How California Fleets Should Prepare for a CHP BIT Inspection

A Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) notice calls for both vehicles and records. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) samples vehicles associated with the named terminal and examines maintenance practices, driver files and related records. Work from the scope of the notice and match each vehicle and driver to the relevant records.

Read the scope of the notice

Keep the original. Check the California carrier identification number (CA number), legal name, terminal address, inspection date, CHP contact, vehicles requested, records period and submission format. Ask the Motor Carrier Safety Unit (MCSU) handling the inspection about anything unclear. Use the CHP commercial vehicle section to find regional contacts instead of guessing from an old email or search result.

A terminal need not be a company office with a repair shop. Under the California Vehicle Code, a maintenance facility or terminal can be a place where vehicles are regularly stored, maintained, operated or dispatched, including a business or residential location. For BIT, CHP must be able to inspect regulated vehicles and obtain maintenance, inspection and driver records there. If the operating location and CHP file differ, explain the facts to the inspector. Do not supply an address unrelated to normal operations for the occasion.

Build the inventory by terminal

List the units assigned to the terminal in the notice, counting power units and trailers separately. For each, give the plate, VIN, company unit number, storage location, next 90-day inspection due date and repair status. The representative sample is calculated separately for each group: inspect all when there are 1–2 units, 3 for 3–8, 4 for 9–15, 6 for 16–25, 9 for 26–50, 14 for 51–90 and 20 for 91 or more. CHP chooses the units. Make the vehicles and records within scope available. See California Vehicle Code § 34501.12.

Since 2016, BIT has used performance-based selection for terminal inspections rather than a fixed two-year cycle. Prepare for the date in this notice.

Document the 90-day inspection and completed repairs

Inspect covered vehicles at least every 90 days and more frequently if necessary. A vehicle continuously out of service for more than 90 days need not receive repeated interval inspections while idle, but it must be inspected before returning to the highway. Under California Vehicle Code § 34505.5, minimum items include brake adjustment, brake components and leaks, steering and suspension, tires and wheels, and coupling devices.

Identify the specific vehicle, date, items inspected and repairs completed, with verification by the carrier’s authorized representative. Until listed defects are repaired and certified, movement is limited to a repair location. A federal annual inspection or ordinary roadside inspection does not automatically substitute. CHP may count a CVSA Level I inspection conducted within 90 days before BIT toward its sample. The carrier must still complete its own required 90-day inspections.

Retain each record for its own period

Keep 90-day vehicle inspection records for two years. General systematic inspection, maintenance, lubrication and repair records are normally retained for one year. Retain driver vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs) for at least three months, and records of duty status (RODS) and hours-of-service supporting documents for six months. Filing them together does not make their retention periods the same.

Index by vehicle and connect a DVIR defect to the work order, completion date and record showing how the defect was resolved. Electronic records are acceptable if the legally required information can be retrieved and exported. The CHP 800D terminal manager compliance checklist can help identify internal gaps. It is not an exhaustive statement of law or a replacement for the notice.

Match driver files to the operation

Check Employer Pull Notice (EPN) enrollment. Before hiring a covered driver, obtain a DMV driving record issued less than 30 days earlier and have the employer review, sign and date it. Enroll the driver after hire, obtain and review a periodic report at least every 12 months and remove the driver promptly after departure. From April 1, 2026, participating employers must submit information, request and receive records and pay bills electronically. Check that the online account works.

Prepare driver proficiency records for the vehicle type and applicable RODS and ELD materials. For interstate or otherwise federally regulated operations, check driver qualification files under 49 CFR § 391.51, including application, motor vehicle record, road test or equivalent evidence, annual review and applicable medical qualification records. Use the California DMV EPN page for enrollment and account access.

Match the records to the vehicles before inspection day

Designate one CHP contact. Organize vehicle information, maintenance records, driver records and applicable hazardous materials or hazardous waste documentation. Name each file by vehicle or driver, date and record type. A summary helps locate an item, but make the original paper or electronic record available. Confirm the location, keys and dispatch arrangements for each vehicle requested on site.

