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Regulators to ease rules for CDL knowledge testing

Photo credit: Jim Allen/FreightWaves

A month after proposing to lift barriers to skills testing, federal regulators want to continue to lighten the load for would-be truck drivers by making it easier to take knowledge tests on the path to receiving a commercial drivers’ license (CDL).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will soon propose allowing CDL applicants to take general and specialized knowledge tests in a state other than the applicant’s state of residence.

Current regulations require that states issue CDLs only to those operating, or planning to operate, a commercial truck who reside in that state. Congress enacted this so-called “domicile requirement,” also referred to as the “one driver/one license/one record” principle, to prevent drivers from masking traffic violations or other offenses in one state by applying for and receiving a new CDL in another state.

While the proposed rule would not be a requirement, those states that do elect to offer knowledge tests to out-of-state drivers would transmit the results to the state where the applicant actually lives, and the applicant’s state of residence would be required to accept the results.


“Reducing burdens and expenses on CDL applicants has the potential to increase the number of available drivers,” said FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez in announcing the proposal today (July 24). “With the American economy continuing to grow at a record pace, the need for more commercial drivers is critical. This proposal offers common-sense regulatory changes that will help CDL applicants, without compromising safety.”

According to the proposal, travel time and associated costs for applicants would be reduced for those who choose to receive certain driver training outside the state in which they live but would otherwise have to return to their domicile state for their knowledge testing and the issuance of their commercial learner’s permit (CLP) or CDL.

“To the extent that reducing travel costs associated with out-of-state training increases the number of applicants or applicant access to high-quality training programs, there could be positive impacts on driver safety,” the agency stated, acknowledging it has no data to verify that.

FMCSA said it anticipates the proposal would require states to modify their current CLP and CDL upgrade issuance processes to some extent. For example, the state of domicile would need to establish a process to deliver the physical CLP or CDL to the driver applicant in another state. “It would be up to the state of domicile to determine method(s) of delivery that would allow the applicant to receive the CLP or upgraded CDL,” the agency stated.


The agency said all required knowledge testing is included in the proposal to avoid situations where a driver applicant may take the general knowledge test out of state but have to return to their residential state to take a specialized knowledge test for one or more endorsements.

The recent government proposals attempting to make it easier to obtain a CDL follow from a rule finalized last year allowing states discretion to waive the CLP knowledge skills tests for members of the military.

24 Comments

  1. Kaiku

    If they offer the classes free that’s fine. Also they need to have the same rules. It’s all about trucking. Else someone has seen an opportunity to exploit truckers. I can’t pay all that money for cdl thensomeone to come en tell me I need to pay again that’s crazy. The other day it was about liability insurance. Owner operators what are we supposed to do?

  2. Lady Trucker

    I have a legit situation like this, I live in California, but I got my license from AIT which is now (Roadmaster) in Nevada. I have tried to get my license switched over to California, but the cost of every test is just too much and I passed everything first shot out. I’m a single income household while my husband is in the process of being a police officer. So does this new proposal mean I can change from Nevada to California and not have to deal with the costs??

    1. Just A Number

      In you’re situation, run that Nevada license up till a month before it expires, then turn it in and renew it in California.
      As long as you’re license is clean, you shouldn’t have to retest anything other Hazmat, that’s if you carry the Hazmat endorsement.
      All those DMV’s care about is getting your $$$.
      All this CDL program has been nothing more than another way for government to rip off truckers.
      In the beginning as I grandfathered into a CDL from a Chauffeur:s license, at the bottom of that test book it read “Only the Best will drive from now on”
      Boy, the jokes on us!

  3. Reduce State Monopolies

    Maybe this will be a tool to keep states competitively honest. I recently moved to Hawaii from the Mainland where I routinely drove throughout about half the States with an unblemished driving record.
    As CDL A driver of 20 years with most endorsements (except passengers) as well as Hazmat certified, I was stunned when the State of Hawaii finds a way to reject almost all passenger endorsement “Road Tests”. Quite a monopoly for those passenger bus drivers – unfairness needs to be addressed.

  4. Al

    Sounds like something the ATA is backing. Go to the mega carrier training class in the company’s State then get right in a truck. “We don’t want to waste time and money sending you home for your testing”

  5. Robert H.

    I’m a driver that just passed a driver testing in another state and is now returning to my home state to retain my hard copy class A license… just passed in a driver’s school.

  6. David Baker

    So, the same orginazaton that wants hair drug test and a 300 thousand driver purge now wants to make it easier. We dont need the crap states giving out anymore licenses. You know, the ones that dont mind if you cant read the signs.

  7. Chelsea L Figueroa

    I am currently in school and most of the students dont even have a clue of the english language, from what i have witnessed CDL license is being purchased!!

  8. Kris Carter

    This is not right ! I currently know haw people without any knowledge and no english can get easy CDL in some states like Florida, and this is so wrong. These drivers are dangerous and this practice should stop and make it harder on the test no easier. There is no shortage of truck drivers . Right now company and owner operations closing business because of no loads, no business. And you saying need more drivers? No sense! Thank you! These are my 2 cents

Comments are closed.

John Gallagher

Based in Washington, D.C., John specializes in regulation and legislation affecting all sectors of freight transportation. He has covered rail, trucking and maritime issues since 1993 for a variety of publications based in the U.S. and the U.K. John began business reporting in 1993 at Broadcasting & Cable Magazine. He graduated from Florida State University majoring in English and business.