Which Inspection Violations Don’t Affect Your CSA Score—and Should Your Fleet Still Fight the Ticket?

A roadside Driver/Vehicle Examination Report records what the inspector cited. It normally shows the exact violation code, regulatory section, unit, out-of-service status, citation or verification fields, and the violation description. The paper inspection report itself does not calculate SMS severity points, apply a time weight, or state whether the exact code is listed in Appendix A.

Those answers come from a separate source: FMCSA’s current SMS Methodology Appendix A spreadsheet. Use the lookup tool above to compare the exact code from the report with Appendix A v3.21.

What the inspection report tells you

The report documents the inspection event and the cited violation. Copy the violation code exactly as printed, including every letter, number, period, slash, parenthesis, space, and hyphen. A nearby code or a similar description can have a different Appendix A result.

The report’s OOS column answers a different question: whether the cited condition placed the driver or vehicle out of service. It is not an Appendix A listing indicator and it is not a points total.

How Appendix A and time weighting work

For an exact code listed in Appendix A, the lookup returns the violation description, BASIC, severity weight, selected time weight, and base total. The base calculation is:

severity weight × time weight = base time-weighted points

FMCSA assigns a time weight of 3 to events up to 6 months old, 2 to events more than 6 through 12 months old, and 1 to events more than 12 through 24 months old. Events older than 24 months are outside the SMS measurement window. The tool intentionally shows the base calculation for one violation; an OOS adjustment, adjudication result, duplicate-cite rule, or per-inspection cap can change how an event is ultimately used.

Exact codes observed but not listed in Appendix A

A comparison of exact violation-code formats observed in FMCSA’s official Vehicle Inspections and Violations dataset with Appendix A v3.21 identifies codes that appear in inspection data but have no exact Appendix A row.

A code absent from Appendix A has no direct roadside BASIC severity weight under the current methodology. That does not erase the inspection, legal violation, ticket, fine, out-of-service consequence, PSP history, MVR exposure, or court deadline.

Each code below opens a readable evidence page that identifies its Appendix A status, shows recent official FMCSA records when available, and provides direct access to the underlying government sources.

Registration, licensing, insurance, tax, and authority

• 392.2RG — state vehicle registration or license-plate violation.
• 392.2-SLLSR — state/local registration or tag violation.
• 392.2FT — state or International Fuel Tax Agreement violation.
• 392.2IRP and 392.2-SLLIRP — IRP apportioned-tag or registration violations.
• 392.2-SLLIFTA — state/local IFTA violation.
• 392.2AU and 392.2-SLLSOA — state operating-authority violations.
• 392.2IN and 392.2-SLLSIV — state insurance violations.
• 392.2UCR and 392.2-SLLUCR — Unified Carrier Registration fee violations.
• 392.2DL and 392.2-SLLDL — miscellaneous driver-license violations.

Weight and dimension violations

• 392.2W and 392.2WG — excessive-weight violations.
• 392.2DIM and 392.2-SLLED — width, height, or length violations.
• 392.2-SLLEWA1, 392.2-SLLEWA2, and 392.2-SLLEWA3 — axle or axle-group overweight tiers.
• 392.2-SLLEWG1, 392.2-SLLEWG2, and 392.2-SLLEWG3 — gross-weight overweight tiers.
• 392.2-SLLEWPB — excessive weight on a posted bridge.

Other state and local code formats

• 392.2 — generic “Violation of Local Laws—Explain” code without a suffix.
• 392.2MI — miscellaneous traffic-law violation.
• 392.2-SLL — general state/local-law violation.
• 392.2-SLLEQP — state/local equipment violation.
• 392.2-SLLS1 — speeding 1–5 mph over the limit.
• 392.2-SLLTL — miscellaneous state/local traffic-law violation.
• 392.2-SLLTR — state/local truck-restriction violation.
• 392.2SAFCH — missing, damaged, or ineffective safety chains when required.
• 392.2-SLLL — state/local littering violation.
• 392.2-SLLOWZ — other state/local work-zone violation.
• 392.2S — general speeding code observed in inspection data but absent from Appendix A v3.21.

