FEDERAL RULE · 49 CFR PART 383
Licensing and CDL
Section 04✓ Sources verified49 CFR § 383.51TW-CDL
A commercial driver may hold only one licence, and the disqualification periods that attach to it are federal. States administer the licence but may not go below the federal floor — they may only be stricter.
1 Key rules
| Rule | Requirement | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | A first major offence — alcohol or controlled-substance influence, 0.04+ BAC in a CMV, test refusal, leaving the scene, using the vehicle in a felony, driving while disqualified, or causing a fatality by negligent operation — draws 1 year, or 3 years if the driver was operating a CMV carrying placarded hazardous materials. | § 383.51(b), Table 1 |
| Exemptions exist | Yes | § 383.51(a)(6) |
| Exemptions | A second major offence in a separate incident draws life. A state may reinstate after 10 years following an approved rehabilitation programme, but that relief is permissive rather than required, and is unavailable after a further disqualifying conviction. Felony manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance, and severe forms of human trafficking, draw life with no 10-year reinstatement at all. | § 383.51(a)(6); Table 1 items (9)–(10) |
2 Sources
- 49 CFR § 383.51 — Disqualification of drivers — U.S. Government Publishing Office
Review record
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