CSA scores in 2026: how to check yours and what’s changing
Check your SMS percentiles free at FMCSA. A 2024 Clearinghouse rule can downgrade your CDL for unresolved violations, and FMCSA is rolling out a broader SMS overhaul.
Your CSA record follows your authority, and in 2026 it is worth checking for two reasons: a Clearinghouse rule that can cost you your CDL, and a broader scoring overhaul FMCSA is rolling out. The good news is the basics are free to check and the most actionable rules are firm. Start at the FMCSA Safety Measurement System.
How to check your CSA score
CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) scores carriers through the Safety Measurement System (SMS). Look up your carrier by USDOT number on the FMCSA SMS site to see your category percentiles for free. SMS uses a rolling 24-month window of roadside inspections and crashes, and the most recent 12 months carry the most weight – so a clean recent year pulls you up faster than old violations drag you down.
The Clearinghouse rule that can downgrade your CDL
This is the firm one to act on. Since November 18, 2024, the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse “Clearinghouse-II” rule requires states to downgrade the commercial driving privilege of any driver with an unresolved prohibited-status violation, and states must query the Clearinghouse before issuing or renewing a CDL. In plain terms: an unresolved violation can pull your CDL, and you cannot quietly renew around it. If you are in prohibited status, complete the return-to-duty process – do not let it sit.
What’s changing with SMS in 2026
FMCSA has announced and is rolling out a broader overhaul of how SMS works – reorganizing the old BASIC categories into consolidated violation groups and moving toward percentile calculations that compare carriers more proportionately to their peers. Because the specifics are still settling and have shifted during rollout, treat any single summary (including this one) as a pointer, not gospel: confirm the current methodology and thresholds directly on FMCSA’s site before you make decisions based on a score change.
What actually moves your score
The day-to-day drivers of your CSA record are the same as always: hours-of-service compliance, vehicle maintenance, and clean inspections. A revoked or non-compliant ELD can generate violations on its own, and heavily enforced states – the kind also pushing programs like CARB’s Clean Truck Check – are where a weak record gets expensive fast.
The bottom line
Check your SMS percentiles for free, resolve any Clearinghouse violation immediately so it cannot downgrade your CDL, and keep an eye on FMCSA’s official site for the SMS overhaul rather than trusting secondhand summaries. Recent, clean inspections are still the fastest way to a better score.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my CSA score?
Go to the FMCSA Safety Measurement System website and look up your carrier by USDOT number. Your BASIC/category percentiles are free to view; drivers should also review their own records through the FMCSA portals.
How long do violations stay on your CSA score?
SMS uses a rolling 24-month window. Older events age out, and the most recent 12 months carry the most weight, so recent performance matters most.
What is the Clearinghouse CDL downgrade rule?
Since November 18, 2024, if you have an unresolved prohibited-status drug-and-alcohol violation, the state must downgrade your CDL commercial driving privilege, and states query the Clearinghouse before issuing or renewing a CDL.
What is changing with CSA in 2026?
FMCSA has announced and is rolling out a broader Safety Measurement System overhaul (reorganizing violation groups and how percentiles are calculated). Because the details are still settling, confirm the current methodology directly on FMCSA's site.
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