UTAH ANNUAL VEHICLE INSPECTION PROGRAM
UCA 53-8-204
Utah base plated Commercial Motor Vehicles are required to be inspected annually by the Utah Highway Patrol to meet Federal requirements under 49 CFR 396.17. Click on the link below to download a copy of the Safety Inspection Manual or contact the Safety Inspection Office at (801) 965-4889 option 1.
2009-2010 Publicsafety.utah.gov/safetyinspections/docs/x2009-2010
COMPLAINTS REGARDING UTAH SAFETY INSPECTIONS
The Utah Highway Patrol is required by law to investigate all complaints regarding state inspections. If you have questions regarding inspection or a facility that conducts the inspections, please contact the Safety Inspection Office at (801) 965-4889 option 1.
REQUIRED EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
Specific requirements for each of the following can be found at FMCSA.dot.gov (49 CFR Part 393.95).
- Fire extinguishers that are properly filled, securely mounted and readily accessible. Minimum 5B:C or two 4B:C for general commodities; 10B:C for hazardous material transport; 20B:C for LPG transport)
- Warning devices for stopped vehicles
- Spare fuses
ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS
49 CFR Part 396.9
A commercial motor vehicle may be subject to roadside inspections. The driver of any motor vehicle receiving an inspection report shall deliver it to the motor carrier operating the vehicle upon his/her arrival at the next terminal or facility. The carrier must correct the defects listed on the report and a responsible carrier official must date and sign the report. The report must be returned to the issuing agency within 15 days of the date of inspection. The carrier must keep a copy of the report for 12 months from the date of inspection.
Chapter 5
Vehicle Inspection, Repair and Maintenance
TITLE 49 CFR, PART 396: VEHICLE MAINTENANCE STANDARDS
Vehicle inspections, repair and maintenance are critical to the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles. They are designed to reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities resulting from unsafe vehicles operating on the highways. Maintenance standards cover systematic maintenance, pre-trip/post-trip inspection reports and annual inspections.
GENERAL STANDARDS
393 (Parts and Accessories) and 396 (Inspection, Repair and Maintenance):
- A carrier is responsible for ensuring that it properly inspects, repairs and maintains vehicles under its control.
- A motor vehicle may not be operated when its mechanical condition is likely to cause an accident or breakdown.
- Parts and accessories must be in safe operating condition at all times.
- A vehicle must be maintained according to the vehicle manufacture’s recommended schedule, or an improved schedule based on actual operating conditions, and
- Push out windows, emergency doors and emergency door markings, and lights in buses must be inspected at least every 90 days.
MOTOR CARRIERS WHO MUST COMPLY
The following carriers, operating in interstate/intrastate commerce must comply with the systematic maintenance standards:
- Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds;
- Vehicle is designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver;
- Designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver;
- Vehicle is used in the transportation of hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding under the Hazardous materials Transportation Act (HMTA) Regulations.
REQUIRED RECORDS
For each vehicle a carrier controls for 30 consecutive days or more, the carrier must ensure the proper vehicle maintenance records are maintained. Each vehicle record must contain:
- Vehicle identification including company number, make, serial number, year and tire size.
- If the vehicle is leased, the person furnishing the vehicle must be identified.
- A means to indicate the nature and due date of various inspection and maintenance operations to be performed.
- A record or log of inspections, repair and maintenance indicating their date and nature.
- A record of tests conducted on push out windows, emergency doors, and emergency door marking lights on buses.
DAILY VEHICLE INSPECTION
49 CFR Parts 392.7 & 396.11
Before driving a vehicle, the driver must spend a minimum of 15 minutes inspecting the vehicle and must be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. The driver must spend a minimum of 30 minutes reviewing the previous day's written inspection report to be sure any noted defects have been corrected. The previous day's inspection report must be carried in the vehicle. Prior to the dispatch of a vehicle, the carrier must repair any defects that may affect safety.
Every commercial vehicle shall have a periodic inspection that must be performed at least once every 12 months. At a minimum, inspections must include all items enumerated in the Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards, Appendix G, Subchapter B, Part 396. Carriers may perform required annual inspections themselves, with a qualified inspector. The original or copy of the periodic inspection report must be retained by the motor carrier for 14 months from the report date. Utah based carriers must meet the mandatory State Inspection standards.
Documentation of the most recent periodic inspection must be kept on the vehicle. (Report, sticker or decal) (Utah based carriers must meet the mandatory State Inspection Standards.) A motor carrier must ensure that the individual(s) performing an annual inspection is qualified. The inspector must:
- Understand the inspection standards of Part 393 and Appendix G.
- Be able to identify defective components.
- Have knowledge and proficiency in methods, procedures and tools.
- Utah based carriers must meet the mandatory State Inspection Standards.
Inspectors may have gained experience or training by:
- Completing a State/Federal training program, or earning a State or Canadian Province qualifying certificate in commercial motor vehicle safety inspections.
- A combination of other training or experience totaling at least a year.
Evidence of the inspector’s qualification must be maintained until one year after the inspector ceases to perform inspections for the carrier. The motor carrier may meet periodic inspection requirements through:
- State or other jurisdiction roadside inspection program or
- Mandatory State inspection program. These programs must be determined by the FMCSA to be comparable to the Federal Annual Inspection Program.
