Class A CDL: What It Covers vs Class B and C

“Pursuant to Federal standards, States issue CDLs and CLPs to drivers according to the following license classifications:”

“Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle is a—”

“Gross combination weight rating (GCWR) is the greater of:”

• “(1) A value specified by the manufacturer of the power unit, if such value is displayed on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) certification label required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or”
• “(2) The sum of the gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) or the gross vehicle weights (GVWs) of the power unit and the towed unit(s), or any combination thereof, that produces the highest value. Exception: The GCWR of the power unit will not be used to define a commercial motor vehicle when the power unit is not towing another vehicle.”

“Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle.”

“Hazardous materials means any 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 any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR part 73.”

“(c) Relation between vehicle groups. Each driver applicant who desires to operate in a different commercial motor vehicle group from the one which his/her CDL authorizes shall be required to retake and pass all related tests, except the following:”

• “(1) A driver who has passed the knowledge and skills tests for a combination vehicle (Group A) may operate a heavy straight vehicle (Group B) or a small vehicle (Group C), provided that he/she possesses the requisite endorsement(s); and”
• “(2) A driver who has passed the knowledge and skills tests for a heavy straight vehicle (Group B) may operate any small vehicle (Group C), provided that he/she possesses the requisite endorsement(s).”

“(1) In addition to passing the knowledge and skills tests described in subpart G of this part, all persons who operate or expect to operate the type(s) of motor vehicles described in paragraph (b) of this section must pass specialized tests to obtain each endorsement. The State shall issue CDL endorsements only to drivers who successfully complete the tests.”

“(b) Endorsement descriptions. An operator must obtain State-issued endorsements to his/her CDL to operate commercial motor vehicles which are:”

• “(1) Double/triple trailers;”
• “(2) Passenger vehicles;”
• “(3) Tank vehicles;”
• “(4) Used to transport hazardous materials as defined in § 383.5; or”
• “(5) School buses.”

“(2) The only endorsements allowed on a CLP are the following:”

• “(i) Passenger (P);”
• “(ii) School bus (S); and”
• “(iii) Tank vehicle (N).”

“(a) Commercial Learner's Permit. Prior to obtaining a CLP, a person must meet the following requirements:”

• “(1) The person must be 18 years of age or older and provide proof of his/her age.”
• […]

“(a) A CLP is considered a valid CDL for purposes of behind-the-wheel training on public roads or highways, if all of the following minimum conditions are met:”

• […]
• “(4) The CLP holder must be 18 years of age or older.”
• […]

“(b) Except as provided in subpart G of this part, a person is qualified to drive a motor vehicle if he/she—”

• “(1) Is at least 21 years old;”
• […]

“(1) Initial Commercial Driver's License applications submitted on or after January 30, 2012. Any person applying for a CDL on or after January 30, 2012, must meet the requirements set forth in paragraphs (b)(2) through (10), and (h) of this section, and make one of the following applicable certifications in paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section:”

• “(i) Non-excepted interstate. A person must certify that he/she operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, is both subject to and meets the qualification requirements under 49 CFR part 391, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by § 391.45 of this chapter;”
• “(ii) Excepted interstate. A person must certify that he/she operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted under 49 CFR 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3 from all or parts of the qualification requirements of 49 CFR part 391, and is therefore not required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by 49 CFR 391.45 of this chapter;”
• “(iii) Non-excepted intrastate. A person must certify that he/she operates only in intrastate commerce and therefore is subject to State driver qualification requirements; or”
• “(iv) Excepted intrastate. A person must certify that he/she operates in intrastate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted from all or parts of the State driver qualification requirements.”

“[…] applies only to those individuals who apply for a commercial driver's license (CDL) or a CDL upgrade or endorsement and does not otherwise amend substantive CDL requirements in part 383 of this chapter.”

• “(a) An individual who applies, for the first time, for a Class A or Class B CDL, or who upgrades to a Class A or B CDL, must complete driver training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry (TPR), as set forth in subpart G.”
• “(b) An individual seeking to obtain a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time, must complete the training related to that endorsement from a training provider listed on the TPR, as set forth in subpart G.”

“FMCSA’s Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations set the baseline for training requirements for entry-level drivers. This applies to those seeking to:”

• “Obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;”
• “Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL; or”
• “Obtain a school bus (S), passenger (P), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time.”

