Direct answers on 396.1 citations: OOS risk, CSA points, repair timelines, and what to do next. Backed by 13M inspection records.
Ranks #692 of 3,146 FMCSR codes by citation frequency • OOS rate of 0.2% is below the FMCSR-wide average of 33.3%.
Motor carrier failing to take responsibility for the inspection, repair, and maintenance of CMVs.
Direct answers grounded in TruckCodex inspection data
No. A 396.1 citation will not place your truck out of service. Across our database of 1,158 all-time 396.1 citations, only 2 resulted in an out-of-service order—a 0.2% OOS rate. This is significantly lower than the national average of 31.4% across all FMCSR codes. Your truck will remain in service, but you must document corrective action with your carrier to resolve the violation.
A 396.1 citation carries a CSA severity weight of 4 points. The actual points added to your Safety Measurement System (SMS) record depend on your carrier's crash and violation history combined with this weight. Most drivers see this violation age out of the acute category within 3–6 months, but your carrier's BASIC score impact persists longer. Contact your carrier's safety department for your specific point calculation.
No, 396.1 is among the least-cited and least-serious vehicle maintenance violations. Our records show 396.1 ranks #678 out of 3,036 FMCSR codes by citation frequency (1,158 all-time). By contrast, similar Vehicle Maintenance codes like 396.3 (general inspection/repair/maintenance) have 236,919 citations with a 45.3% OOS rate, and 393.9 (inoperable lamps) has 180,097 citations with a 6.9% OOS rate. The 0.2% OOS rate on 396.1 reflects that most inspectors cite this as a documentation or process failure rather than an imminent safety defect.
Yes, you can dispute a 396.1 citation through the FMCSA's DataQs Online Roadside Dispute Resolution (RDR) system. Since 396.1 is a carrier responsibility violation based on inspection and maintenance records, contestability depends on whether the inspector properly verified your carrier's maintenance logs and inspection schedule. If your carrier has complete documentation of pre-trip and periodic inspections on file, you have strong grounds to request removal. Submit your carrier's maintenance records and inspection certifications within 90 days of the citation.
In the last 180 days, 396.1 citations were concentrated in Illinois, which accounted for 32 citations with a 0.0% OOS rate. North Carolina and New Mexico each had 1 citation. The national pattern shows 396.1 is enforced sporadically; last 12 months averaged 77 citations, with November 2025 seeing the highest single-month volume at 11 citations. This suggests enforcement follows carrier-level audits rather than a consistent roadside inspection pattern.
Moderately urgent, but not emergency-level. While 396.1 won't take your truck out of service, the citation signals your carrier failed to maintain documented inspection and maintenance schedules. Our data shows last 90 days had 11 citations with zero OOS placements, but co-occurring violations like emergency equipment defects (7 cases) and driver pre-trip inspection failures (6 cases) often accompany it. You have 15 days to file corrective action; work with your carrier's maintenance and compliance teams to close the gap immediately to avoid follow-up citations.
This citation is tied to the carrier, not the driver. FMCSR 396.1 holds the motor carrier (company) responsible for inspection, repair, and maintenance policies and execution. The violation appears on the carrier's Underutilized Safety Management (SMS) record and affects the company's Unsafe Maintenance BASIC score. While the driver may be in the truck during the roadside inspection, the citation is a corporate compliance failure. Your carrier's safety and compliance team must address it; drivers support by reporting vehicle issues and completing pre-trip inspections.
Where 396.1 is most commonly cited (last 180 days)
Other violations commonly found on the same inspection (last 90 days)
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.