FMCSA Inspection History by VIN
Check a commercial truck's FMCSA roadside inspection history by exact VIN — the inspections, violations, and out-of-service events recorded in official public data.
Last updated: June 2026 · Data sources: NHTSA vPIC (live) and FMCSA public inspection records (periodic refresh).
Quick answer
FMCSA publishes roadside inspection data, including the inspected unit's VIN, violations, and out-of-service status. TruckWhere matches an exact 17-character VIN against that data and summarizes the inspections, vehicle-specific violations, OOS events, and carriers observed operating the VIN. NHTSA decodes the VIN's specs; FMCSA provides the inspection history.
Free FMCSA roadside summary. We accept exact 17-character VINs only and never silently correct a VIN.
How FMCSA inspection data works
Most roadside inspections are conducted by state enforcement under FMCSA's program. Each inspection records the date, state, level, the units involved, any violations, and whether a unit was placed out-of-service. TruckWhere attributes a violation to the searched VIN only when the inspection ID and unit number match the unit that VIN occupied.
FMCSA inspection lookup vs carrier safety lookup
FMCSA SAFER/SMS shows carrier-level safety by USDOT number. An inspection lookup by VIN ties the roadside record to a specific vehicle — which is what a used-truck buyer actually needs.
Data sources used by TruckWhere
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| NHTSA vPIC | VIN decode: make, model, model year, body class, GVWR, engine, and manufacturer details. |
| FMCSA Inspection data (SAFER / A&I) | Roadside inspection records. |
| FMCSA Inspections Per Unit | VIN, unit number, plate state, and carrier/USDOT association. |
| FMCSA Violations | Violation code, description, OOS status, and unit-level attribution. |
| FMCSA Company Snapshot / Census (SAFER) | Carrier legal name, DBA, USDOT number, fleet size, crash summary, and safety rating where available. |
TruckWhere uses exact 17-character VIN matching only — no fuzzy matching, no silent VIN correction, and no assumption that a carrier observed operating a VIN legally owned the truck.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
- Is FMCSA inspection history public?
- Yes — FMCSA publishes roadside inspection and violation data. There is no free per-VIN API, so the data is matched from public inspection files.
- Does FMCSA show the truck's specs?
- Not really. Specs come from NHTSA vPIC; FMCSA provides the inspection and violation history. TruckWhere combines both.