Compliance
CSA scores: what goes in, how it's weighted and how to dispute data
Updated
Your CSA scores come from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System, which uses 24 months of roadside inspection violations and crashes tied to your USDOT number. Events from the latest six months count three times as much as events more than a year old. Scores update monthly, and there's no CSA fee or filing deadline.
At a glance
- Data window
- 24 months of inspections and crashes
- Categories
- Seven BASICs
- Updates
- Monthly
- Dispute route
- DataQs
- State review stages
- Three, since September 18, 2026
The seven BASICs
FMCSA groups your safety data into seven categories, called BASICs:
- Unsafe Driving
- Hours-of-Service Compliance
- Driver Fitness
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Hazardous Materials Compliance
- Crash Indicator
What feeds your scores
The Safety Measurement System (SMS) pulls violations from roadside inspections and state-reported crashes tied to your USDOT number over the last 24 months. Violations count even when they didn't put the truck or driver out of service.
Clean inspections count too. A relevant inspection with no violations still adds to the base your violations are measured against.
Severity weights run from one to 10 per violation, with two more added when the violation led to an out-of-service order. Before time weighting, one inspection can add no more than 30 points per BASIC.
How time weighting works
| How old the event is | Weight |
|---|---|
| Latest six months | 3 |
| Over six months to 12 months | 2 |
| Over 12 months to 24 months | 1 |
A violation from last month counts three times as much as the same violation from 18 months ago. After 24 months it drops out of the window.
What a score tells you
Your percentile depends on clean inspections and the rest of the method, so adding up your violation points won't produce it. The scores themselves update monthly.
An intervention indicator marks a BASIC that FMCSA may prioritize for intervention. Your safety rating is a separate measure.
CSA costs nothing and has no filing deadline. The seven-BASIC model is the current method as of October 2026.
Who looks at your scores
Load programs and brokers can screen on them. Amazon Relay's own FAQ, checked October 17, 2026, requires a safety rating of Satisfactory, None or Not Rated. It also sets these limits:
| Measure | Amazon Relay limit |
|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | Below 60% |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | Below 60% |
| Vehicle Maintenance | Below 75% |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Below 75% |
| Driver Fitness | Below 75% |
| Driver violation rate | 35% or lower |
| Vehicle violation rate | 50% or lower |
See Amazon Relay for its other requirements.
How to dispute bad data
If an inspection or crash on your record is wrong or incomplete, file a request in DataQs at dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov. DataQs sends it to the agency that reported the data.
Since September 18, 2026, state reviews run in three stages:
| Stage | State's decision time | Your next step |
|---|---|---|
| Initial review | 21 days | Ask for reconsideration within 30 days of the decision |
| Reconsideration | 21 days | Ask for final review within 30 days of the decision |
| Final review | 45 days | Last state stage |
If the state asks you for more information, the clock pauses and you have 14 days to answer.
DataQs corrects data only, and a correction doesn't lift an out-of-service order. For that, see out-of-service orders.
What moves your scores most
The weights show where to focus. A violation counts three times as much in its first six months, twice as much through a year and once through two years, then drops out, so recent inspections move your scores the most. Dispute an error in DataQs as soon as you see it.
See what brokers see. The load-ready check reads your authority age and the insurance on file and shows which brokers and programs accept you today. Load-ready check
Frequently asked questions
How often do CSA scores update?
Monthly. The scores use the last 24 months of inspections and crashes tied to your USDOT number.
How long does a violation count on my CSA scores?
For 24 months. It counts three times as much in its first six months, twice as much through a year and once through two years, then drops out.
Is there a CSA fee or filing deadline?
No. There's no CSA fee and no CSA filing deadline.
How do I dispute a wrong inspection on my record?
File a request in DataQs, which sends it to the agency that reported the data. Since September 18, 2026, state reviews run in three stages, and you ask for each next stage within 30 days of the decision.
What CSA scores does Amazon Relay accept?
Amazon Relay requires Unsafe Driving and Hours-of-Service Compliance below 60%. Vehicle Maintenance, Controlled Substances/Alcohol and Driver Fitness have to be below 75%, and the safety rating has to be Satisfactory, None or Not Rated.