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Qualification of drivers - California

RegSenseState InfoFleet SafetyDriver qualificationsDrivers qualification (DQ file)CaliforniaBest ResultsFocus AreaEnglishTransportation

Age

Any person employed as a driver for compensation in California must be at least 18 years old; 21 years old to haul hazardous materials or to be engaged in interstate commerce.

Operator’s license

The driver’s license classes are as follows:

ClassDescription
Class A (commercial)Any legal combination of vehicles, if any single vehicle being towed has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of more than 10,000 pounds.
Any vehicle towing more than one vehicle; with endorsement.
Any trailer bus; with endorsement.
The operation of all vehicles under Class B and Class C.
Class B (commercial)Any single vehicle with a GVWR or GVW of more than 26,000 pounds.
Any single vehicle with three or more axles or a GVWR or GVW of more than 26,000 pounds towing another vehicle with a GVWR or GVW of 10,000 pounds or less.
Any single vehicle with three or more axles, except any three-axle vehicle weighing less than 6,000 pounds.
A bus with a GVWR or GVW of more than 26,000 pounds except a trailer bus; with endorsement.
Any farm labor vehicle; with endorsement.
The operation of all vehicles covered under Class C.
Class C*Any two-axle vehicle with a GVWR or GVW of 26,000 pounds or less, including when the vehicle is towing a trailer or semitrailer with a GVWR or GVW of 10,000 pounds or less.
Any two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing a trailer coach not exceeding 9,000 pounds gross.
A bus with a GVWR or GVW of 26,000 pounds or less, except a trailer bus.
A house car of 40 feet in length or less.
A motorized scooter.
Any three-axle vehicle weighing 6,000 pounds gross or less.
A house car of 40 feet in length or less or a vehicle towing another vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less, including when a tow dolly is used. No vehicle shall tow another vehicle in violation of California Vehicle Code, Section 21715.
Any two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing either a trailer coach or a fifth-wheel travel trailer not exceeding 10,000 pounds GVWR, when the towing of the trailer is not for compensation.
Any two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing a fifth-wheel travel trailer exceeding 10,000 pounds, but not exceeding 15,000 pounds GVWR, when the towing of the trailer is not for compensation, and if the driver has passed a specialized written examination provided by the department relating to the knowledge of this code and other safety aspects governing the towing of recreational vehicles upon the highways.
Any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) or GVWR of 26,000 pounds or less, if all of the following conditions are met. The vehicle or combination:
  • is operated by a farmer, an employee of a farmer or an instructor credentialed in agriculture as part of an instructional program in agriculture at the high school, community college, or university level;
  • is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations;
  • is not used in the capacity of a for-hire carrier or for compensation.

Class C does not include any two-wheel motorcycle or any two-wheel motor-driven cycle.
*Note — A commercial driver’s license is not needed to operate a Class C vehicle unless the vehicle is used to transport hazardous materials which requires placards. The hazardous materials endorsement must be on the license. Drivers who transport hazardous wastes (as defined in California Vehicle Code, Sections 353 and 15278) are also required to have a hazardous materials endorsement.
Class M1Any two-wheel motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized scooter. Authority to operate vehicles included in a Class M1 license may be granted by endorsement on a Class A, B, or C license upon completion of an appropriate examination. Persons holding a Class M1 license or appropriate endorsement with a Class A, B or C license may operate vehicles included in Class M2 without further examination.
Class M2Any motorized bicycle, moped, any bicycle with an attached motor, or motorized scooter, except a motorized bicycle described in Sec. 406(b). Authority to operate vehicles included in Class M2 may be granted by endorsement on a Class A, B, or C license upon completion of an appropriate examination. Persons holding a Class M1 license or endorsement may operate Class M2 vehicles without further examination.

Endorsements

A driver is required to obtain an endorsement issued by the department to operate any commercial motor vehicle which is any of the following:

  1. A double trailer.
  2. A passenger transportation vehicle which includes, but is not limited to, a bus, farm labor vehicle, or general public paratransit vehicle when designed, used, or maintained to carry more than 10 persons including the driver.
  3. A tank vehicle.
  4. A vehicle carrying hazardous materials, as defined in Sec. 353, that is required to display placards or marking pursuant to Section 27903 unless the driver is exempt from the endorsement requirement per Sec. 15278(b). This paragraph does not apply to any person operating an implement of husbandry who is not required to obtain a driver’s license.
  5. School bus.

Driver qualification file

At this time California has not adopted Sec. 391.51 regarding driver qualification files.

Motor carriers must require each driver to demonstrate that the driver is capable of safely operating each different type of vehicle before driving such vehicle on a highway unsupervised. The motor carrier must maintain a record of the different types of vehicles and vehicle combinations each driver is capable of driving. An application for employment and a signed and dated DMV report must also be maintained.

Drug and alcohol testing

Interstate and intrastate motor carriers and drivers are required to comply with the alcohol and drug program requirements of Part 382. This law requires motor carriers to make alcohol and drug records available for inspection and allows the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to use return-to-duty and follow-up test results to monitor drivers who are motor carriers. The law also requires any drug or alcohol testing consortium, as defined in Sec. 382.107, to mail a copy of all drug and alcohol positive test result summaries to the CHP within three days of the test (only for those drivers employed by motor carriers who operate terminals in California). These requirements do not apply to firefighters operating any firefighting equipment.

Physical qualification

The minimum medical requirements for a Class A, B, or Commercial Class C license shall be the standards required of motor carriers in 49 CFR 391.41. A driver who holds a Class A, B, or Commercial Class C license must be issued a valid medical certificate approved by the state. A copy of the medical examination report from which the certificate was issued must be on file with the state.

If an intrastate driver does not meet the medical standards required, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue a certificate allowing the driver to continue to drive if prescribed criteria are met. The holder of such certificate may not operate vehicles requiring hazardous materials or passenger endorsements.

Pull notice program

A motor carrier must ensure that every driver employed by the carrier who drives a vehicle requiring a Class A, Class B driver’s license, or Class C with a hazardous materials endorsement, or who holds a special certificate, is enrolled in the DMV Pull Notice Program.

A casual driver is not required to be enrolled in the program if the employer has a current (less than 6 mo. old) public record as recorded by the Department of Motor Vehicles. A driver is defined as a casual driver when the employer has employed the driver less than 30 days in the preceding 6 months. A casual driver does not include any driver with a passenger transportation endorsement.

This program notifies participating employers when an employee’s driving record is posted with a conviction, accident, or DMV action. It identifies drivers who have a negligent operator status, have been convicted of Vehicle Code violations, or whose licenses have been suspended or revoked.

Motor carriers must review, sign, date, and maintain driver Pull Notice records.

Carriers not currently enrolled in the Pull Notice Program may contact DMV for information and an application at the following address: Department of Motor Vehicles, Information Services, P.O. Box 944231, Sacramento, California 94244-2310; Telephone: (916) 657-6346.

View agency contact information

['Driver qualifications']
['Drivers qualification (DQ file)']
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