Commercial vehicle inspection requirements by state

Some states, such as California, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas, run inspection programs FMCSA accepts in place of the federal annual, and a few run programs only for buses. The comparison table above shows which states have one. If your vehicle is covered by a state program, you must use it, and a private inspection doesn't substitute. Each state page says so plainly near the top.

Most states, including Florida, Georgia, Indiana and North Carolina, use the federal qualified-inspector model: any inspector qualified under 49 CFR 396.19 can do the annual. That's the model Bright Inspect is designed for. See the full list of states with their own inspection programs.

The federal annual inspection under 49 CFR 396.17 applies to every interstate commercial motor vehicle, at least once every 12 months, for each unit in a combination, including trailers. The carrier keeps the report 14 months, and proof of a current inspection must be on the vehicle. A valid federal annual inspection is recognized in every state.

Problems come up when your vehicle is registered in a state that requires its own program, such as Pennsylvania, or when it runs only inside one state and that state sets a different weight threshold.

It depends on your state and vehicle. In Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois, vehicles covered by the state program go to a certified or official inspection station or an approved program. In New Jersey, passenger vehicles in the state program go to a licensed private inspection facility or an MVC facility.

In states that use the federal qualified-inspector model, you don't need a station at all. Bright Inspect does the federal annual where your vehicle is parked, and we tell you before you pay if your state needs something else.