- Utah meets the FMCSA guidelines
PERIODIC INSPECTION
Vehicle maintenance records must be retained where the vehicle is maintained for a period of one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier’s control. Any driver who receives a roadside inspection report must deliver it to the motor carrier. An official of the motor carrier is to examine the roadside inspection report and ensure that the violations or defects noted on the report are correct before the vehicle is re-dispatched. Within 15 days after the inspection, the carrier must sign the completed roadside inspection report to certify that all violations have been corrected and then return it to the indicated address. A copy must be retained for 12 months for the date of inspection.
The motor carrier shall require a driver vehicle inspection report to be completed at the end of each day’s work on each vehicle operated and the report shall cover the following:
- Parking (hand) brake
- Steering mechanism
- Lighting devices and reflectors
- Horn Tires Windshield wipers
- Read vision mirrors
- Coupling devices
- Wheels and rims
- Emergency equipment
- Service brakes including trailer brake connections
The report shall identify the vehicle, any defect or deficiency discovered by the driver, which would affect the safety of the operation of the vehicle or result in its mechanical breakdown. If no defect is discovered the report shall so indicate. In all instances, the driver shall sign the report.
Prior to requiring or permitting a driver to operate a vehicle, the motor carrier shall repair any defect or deficiency listed on the driver vehicle inspection report, which would likely affect the safety of operation of the vehicle. Every motor carrier or its agent shall certify on the original driver vehicle inspection report any listed defect that has been repaired or that repair is unnecessary before the vehicle is operated again. These reports shall be maintained for a period of three months.
Before driving a motor vehicle the driver shall be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition, review the last driver vehicle inspection report; and sign the report if defects or deficiencies were noted by the driver who prepared the report, to acknowledge that the driver has reviewed it and that there is a certification that the required repairs have been performed.
UTAH ANNUAL VEHICLE INSPECTION PROGRAM
UCA 53-8-204
Utah base plated Commercial Motor Vehicles are required to be inspected annually by the Utah Highway Patrol to meet Federal requirements under 49 CFR 396.17. Click on the link below to download a copy of the Safety Inspection Manual or contact the Safety Inspection Office at (801) 965-4889 option 1.
2009-2010 Publicsafety.utah.gov/safetyinspections/docs/x2009-2010
COMPLAINTS REGARDING UTAH SAFETY INSPECTIONS
The Utah Highway Patrol is required by law to investigate all complaints regarding state inspections. If you have questions regarding inspection or a facility that conducts the inspections, please contact the Safety Inspection Office at (801) 965-4889 option 1.
REQUIRED EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
Specific requirements for each of the following can be found at FMCSA.dot.gov (49 CFR Part 393.95).
- Fire extinguishers that are properly filled, securely mounted and readily accessible. Minimum 5B:C or two 4B:C for general commodities; 10B:C for hazardous material transport; 20B:C for LPG transport)
- Warning devices for stopped vehicles
- Spare fuses
ROADSIDE INSPECTIONS
49 CFR Part 396.9
A commercial motor vehicle may be subject to roadside inspections. The driver of any motor vehicle receiving an inspection report shall deliver it to the motor carrier operating the vehicle upon his/her arrival at the next terminal or facility. The carrier must correct the defects listed on the report and a responsible carrier official must date and sign the report. The report must be returned to the issuing agency within 15 days of the date of inspection. The carrier must keep a copy of the report for 12 months from the date of inspection.
OUT-OF-SERVICE VEHICLES
49 CFR Part 396.9(c)
An inspector may place a vehicle out-of-service if its mechanical condition or load is likely to cause an accident or breakdown in accordance with the CVSA Out-Of-Service criteria. An "Out-Of-Service" sticker will be placed on the Vehicle Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance vehicle and the vehicle cannot be moved until those out-of-service defects are corrected. A copy of the Out-Of-Service criteria may be obtained at http://www.cvsa.org/.
A driver may be disqualified for at least 90 days and fined not less than $1,000.00 if convicted of violating an out-of-service order. An employer may be fined up to $10,000.00 for requiring an employee to operate a commercial vehicle while it is under an out-of-service order.
All OOS violations must be corrected before the vehicle can be moved again. Any remaining violations shall be corrected before the vehicle can be re-dispatched. One inspection form shall be signed by the appropriate personnel and returned to the issuing department within 15 days, the other form should be carried in the vehicle.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The motor carrier is responsible for ensuring that all inspections, maintenance, repairs and service to brakes of commercial motor vehicles comply with these regulations. Employees responsible for brake inspections, maintenance, service ore repairs must meet minimum brake inspector qualifications. (Sample certificate on next page).
This fact sheet is intended as a resource. It is not intended to explain all requirements of Utah Law. For further information regarding Vehicle Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance Regulations contact the Motor Carrier Division at (801) 965-4892 or (866) 215-5399, or the Utah Highway Patrol's Safety Inspection Office at (801) 596-9743, or by emailing mccustomerservice@utah.gov. For additional resources, visit FMCSA Guidance.
