Commercial Driver Licensing and Test Standards

Responding to this collection is mandatory. The entities that must respond are commercial driver’s license (CDL) drivers and State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs). The CDL driver discloses convictions and disqualifications, as well as discloses employment history to the employer. The CDL driver reports by completing a CDL application form, as well as a knowledge and skills test. The SDLA records medical examiner’s certification and self- certification of CMV operations. The SDLA verifies medical certification status and there is an annual State certification of compliance. The State participates in annual program reviews and does recordkeeping for knowledge and skills tests. The State certifies the knowledge and skills test examiner, as well as monitors and audits the examiner. State officials use the information collected on the license application form that is posted to the CDLIS driver record, the information collected on the CLP application form that is posted to the CDLIS driver record and the conviction and disqualification data posted to the CDLIS driver record to prevent ineligible, not-qualified and/or disqualified CLP and CDL holders and applicants from operating CMVs on the nation's highways. State officials are also required to administer knowledge and skills tests to CDL driver applicants. During State CDL compliance reviews, FMCSA officials review this information to ensure that the provisions of the regulations are being carried out. Without these requirements, there would be no uniform control over driver licensing practices to prevent uncertified and/or disqualified drivers from being issued a CLP or CDL and to prevent unsafe drivers from spreading their convictions among several licenses in several States and remaining behind the wheel of a CMV. Failure to collect this information would render the regulations unenforceable. FMCSA reviews information submitted by the States and conducts reviews, audits, and investigations of each State as it deems necessary to make compliance determinations for all States and the District of Columbia. This information helps FMCSA ensure that drivers, motor carriers, and the States are complying with the notification and recordkeeping requirements for information related to testing, licensing, violations, convictions, and disqualifications. If this information were not available, the FMCSA would have no means of independently verifying State compliance.

The latest form for Commercial Driver Licensing and Test Standards expires 2021-12-31 and can be found here.

IC-1.1 CDL Driver Activity - Driver Notification of Convictions/Disqualifications to Employer

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