A commercial driver's license (CDL) is a driver's license required in the United States to operate large and heavy vehicles (including trucks, buses, and trailers) or a vehicle of any size that transports hazardous materials or more than 15 passengers (including the driver).
United States
In the United States, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 established minimum requirements that must be met when a state issues a CDL. While recreational vehicles and farm vehicles are exempt from requiring a CDL, federal law allows states to require a CDL for these vehicles. However, such vehicles are federally exempt from having to obtain a CDL. The following types of CDL licenses are:
Class A – Any combination of vehicles that has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds (11,794 kilograms) or more inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms). Class B – Any single vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds (11,794 kilograms) or more, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight that does not exceed 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms). Class C – Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172 or is transporting any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73.
Age requirements
The minimum age for a CDL is determined by state governments. All states, as well as the District of Columbia, have made 18 the minimum age for a CDL to be issued with the exception of Hawaii where the minimum age is 21.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires drivers to be 21 years or over to drive a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce (to move goods across state lines) and transport hazardous materials when placards are required. The FMCSA allows states to issue a CDL to drivers under 21 providing they only drive a commercial vehicle within the state where the CDL was issued, i.e. intrastate commerce. Additional age restrictions vary by state law. For example, New Jersey requires drivers to be at least 21 years of age for a passenger endorsement.
On 15 November 2021, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to lower the minimum age for a CDL Class A from 21 to 18. Previously, New York State only allowed 18 to 20-year-olds to apply for a CDL Class B or C, but not for a CDL Class A until they turn 21.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law on 15 November 2021 by President Joe Biden established the "safe driver apprenticeship pilot program" that would allow qualified 18 to 20-year-olds with a CDL to operate in interstate commerce after successful completion of supervised training with an older and experienced driver. This program aims to help alleviate the national truck driver shortage by removing the barrier for 18, 19, and 20-year-olds to become professional bus and truck drivers by exempting them from the age requirement for interstate commerce provided they meet all other requirements as drivers age 21 and over.
Regulation changes
Before 1992, driving commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), which are primarily tractor-trailers (or Longer Combination Vehicles (LCVs)), required advanced skills and knowledge above and beyond those required to drive a car or other lightweight vehicle. Before the implementation of the commercial driver's license (CDL) in 1992, licensing requirements for driving larger vehicles and buses varied from state to state.
This lack of training resulted in a large number of preventable traffic deaths and accidents.
In 1992, when the Act became law, all drivers were required to have a CDL in order to drive a Commercial Motor Vehicle. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed testing standards for licensing drivers. U.S. states are able to issue CDLs only after a written and practical test have been given by the State or approved testing facility. A driver needs a CDL if the vehicle meets one of the definitions of a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) listed above.