Distinguish a filing gap from missing work. If a genuine work order exists, fix the index. If an inspection or repair has not been done, do the work and record it afterward. Explain inapplicable, off-site or temporarily unavailable records to CHP. Never fabricate, backdate, delete or rewrite history to fill a gap. Remove a vehicle from use and complete repairs if a defect may affect safety.

Follow the formal rating after the inspection

BIT examines regulated vehicles, the maintenance program, driver records and any applicable hazardous materials program. Serious problems in any category can affect the terminal rating. After an unsatisfactory rating, CHP generally reinspects within 120 days of issuance. Request a rating review within five business days after receiving the rating notice. CHP evaluates the request within 10 business days after receipt under the law. Check history through the CHP carrier inspection results lookup.

Reinspection and rating review are separate procedures. Repairing a vehicle does not settle the overall terminal rating. Effects on the Motor Carrier Permit (MCP) depend on the formal disposition. Use the notice, rating documents, current regulations and instructions from the CHP Motor Carrier Specialist handling the inspection.

Disclaimer. This article draws on the California Vehicle Code, Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, CHP, California DMV and FMCSA public materials accessible on August 18, 2026. It provides general compliance information, not individual legal, regulatory, licensing or employment advice. BIT scope, dates, sampling, format, ratings, corrective action, reinspection, review and MCP consequences vary with the notice, operations and agency policy. Use current law, the formal CHP notice, the inspector’s written instructions and current official records. CHP 800D and 800H are aids and do not replace law or inspection instructions. The author and publisher do not guarantee the inspection outcome and accept no liability for losses arising from actions taken on the basis of this article.

California Highway Patrol. “Commercial Vehicle Section.” n.d., https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/commercial-vehicle-section. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Highway Patrol. “Welcome to BIT, the Basic Inspection of Terminals Program (CHP 800H, Rev. 10-16).” 2016, https://www.chp.ca.gov/siteassets/forms/o-chp800h.pdf. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Highway Patrol. “Terminal Manager's Compliance Checklist (CHP 800D, Rev. 04-17).” 2017, https://www.chp.ca.gov/siteassets/files/chp800d-terminal-managers-compliance-checklist.pdf. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Legislature. “California Vehicle Code Section 34501.12: Basic Inspection of Terminals Program.” 2026, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?article=&chapter=&division=14.8.&lawCode=VEH&part=&title=. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Legislature. “California Vehicle Code Section 34505.5: 90-Day Inspections.” 2025, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=34505.5. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Legislature. “California Vehicle Code Section 34515: Maintenance Facility or Terminal.” n.d., https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=34515. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Legislature. “California Vehicle Code Section 1808.1: Employer Pull Notice.” n.d., https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=1808.1. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Office of Administrative Law. “California Code of Regulations.” n.d., https://oal.ca.gov/publications/ccr/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Highway Patrol. “Intrastate Electronic Logging Devices.” n.d., https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/commercial-vehicle-section/intrastate-electronic-logging-devices/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. “49 CFR Section 391.51: General Requirements for Driver Qualification Files.” updated 7 Aug. 2026, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-F/section-391.51. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Department of Motor Vehicles. “Motor Carrier Permit FAQs.” n.d., https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/motor-carrier-services-mcs/motor-carrier-permits/motor-carrier-permits-mcp-faqs/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Department of Motor Vehicles. “Employer Pull Notice Program.” updated 2026, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-industry-services/motor-carrier-services-mcs/employer-pull-notice-epn-program/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance Records.” n.d., https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/SafetyPlanner/MyFiles/SubSections.aspx?ch=22&eta=70166&sec=65&sub=147. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

California Highway Patrol. “Carrier Inspection Results Search.” n.d., https://carriersafety.chp.ca.gov/. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.