“(a) The rules in this subpart apply to all entry-level drivers, as defined in this subpart, who intend to drive CMVs as defined in § 383.5 of this chapter in interstate and/or intrastate commerce, except:”

• “(1) Drivers excepted from the CDL requirements under § 383.3(c), (d), and (h) of this chapter;”
• “(2) Drivers applying for a restricted CDL under § 383.3(e) through (g) of this chapter;”
• “(3) Military personnel with military CMV experience who meet all the requirements and conditions of § 383.77 of this chapter; and”
• “(4) Drivers applying for a removal of a restriction in accordance with § 383.135(b)(7).”

“Entry-level driver means an individual who must complete the CDL skills test requirements under § 383.71 of this subchapter prior to receiving a CDL for the first time, upgrading to a Class A or Class B CDL, or obtaining a hazardous materials, passenger, or school bus endorsement for the first time. This definition does not include individuals for whom States waive the CDL skills test under § 383.77 or individuals seeking to remove a restriction in accordance with § 383.135(b)(7) of this subchapter.”

• “(b) Drivers issued a Class A CDL, Class B CDL, or a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement before February 7, 2022, are not required to comply with this subpart pertaining to that CDL or endorsement.”
• “(c)(1) Individuals who obtain a CLP before February 7, 2022, are not required to comply with this subpart if they obtain a CDL before the CLP or renewed CLP expires.”
• “(2) Individuals who obtain a CLP on or after February 7, 2022, are required to comply with this subpart.”
• “(3) Except for individuals seeking the H endorsement, individuals must complete the theory and BTW (range and public road) portions of entry-level driver training within one year of completing the first portion.”

• “The ELDT regulations are not retroactive; individuals who were issued a CDL or an S, P, or H endorsement prior to February 7, 2022 are not required to complete training for the respective CDL or endorsement.”
• “If an applicant who obtained a CLP prior to February 7, 2022, and obtains a CDL before the CLP or renewed CLP expires, the applicant is not subject to the ELDT requirements.”
• “Any individual who meets one of the exceptions for taking a skills test in 49 CFR Part 383 is also exempt from the ELDT requirements.”

“Entry-level driver training means training an entry-level driver receives from an entity listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry prior to:”

• “(1) Taking the CDL skills test required to receive the Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;”
• “(2) Taking the CDL skills test required to upgrade to a Class A or Class B CDL; or”
• “(3) Taking the CDL skills test required to obtain a passenger and/or school bus endorsement for the first time or the CDL knowledge test required to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement for the first time.”

“The ELDT regulations establish a Federal standard for training CDL applicants. Applicants must successfully complete this training with a registered training provider before they will be permitted to take the CDL skills test or, in the case of the H endorsement, the knowledge test.”

“Training provider means an entity that is listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, as required by subpart G of this part. Training providers include, but are not limited to, training schools, educational institutions, rural electric cooperatives, motor carriers, State/local governments, school districts, joint labor management programs, owner-operators, and individuals.”

“(b) When a provider meets the requirements of §§ 380.703 and 380.707, FMCSA will issue the provider a unique TPR number and, as applicable, add the provider's name and/or contact information to the TPR website.”

“(d) The issuance of a CLP is a precondition to the initial issuance of a CDL. The issuance of a CLP is also a precondition to the upgrade of a CDL if the upgrade requires a skills test.”

“(e) The CLP holder is not eligible to take the CDL skills test in the first 14 days after initial issuance of the CLP.”

• “Drivers applying for a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time who are issued a CLP on or after February 7, 2022 must complete entry-level driver training with a registered training provider prior to testing. Some States may have additional requirements above and beyond the Federal training requirements.”
• “Note: There is no Federal requirement for drivers to complete their entry-level driver theory training before applying for a CLP.”

“FMCSA does not issue Commercial Driver's Licenses (CDLs). State governments are responsible for issuing CDLs.”

“States may have a more restrictive category for a class of license, or have additional codes for endorsements or restrictions on CDLs that are not mentioned in the Federal regulations, as long as these items are fully explained on the license document.”

“Any summary, description, or paraphrase of a regulatory requirement on this site is intended to provide general guidance only. Please consult the text of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations for a full account of the applicable requirements.”