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TruckingWikiRegulatory reference · Est. 2026
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50 jurisdictions verified
Front page›Licensing and CDL
TW-CDL
FEDERAL RULE · 49 CFR PART 383

Licensing and CDL

Section 04✓ Sources verified49 CFR § 391.11(b)(1)TW-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

RuleRequirementAuthority
RequirementEvery driver of a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, whether or not the vehicle requires a CDL. The driver must be at least 21. A state may license a driver below 21 for INTRASTATE work only, and such a licence carries a restriction to that effect — so an 18-year-old with a valid CDL may still not cross a state line.§ 391.11(b)(1)
Exemptions existYesA farm vehicle driver as defined in § 390.5 who is 18 or older and drives an articulated CMV is exempt from § 391.11(b)(1).§ 391.67
ExemptionsTwo limited exemptions remove the 21-year rule: farm vehicle drivers aged 18 or over operating articulated CMVs (49 CFR § 391.67), and private motor carriers of passengers on a nonbusiness basis (49 CFR § 391.68). Separately — and this is the route that matters commercially — the FMCSA Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot, established under § 23022 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allows approved 18, 19 and 20 year olds to run interstate. Apprentices must already hold an intrastate CDL, and during the probationary periods may drive interstate only with a qualified experienced driver in the passenger seat.§ 391.68

2 Sources

  1. 49 CFR § 391.11 — General qualifications of drivers — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (via GPO govinfo)
  2. 49 CFR § 391.67 — Farm vehicle drivers of articulated commercial motor vehicles — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (via GPO govinfo)
  3. 49 CFR § 391.68 — Private motor carrier of passengers (nonbusiness) — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (via GPO govinfo)
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