Statewide CDL Laws

Drivers who wish to drive trucks, passenger vehicles and other large “rigs” must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Every state has their own licensing procedures and endorsements that drivers must have for certain types of vehicles or hazardous materials. However, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 was established to develop federal standards for commercial drivers to improve interstate highway safety. Drivers are not required to have a federal license, but there are minimum standards that every state must meet in their own licensing procedures.

One of the main purposes of the law was to combat the problem of untrained drivers operating vehicles they could not safely handle. There are now federal guidelines that states must follow when testing drivers on their particular type of vehicle. Another result of the law was the establishment of a national database of licenses. Drivers are not allowed to have more than one license, which had previously led to bad drivers simply getting another license in a different state. Now they are entered into the database to prevent license duplication.

Drivers in all states must have a clean driving record to apply for a CDL. Federal law mandates that they pass a health check every two years through a physical exam. For drivers between the ages of 18 and 21, they may obtain a CDL depending upon the state; however, no driver under the age of 21 may drive between states (interstate).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is in charge of making sure that all commercial drivers are healthy enough to perform their job. Some drivers must carry a medical certificate from the U.S. Department of Transportation in the following circumstances:

1. The driver operates a vehicle with a weight of 10,001 pounds or more and drives interstate commerce

2. The driver operates a transport vehicle that carries 15 or more passengers, including the driver

3. The driver carries hazardous material that requires placards in the vehicle

4. The driver’s main job is to transport between 9 and 15 passengers for compensation more than 75 miles from their main depot, such as limo drivers.