaction with an enforcement officer. To be considered complete, a Level Eight Electronic Inspection must include all required and/or applicable data points as defined by the CVSA North American Standard Level Eight Electronic Inspection.