CSA Score — Why It

How does my CSA score affect insurance premiums?

Insurance underwriters check CSA BASICs at every renewal. A carrier with high BASIC percentile in Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance, or HOS Compliance can see 15–40% premium increases at renewal. Some markets (Progressive, Great West) decline coverage entirely above 75th percentile in any BASIC.

Which CSA BASICs matter most for insurance?

Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance, Hours-of-Service Compliance, and Unsafe Driving carry the most weight. Crash Indicator BASIC is also weighted heavily but is harder to control — many underwriters segment it from the others.

How long do CSA violations stay on my record?

24 months of carrier inspection history feed into the BASICs calculation. Recent violations (last 6 months) carry the highest weight. Crash and out-of-service violations weight even higher.

Can I dispute CSA violations?

Yes — through DataQs (https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov). Common winnable disputes: roadside inspection coding errors, citations later dismissed in court, or violations attributed to the wrong carrier. Disputes typically take 30-60 days to resolve.

What's the cheapest way to lower my CSA score?

Two paths: (1) reduce future violation rate by tightening DQF, HOS compliance, and pre-trip inspections, and (2) clean up the existing record via DataQs disputes. Both take 6+ months to materially move BASIC percentiles. CSA is a 24-month rolling window.