You must obtain a Commercial Learner Permit (CLP) if this is your first CDL, if you are making a change that requires a skills test, or if your CDL privileges have been invalid for more than four years.
A Class C driver’s license is required, and you must certify what type of driving you will do and get a medical exam if required.
Entry level drivers must complete training from a provider listed in the Federal Provider Registry (link). After receiving a permit, a driving skills test may be scheduled after 14 days.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Part 383.31 requires all commercial drivers to notify their home state and employer of any traffic convictions received in another state. Please complete and return this form to the DMV within 30 days following conviction.
The federal Transportation Security Administration requires drivers who hold a Hazardous Materials Endorsement to surrender the endorsement if they commit a disqualifying offense (49 CFR 1572.5). See Hazmat Disqualifying Offenses.
According to federal regulation 49 CFR 383.51, upon receipt of a DUI conviction, a Commercial Driver License will be suspended for one full year (three full years if carrying hazardous materials) for a first offense and for life upon a second or subsequent offense.
A commercial license has two parts: a commercial side (CDL) and a non-commercial side (NCDL). When a driver’s NCDL is revoked or suspended, the CDL is also affected. If the driver is convicted of a first DUI offense by the court, the NCDL will be revoked for at least 185 days and the CDL privilege will be suspended for at least one year.
There may be a period of time when the license will be revoked between a DUI arrest and the conviction, if any. This period counts toward the NCDL revocation period of 185 days or longer. If the court convicts the driver of DUI, however, the commercial side of his license must be suspended for at least one full year. The suspension during the interim period does not count toward the full year. .
As of November 2024, drivers in a “prohibited” status in FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse will lose their state-issued commercial driving privileges. Learn more at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov.
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