['Driver qualifications']
['Drivers qualification (DQ file)']
03/12/2025
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Federal regulations
Minnesota has adopted Part 391 of the Federal Regulations with the exception of Secs. 391.2, 391,11(b)(1), 391.47, 391.49, 391.62, 391.64, 391.67, 391.68, and 391.69.
Applicability
Part 391 applies to motor vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight, gross vehicle weight rating, gross combination weight, or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, or hauling hazardous materials required to be placarded.
Exception — Part 391 does not apply to an individual operating a pipeline welding truck. A pipeline welding truck is defined as a motor vehicle that is traveling in the state in which the vehicle is registered or another state, is owned by a welder, is a pick-up style truck, is equipped with a welding rig that is used in the construction or maintenance of pipelines, and has a gross vehicle weight and combination weight rating and weight of 15,000 pounds or less.
Agricultural Exception — The rules for driver qualification do not apply to vehicles controlled by a farmer and operated by a farmer or farm employee to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, or supplies to or from a farm if the vehicle is not used in the operations of a motor carrier and not carrying hazardous materials of a type or quantity that requires the vehicle to be marked or placarded in accordance with Minnesota Statute Section 221.033.
Age
Interstate drivers must be 21; intrastate drivers, 18. Drivers must be 21 to transport hazardous materials, hazardous substances, or hazardous wastes that require placarding.
Driver qualification file
A driver qualification file (Sec. 391.51) is required. There are exceptions to the physical qualification requirement. See Physical Qualification below for details.
Operator’s license
The State of Minnesota uses a classified system of driver licensing based on the types of vehicles to be operated, as follows:
| Class | Description |
|---|---|
| Class A | Any vehicle or combination of vehicles. |
| Class B | All single-unit vehicles including, with a passenger endorsement, buses, with a passenger and school bus endorsements, school buses, and all vehicles in Class C and Class D. May only tow vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less. |
| Class C | Valid for operating Class D vehicles; with a hazardous materials endorsement, for transporting hazardous materials in Class D vehicles; with a passenger endorsement, operating buses; and with a passenger and school bus endorsement, operating school buses. |
| Class D | (1) All farm trucks controlled and operated by a farmer including operation by an immediate family member or employee of the farmer within 150 miles of the farm. The farm trucks must be used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies including hazardous materials to or from a farm and may not be used in the operations of a common or contract motor carrier per 49 CFR Part 365. |
| (2) Operating an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Minnesota Statutes sec. 169.01, subdivision 5, whether or not in excess of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. | |
| (3) Recreational vehicle as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 168.011, subdivision 25, that is operated for personal use. | |
| (4) All single unit vehicles, except vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 or more pounds, vehicles designed to carry more than 15 passengers including the driver, and vehicles that carry hazardous materials. | |
| (5) A type A school bus without a school bus endorsement if the bus has a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less and is designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver. | |
| (6) Towing vehicles if the towed vehicles have a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less or the towed vehicles have a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds and the combination of vehicles has a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less. | |
| Endorsements | |
| P | Passenger Vehicles |
| H | Hazardous Material |
| N | Tanker Vehicles |
| X | Hazardous Materials and Tanker |
| T | Doubles and Triples |
| S | School Bus |
| M | Motorcycle |
Physical qualification
Under certain conditions, the Minnesota Department of Transportation may grant a waiver to an intrastate driver who is not otherwise physically qualified to drive under the requirements of Sec. 391.41(b)(1) through Sec. 391.41(b)(13).
Exception — The operator of a “covered farm vehicle” as defined in Sec. 390.5 is exempt from the physical qualification requirements in Secs. 391.41-391.45. This exception does not apply if transporting a placardable amount of hazardous materials.
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