Vehicle Safety Inspections (IV.A.7)

Volume IV: Facilities and Safety
Chapter A: Safety
Responsible Executive: Senior Vice President for Administrative Operations
Responsible Office: Grounds Department
Date Issued: April 1, 2013
Date Last Revised: September 15, 2026

Contacts
Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected
Exclusions
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
Website Address for This Policy
History and Updates
Appendix

Contacts

Policy Clarification

Risk Management
765-494-7695 | drivesafe@purdue.edu

Campus Specific Vehicle Inspection Questions

Fort Wayne: Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management
260-481-6158 | facilities@pfw.edu

Northwest: Assistant Vice Chancellor for Campus Planning, Infrastructure and Facilities
219-989-3120 | facilitymgmt@pnw.edu

West Lafayette: Fleet Services
765-494-2121 | transhop@purdue.edu

Statement of Policy

All University Vehicles must undergo and pass a vehicle safety inspection upon acquisition and Annual Safety Inspections thereafter for continued operation.

Initial purchase inspections, Annual Safety Inspections and associated repairs of University Vehicles must be completed by Qualified Service and Repair Staff. In the event there are no Qualified Service and Repair Staffs available on the campus or circumstances prevent the department from utilizing the staff, the department may request instructions and a standard vehicle inspection checklist for the purpose of obtaining the inspection and/or repairs from a Qualified Service and Repair Shop.

University Vehicles determined to be in unsafe operating condition may not be driven until repaired. The cost of repairs is charged to the department operating the University Vehicle. University Vehicles not passing Annual Safety Inspections for reasons that do not pose an immediate danger to the driver or other persons on public roads or streets are given a 30-day extension if repairs cannot be made at the time of inspection.

If a University Vehicle is 30 days overdue for the Annual Safety Inspection, the Designated Office will notify the appropriate director, department head or dean to remedy the oversight. If the vehicle still has not passed the Annual Safety Inspection after 90 days, it will be deemed unsafe and may not be driven.

Reason for This Policy

The University’s primary concern is to maintain all University Vehicles in safe operating condition. Doing so promotes the safety of vehicle operators and the general public and reduces the risk of a University Vehicle causing or contributing to an accident or increasing the severity of an accident due to the condition of the vehicle.

Individuals and Entities Affected

This policy covers all colleges, schools, departments, centers, units and Recognized Student Organizations of Purdue University that own and operate University Vehicles.

Exclusions

There are no exclusions to this policy.

Responsibilities

Senior Vice President for Administrative Operations and Vice Chancellors over Facilities

Ensure policy compliance.

Risk Management

Oversee the University’s vehicle safety program.

Designated Offices

Maintain campus inspection program guidelines.
Notify departments at least 45 days in advance of the inspection expiration date.
Keep record of all Annual Safety Inspections for their campuses/locations according to data retention guidelines.

Qualified Service and Repair Staff

Perform inspection upon purchase of a University Vehicle and Annual Safety Inspections thereafter.

Deans, Directors and Department Heads/Chairs

Designate staff responsible for University Vehicles licensed to the departments.
Ensure compliance with periodic and Annual Safety Inspections.
Prevent the operation of unsafe University Vehicles.

Staff Responsible for University Vehicles

Schedule University Vehicle Annual Safety Inspections and initiate a request for the repair of any unsafe systems, subsystems or components having substantial relation to safe vehicle performance.

Drivers

Inspect University Vehicles prior to use for obvious safety concerns, report defects to the appropriate authority and do not drive any University Vehicle with deficiencies that make it unsafe to operate (refer to the policy on Use of Vehicles for University Business (IV.A.1)).

Definitions

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Refer to the central Policy Glossary for additional defined terms.

Annual Safety Inspection
A procedure in which a vehicle is examined to ensure it conforms to convention governing safety. Annual Safety Inspection includes systems, subsystems and components having substantial relation to safe vehicle performance. The inspection procedures equal or exceed criteria issued or endorsed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Designated Offices
Departments on each campus with responsibility over Annual Safety Inspections:

Fort Wayne Campus: Facilities Management
Northwest Campus: Facilities
West Lafayette Campus: Grounds Department

Qualified Service and Repair Shop
A facility whose employees are qualified in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations (specifically Title 49 CFR Part 396) to perform periodic inspections of motor vehicles.

Qualified Service and Repair Staff
Employees of the University who understand the inspection criteria set forth in the Purdue University Vehicle Safety Inspection Form (PDF) and can identify defective components. These employees are knowledgeable of and have mastered the methods, procedures, tools and equipment used when performing an inspection and are capable of performing an inspection by reason of experience, training or both as follows:

Successfully completed a state or federal sponsored training program or have a certificate from a state which qualifies them to perform commercial motor vehicle safety inspections, or
Have a combination of training and/or experience totaling at least two years consisting of experience as a mechanic or inspector in a motor carrier maintenance program or experience as a mechanic or inspector in truck maintenance at a commercial garage, fleet leasing company or similar facility. (Source: U.S. Department of Transportation Regulations)

University Vehicle
Any vehicle owned or leased by Purdue University that is licensed for use on public roadways. For purposes of this policy, trailers and other mobile equipment that are licensed for public roadways are included.

Vehicle Inspection Forms: Available on the Grounds Department website under Fleet Maintenance Services.

Policies:

Website Address for This Policy

www.purdue.edu/vpec/policies/facilities-safety/iva7

History and Updates

September 15, 2026: Updated titles and contacts. Incorporated language formerly under procedures into the policy.

April 1, 2013: This policy supersedes Business Office Memorandum No. 169, University Vehicle Inspections.

Until March 1980, Indiana State law required that University-owned Vehicles be inspected annually. The inspection was done to assure a high degree of safety in operating vehicles. When the state law was revoked, the University issued Vice President for Business Services and Assistant Treasurer Memorandum (Business Office Memorandum) No. 169, University Vehicle Inspections, dated February 6, 1981.

Appendix

There are no appendices to this policy.