DOT inspection requirements in Minnesota

Compare Minnesota with other states on the state requirements hub, or see which states run their own inspection programs.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety, through the State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Section, runs the MIP, certifies inspectors and handles roadside enforcement. MnDOT registers motor carriers of passengers and inspects their vehicles. FMCSA oversees interstate carriers.

Yes, with changes. Minn. Stat. 221.0314 adopts Part 396 for intrastate carriers but leaves out the federal annual sections (396.17 to 396.23), because Minnesota uses its own MIP instead. Ordinary property vehicles are covered over 26,000 lb; buses and placarded hazmat vehicles are covered regardless of weight, and some covered farm vehicles are exempt.

A covered vehicle can't legally operate without a valid MIP decal (Minn. Stat. 169.781). School and Head Start buses have their own annual State Patrol inspection, motor carriers of passengers have a registration inspection, and vehicles in serious crashes need a state reinspection before they're driven again.

Every unit counts on its own: see whether each trailer needs its own annual inspection.

MIP inspections must be done by an inspector certified by the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety after State Patrol or approved training. Fleet owners and employees, commercial vehicle dealers, repair businesses and government employees can become certified (2026 MIP Inspector Handbook). Qualifying under 49 CFR 396.19 alone isn't enough to issue a Minnesota decal.

Bright Inspect's federal annual inspection is not a substitute for the Minnesota MIP. It may fit trucks registered in other states, and Minnesota-licensed vehicles housed and maintained outside Minnesota, which can carry federal annual proof plus a Minnesota Certificate of Compliance instead of the decal. We confirm which applies before you pay.

School bus annuals and post-crash reinspections are done by state employees, so a third-party inspection can't replace them.

A passing MIP inspection earns a Minnesota safety inspection decal, valid for 12 months after the month shown. The owner and the inspector each keep the report at least 14 months. Vehicles using the Certificate of Compliance carry federal annual proof plus the certificate instead.

Minnesota's daily inspection rule is stricter than federal for buses: drivers of passenger-carrying CMVs must turn in a written report every day even when they find no defects (Minn. Stat. 169.782). Reports are kept at least 3 months.

More on how long to keep DOT inspection records.

See school bus inspection requirements and semi-truck and trailer inspection requirements.

For interstate operations, federal rules let an officer cite you under 49 CFR 396.17(c) when proof of a current annual inspection isn't on the vehicle; it carries a CSA severity weight of 4. The officer gives the driver an inspection report. The carrier must certify that listed violations were corrected and return it within 15 days, and keep a copy for 12 months (49 CFR 396.9). Fines are set by state law.

For intrastate operations, the State Patrol uses its own spot inspection authority (Minn. Stat. 169.771) and gives the operator a signed, dated record of the inspection. Serious defects can lead to an out-of-service order. Minnesota limits repeat spot inspections within 90 days when the statute's conditions are met.

We're still confirming roadside fines for a missing annual inspection in Minnesota. Check with the Minnesota State Patrol Commercial Vehicle Section directly.

Stopped without proof of a current annual? See what to do when your inspection expired or failed at roadside and what happens if your annual inspection is expired. Nobody can promise to remove a violation or change a safety score; what fixes the problem going forward is a current inspection and a complete record.