Free DOT Annual Inspection Form

Federal rules require a qualified inspector: someone who meets the training, certification, or experience criteria in 49 CFR 396.19. It does not have to be a third-party shop, but the person must be documented as qualified. Verify the current qualification rule before relying on this.

49 CFR 396.17(c) bars a carrier from using a commercial motor vehicle unless each Appendix A component has passed an inspection "at least once during the preceding 12 months", and requires that documentation of that inspection (the report itself, or a sticker or decal based on it) is on the vehicle. A passing state or provincial inspection that meets the Appendix A standards covers 12 months counted from the end of the month it was performed in. Some states run their own equivalent programs; confirm whether your jurisdiction's program satisfies the federal requirement.

Any item that meets the out-of-service criteria must be repaired before the vehicle returns to revenue service. Document the repair, re-inspect the failed item, and only then certify the vehicle as passing.

49 CFR 396.21(b)(1) requires the original or a copy of the inspection report to be retained for fourteen months from the date of the report, kept where the vehicle is housed or maintained, and 396.21(b)(2) requires it to be available for inspection on demand of an authorized federal, state or local official. That is separate from the proof of inspection that 396.17(c) requires to be carried on the vehicle.

The federal minimum covers brakes, steering, suspension, frame, tires and wheels, coupling devices, exhaust and fuel systems, lighting, windshield glazing and wipers, and emergency equipment: the component groups in 49 CFR 396 Appendix A. Some carriers and states check additional items beyond that federal minimum, so confirm your program's exact list.