CSA changes in 2026: what’s live and what’s coming
Updated · TruckPro Safety Carma
The short answer
As of October 2026, FMCSA still calculates CSA using the current SMS methodology (Version 3.21) and the seven BASICs. The 2026 update added 19 violations and revised 11 descriptions. A larger redesign is approved but not yet in effect: it would rename BASICs to compliance categories, split Vehicle Maintenance in two, simplify severity weights to 1 or 2, and raise some thresholds. FMCSA has not announced a go-live date.
What is live right now
- SMS Methodology Version 3.21, effective with the May 15, 2026 SMS snapshot, added 19 violations and updated the descriptions of 11. The structure is unchanged: seven BASICs, severity weights from 1 to 10, time weights of 3, 2 and 1, and the same intervention thresholds.
- Version 3.20 (July 2025) added 37 violations, updated two English language proficiency violation descriptions, reclassified violation 395.AB into a lower-severity log group, and set carriers with an Unsafe Driving measure of 250 or more to the 100th percentile.
- DataQs: since September 2026, states must follow a three-stage review with fixed deadlines. See how to challenge a violation with DataQs.
Some articles describe the redesign below as already in effect in 2026. FMCSA’s own Prioritization Preview says carriers should keep using the current SMS until the updated system is in effect.
What is approved but not yet in effect
FMCSA published its approved changes in November 2024 and is finalizing them after public comment. Here’s what would change:
| Area | Today (SMS 3.21) | Approved methodology |
|---|---|---|
| Name | BASICs | Compliance categories |
| Vehicle Maintenance | One BASIC | Split into Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed (defects a driver could see or a Level 2 walk-around would find) and Vehicle Maintenance |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Its own BASIC | Moved into Unsafe Driving |
| Operating while out of service | Counted in the related BASIC | All moved into Unsafe Driving |
| Violations | 2,000+ individual codes | About 100 violation groups. Several violations from the same group in one inspection count once. |
| Severity weights | 1–10, plus 2 for out-of-service | 1 or 2. Weight 2 for out-of-service violations, or driver-disqualifying violations in Unsafe Driving. |
| Driver Fitness threshold | 80% general, 75% HazMat, 65% passenger | 90% general, 85% HazMat, 75% passenger |
| HazMat threshold | 80% for all carriers | 90% for all carriers |
| Vehicle Maintenance thresholds | 80% / 75% / 65% | Same for both new Vehicle Maintenance categories |
| Percentiles | Safety event groups | Proportionate percentiles based on the exact number of inspections, for smoother month-to-month changes |
| Recency | Percentiles can be assigned without a recent violation | HOS, both Vehicle Maintenance categories, HazMat and Driver Fitness need at least one roadside violation in the past 12 months |
| Utilization factor | Up to 200,000 VMT per power unit | Up to 250,000 VMT per power unit |
| Segmentation | Unsafe Driving and Crash Indicator | Also HazMat (cargo tank vs. non-cargo tank) and Driver Fitness (straight vs. combination) |
| Not preventable crashes | Excluded | Still excluded |
How to prepare now
- Check the Prioritization Preview. Visit FMCSA’s Prioritization Preview to see how your carrier would score under the new methodology.
- Strengthen pre-trips. Driver Observed defects would get their own category. See how to lower your Vehicle Maintenance BASIC.
- Treat out-of-service as the line that matters. With 1-or-2 weights, whether a violation is out-of-service becomes the main thing that raises its weight.
- Don’t let old problems repeat. Under the recency rule, a single new violation in a category can bring a percentile back.
- Keep fixing bad data. The new DataQs deadlines make challenges more predictable. Here’s how to file.
How TruckPro handles the change
TruckPro calculates against the SMS methodology FMCSA uses today and labels every number with its source and date. When FMCSA puts the new methodology into effect, we’ll update this guide and the app. Apply for early access.
Frequently asked questions
Is the new CSA scoring system live in 2026?
No. FMCSA’s Prioritization Preview says carriers should keep using the current SMS website until the updated system is in effect. The current methodology is Version 3.21, with results calculated from the seven BASICs.
What changed in SMS in 2026?
SMS Methodology Version 3.21 added 19 violations and updated the descriptions of 11 violations, effective with the May 15, 2026 SMS snapshot. DataQs review rules for states also changed in September 2026.
What is Vehicle Maintenance: Driver Observed?
A proposed new compliance category for vehicle defects a driver could reasonably see, or that would be found in a walk-around Level 2 inspection. It is part of the approved methodology that is not yet in effect.
Can I see how the new methodology would score my carrier?
Yes. FMCSA’s Prioritization Preview lets carriers compare their current SMS results with results under the new methodology.
Sources
- FMCSA SMS Methodology, Version 3.21 (June 2026), Appendix B change history
- FMCSA CSA Prioritization: Approved Changes Guide (November 2024)
- FMCSA Prioritization Preview
- Revisions to DataQs Requirements for MCSAP Grant Funding, 91 FR 20561 (April 16, 2026)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. TruckPro is not affiliated with FMCSA or U.S. DOT.