Appendix A v3.21 is the current classification authority for SMS weighting. For a current classification decision, use the latest Appendix A and match the exact code rather than relying on a nearby regulation number or a similar description.

These classifications do not create exemptions from traffic law. 49 CFR §392.2 requires CMVs to comply with the laws of the jurisdiction where they operate unless an applicable FMCSA rule imposes a higher standard.

Additional exact code formats not listed in Appendix A

Five additional code formats relevant to fleet compliance are absent from Appendix A v3.21:

• 390.19TG — filing an MCS-150 with false or misleading information.
• 390.21TB1-MC — operating a CMV without the legal name or trade name displayed.
• 390.21TB2-DOT — operating a CMV without the USDOT number displayed as required.
• 395.8F12-HOSM — record-of-duty-status form-and-manner failure involving the shipping document number, shipper name, or commodity.
• 395.8F5-HOSM — record-of-duty-status form-and-manner failure involving the truck, tractor, trailer unit number, or license number and state.

Exact formatting matters. A nearby code, a different suffix, or an equivalent-looking regulation can have a different Appendix A classification. The classifications above apply only to those exact code formats; they do not classify every violation under §§390.19, 390.21, or 395.8. Appendix A remains the authority.

Use the exact suffix—not the general regulation number

Codes that look closely related can have different Appendix A treatment. For example, exact cargo-securement and mud-flap formats are represented in current Appendix A, while some other state or local formats are not. Search the complete code printed on the inspection report instead of searching only the first regulation digits.

The correct workflow is:

1. record the exact code, including every hyphen and suffix;
2. select the time weight that matches the event’s age;
3. compare the exact code to current Appendix A with the lookup tool;
4. if the code is listed, record its severity weight and base time-weighted total;
5. if it is not listed, save the result with the source version and review date; and
6. separately review the citation, court deadline, PSP, MVR, CDL, insurance, employment, OOS, and DataQs questions.

Will a local-ordinance ticket stay off CSA and the MVR?

Not automatically. A court charge and an inspection violation are separate records. “Local ordinance” is not a universal reporting exemption.

49 CFR §384.209 generally requires states to report many convictions involving state or local motor-vehicle traffic-control laws, with specified exceptions that include parking, vehicle-weight, and vehicle-defect violations. 49 CFR §383.31 also imposes notification duties for many state and local traffic-law convictions involving CDL holders.

Whether a disposition reaches an MVR, CDLIS, PSP, or SMS depends on the exact charge, conviction, vehicle, license, jurisdiction, inspection record, and reporting process. Obtain the final disposition in writing rather than relying on the words “local ordinance.”

Should you hire an attorney?

Paying a ticket can amount to a conviction. Before deciding, check the court deadline, mandatory-appearance language, CDL implications, possible points or suspension, insurance and employment consequences, and whether the associated inspection data is accurate.

A licensed attorney familiar with the issuing jurisdiction can explain the risks and available dispositions for a specific case. No outcome is guaranteed. If the inspection data is inaccurate, incomplete, or duplicated, FMCSA’s DataQs guidance explains the separate federal review process. DataQs does not replace the state court.

PSP is not a driver “CSA score.” FMCSA’s PSP–MVR comparison explains that PSP contains FMCSA crash and roadside-inspection history, while an MVR generally contains state licensing and conviction information.

If you received a traffic ticket and want case-specific advice, request a free quote from the nationwide attorney network at MyTrafficCase. MyTrafficCase and HwyPulse are operated by CDL Protect Inc. This promotional link is not a promise of dismissal or a substitute for court instructions.

Bottom line

The paper inspection report records the violation; Appendix A supplies the current SMS classification and severity weight. Use the exact code in the lookup above, choose the correct time weight, and keep the base SMS calculation separate from the ticket, court, PSP, MVR, CDL, insurance, employment, OOS, and DataQs consequences.

This article provides general educational information, not legal advice. SMS methodology, Appendix A, code mappings, state reporting practices, and individual cases can change. Appendix A v3.21 and the lookup catalog were verified July 18, 2026.