§ 383.23 Commercial driver's license.
Wording first on file in the 1996 annual edition, superseded by the 2002 annual edition.
(a) General rule. (1) Effective April 1, 1992, no person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle unless such person has taken and passed written and driving tests which meet the Federal standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part for the commercial motor vehicle that person operates or expects to operate.
(2) Effective April 1, 1992, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle unless such person possesses a CDL which meets the standards contained in subpart J of this part, issued by his/her State or jurisdiction of domicile.
(b) Exception. If a commercial motor vehicle operator is domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction which, as determined by the Administrator, does not test drivers and issue a CDL in accordance with, or similar to, the standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part, the person shall obtain a Nonresident CDL from a State which does comply with the testing and licensing standards contained in such subparts F, G, and H. 1
1 Effective December 29, 1988, the Administrator determined that commercial drivers’ licensees issued by Canadian Provinces and Territories in conformity with the Canadian National Safety Code are in accordance with the standards of this part. Effective November 21, 1991, the Administrator determined that the new Licencias Federales de Conductor issued by the United Mexican States are in accordance with the standards of this part. Therefore, under the single license provision of § 383.21, a driver holding a commercial driver's license issued under the Canadian National Safety Code or a new Licencia Federal de Conductor issued by Mexico is prohibited from obtaining nonresident CDL, or any other type of driver's license, from a State or other jurisdiction in the United States.
(c) Learner's permit. State learner's permits, issued for limited time periods according to State requirements, shall be considered valid commercial drivers’ licenses for purposes of behind-the-wheel training on public roads or highways, if the following minimum conditions are met:
(1) The learner's permit holder is at all time accompanied by the holder of a valid CDL; and
(2) He/she either holds a valid automobile driver's license, or has passed such vision, sign/symbol, and knowledge tests as the State issuing the learner's permit ordinarily administers to applicants for automobile drivers’ licenses.
[53 FR 27649, July 21, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 22285, May 23, 1989; 57 FR 31457, July 16, 1992]
Amendment history
8 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996- [76 FR 26878, May 9, 2011, as amended at 83 FR 22875, May 17, 2018; 83 FR 48975, Sept. 28, 2018]
- [76 FR 26878, May 9, 2011, as amended at 83 FR 22875, May 17, 2018]
- [76 FR 26878, May 9, 2011, as amended at 83 FR 22875, May 17, 2018]
- [76 FR 26878, May 9, 2011]
- [76 FR 26878, May 9, 2011]
- [53 FR 27649, July 21, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 22285, May 23, 1989; 57 FR 31457, July 16, 1992; 67 FR 49756, July 31, 2002; 68 FR 23849, May 5, 2003]
- [53 FR 27649, July 21, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 22285, May 23, 1989; 57 FR 31457, July 16, 1992; 67 FR 49756, July 31, 2002]
- [53 FR 27649, July 21, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 22285, May 23, 1989; 57 FR 31457, July 16, 1992]
A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section.