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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 farmer who meets all of the conditions for a farm waiver be waived from the CDL requirements when transporting another farmer’s products absent any written or verbal contract? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q20 Commercial Driver License Standards; Custom Harvesters; trees
Guidance Q&A Question 11: When will training providers and other entities be able to register on the Training Provider Registry? FMCSA-ELDT-380.719-Q011 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
Do persons transporting battery-powered forklifts need to obtain an HM endorsement? FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q04 Commercial Driver License Standards; HM Endorsement Requirements
One definition of CMV is a vehicle “designed to transport” 16 or more passengers, including the driver. Does that include standing passengers if the vehicle was specifically designed to accommodate standees? FMCSA-CDL-383.5-Q4 Commercial Driver License Standards; Designed to Transport
Is a driver disqualified for driving a CMV while off-duty with a blood alcohol concentration over 0.04 percent? FMCSA-CDL-383.51-Alc-Q01 Commercial Driver License Standards; Alcohol-Related Disqualification
Does a receipt to drive issued pursuant to the administrative license revocation (ALR) procedure authorize the continued operation of a CMV when the license surrendered is a CDL? FMCSA-CDL-383.51-Alc-Q02 Commercial Driver License Standards; ALR Procedure
Part 380 Appendix – Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Guidance Q&A (Q024) FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q024 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
§380 Appendix – Entry Level Driver Training Guidance Q&A Question 21: Is there a mandatory sequence that the specific theory and behind-the-wheel (BTW) training must be taken in? FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q021 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
§380.707 – Entry-level training provider Guidance Q&A Question 8: Who can provide entry-level driver training (ELDT)? FMCSA-ELDT-380.707-Q008 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
Do the regulations require that a person driving an empty school bus from the manufacturer to the local distributor obtain a CDL? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q9 Commercial Driver License Standards; Empty School Bus