diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/crash-cart.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/crash-cart.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a3ddbd221
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/crash-cart.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import { Command } from "commander";
+
+// `rig crash-cart --json` — the daemon-DOWN recovery verdict emit (plan c015d9ed §C3, coupling ruling
+// option A). Prints ONE JSON = the 3-state detector verdict + (on DOWN) the discovery — READ-ONLY, a
+// public agent-readable surface (the 4 rails). A fail-closed refusal still prints STRUCTURED JSON
+// (never exit-code-only). The `emit` is injected: the real wiring imports emitCrashCartState from the
+// scoped @openrig/daemon/crash-cart subpath (reuse VERBATIM) — set up alongside this command.
+//
+// NOTE: this CLI-local CrashCartEmit is the documented parse/print contract; it matches the daemon's
+// emit shape (the JSON contract). When the subpath export lands, the real emit is wired as the default.
+
+export type DaemonState = "up" | "down" | "unverified";
+
+export interface CrashCartEmit {
+  state: DaemonState;
+  evidence?: { pidState: string; probeResult: string; failedSignal: string };
+  discovery?: unknown;
+  refusal?: string;
+}
+
+export interface CrashCartCommandDeps {
+  /** Produce the verdict (the real wiring: emitCrashCartState with live probes + the C2 read). */
+  emit: () => Promise<CrashCartEmit>;
+  /** Emit one line (default: stdout). */
+  write: (line: string) => void;
+}
+
+export function crashCartCommand(deps?: Partial<CrashCartCommandDeps>): Command {
+  const cmd = new Command("crash-cart").description(
+    "Emit the daemon-down recovery verdict + discovery as JSON (read-only).",
+  );
+  cmd.option("--json", "emit JSON (the default machine-readable form)");
+  cmd.action(async () => {
+    const emit =
+      deps?.emit ??
+      (() => {
+        throw new Error("crash-cart: real emit wiring pending the @openrig/daemon/crash-cart subpath export");
+      });
+    const write = deps?.write ?? ((line: string) => process.stdout.write(line + "\n"));
+    const result = await emit();
+    // Rail 3: the JSON is the truth (verdict + discovery, or a structured refusal). Always printed.
+    write(JSON.stringify(result));
+    // A non-zero exit is a HINT only (not-cleanly-up); the JSON remains the contract.
+    process.exitCode = result.state === "up" ? 0 : 1;
+  });
+  return cmd;
+}
diff --git a/packages/cli/test/crash-cart-command.test.ts b/packages/cli/test/crash-cart-command.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..103e0acaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/test/crash-cart-command.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from "vitest";
+import { crashCartCommand, type CrashCartEmit } from "../src/commands/crash-cart.js";
+
+// Crash-cart C3 unit-B — the `rig crash-cart --json` verb (coupling ruling C, 4 rails). It prints ONE
+// JSON = emitCrashCartState's verdict (read-only). A fail-closed refusal still prints STRUCTURED JSON
+// (never exit-code-only). emit + write are injected → the action is deterministic; the real-dep
+// assembly is glue proven by the real daemon-down run.
+
+function run(emit: () => Promise<CrashCartEmit>) {
+  const write = vi.fn();
+  const cmd = crashCartCommand({ emit, write });
+  return { write, done: cmd.parseAsync(["--json"], { from: "user" }) };
+}
+
+describe("crashCartCommand — prints the emit verdict as ONE JSON", () => {
+  it("UP → JSON {state:'up'}", async () => {
+    const { write, done } = run(async () => ({ state: "up" }));
+    await done;
+    expect(JSON.parse(write.mock.calls[0][0])).toEqual({ state: "up" });
+  });
+
+  it("DOWN → JSON with the discovery", async () => {
+    const emit: CrashCartEmit = { state: "down", discovery: { header: { lastActivityAt: null, lastBootAt: null, firstBootAt: null, hostId: null, stopReason: null, priorUptimeMs: null }, foundOnHost: [], whereWorkStopped: [] } };
+    const { write, done } = run(async () => emit);
+    await done;
+    expect(JSON.parse(write.mock.calls[0][0])).toEqual(emit);
+  });
+
+  it("DOWN + refusal → STRUCTURED JSON (refusal note, no discovery); still printed, not exit-code-only", async () => {
+    const { write, done } = run(async () => ({ state: "down", refusal: "a daemon answered /healthz — refusing" }));
+    await done;
+    const out = JSON.parse(write.mock.calls[0][0]);
+    expect(out.state).toBe("down");
+    expect(out.refusal).toContain("refusing");
+    expect(out.discovery).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(write).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("UNVERIFIED → JSON with the evidence", async () => {
+    const { write, done } = run(async () => ({ state: "unverified", evidence: { pidState: "alive", probeResult: "timeout", failedSignal: "healthz timed out" } }));
+    await done;
+    expect(JSON.parse(write.mock.calls[0][0]).evidence.probeResult).toBe("timeout");
+  });
+});