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Regulatory Guidance

Welcome to the FMCSA Guidance Portal. This web portal is a searchable, indexed database that contains and links to all guidance documents in effect from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The guidance documents lack the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract.

To comment on any guidance document, or to request issuance, reconsideration, modification, or rescission of any guidance document, please identify the guidance document in your request and send it to: FMCSAguidance@dot.gov. NOTE: The FMCSAguidance mailbox is not intended to serve as a mailbox for general inquiries. For inquiries that go beyond the limited purpose of the FMCSAguidance mailbox, please call FMCSA's Information Line (800-832-5660) or visit FMCSA's "Contact Us" page to send your inquiry to the appropriate mailbox.

Subject Agency Identifier Topic Issued Date
May a foreign driver with an employment authorization document obtain a CDL to operate a CMV in the United States? FMCSA-CDL-383.23-Q1-RESCINDED(2026-03-16) Commercial Driver License Standards; Foreign Driver Employment
May the CDL knowledge test be administered by a third party? FMCSA-CDL-383.75-Q01-RESCINDED Commercial Driver License Standards; Third Party Testing
Commercial Driver's License Standards, Requirements and Penalties; Notification of Updated Regulatory Guidance; Request for Comments, 84 Fed. Reg. 8464 FMCSA-FR-84FR8464-2019-03-08 Guidance for Commercial Drivers Licenses
Part 380 Appendix – Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Guidance Q&A (Q024) FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q024 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
When accepting an applicant transferring from another State whose record reveals a disqualifying conviction for which the originating State did not take a disqualifying action, is the transferee State required to take the disqualifying action? FMCSA-STCDL-384.231-Q01 Guidance on the requirement for transferee start to take disqualification action for conviction for which originating state did not disqualify driver
May a State expand a vehicle group to include vehicles that do not meet the Federal definition of the group? FMCSA-CDL-383.91-Q01 Commercial Driver License Standards; State Expansion of Vehicle Group Types
Do tow truck operators need CDLs? If so, in what vehicle group(s)? FMCSA-CDL-383.91-Q05 Commercial Driver License Standards; Tow Truck class
§383.73 – State Procedures Guidance Q&A (Q006) FMCSA-ELDT-383.73-Q006 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
Do third party skills test examiners have to be qualified to administer skills tests in all types of CMVs? FMCSA-CDL-383.75-Q03 Commercial Driver License Standards; Third Party Testing, type of CMV
Part 380 – Entry level Driver Training Guidance Q&A (Q025) FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q025 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training