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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
Can a State which expands the vehicle group descriptions in § 383.91 enforce those expansions on out-of-State CMV drivers by requiring them to have a CDL? FMCSA-CDL-383.91-Q03 Commercial Driver License Standards; Enforcement of Out-of-State Drivers
Is a person who grows sod as a business considered a farmer and eligible for the farmer waiver? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q23 Commercial Driver License Standards; Farmer Waiver-Sod
What CMV group is a driver of an articulated motorcoach (bus) with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more required to possess? FMCSA-CDL-383.91-Q04 Commercial Driver License Standards; Articulated Bus, CDL Type
May a State exempt CMV drivers employed by farm cooperatives from the CDL requirements under the farmer waiver (§ 383.3(d))? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q22 Commercial Driver License Standards; Farm Cooperatives
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
Are State, county and municipal workers operating CMVs required to obtain CDLs? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q8 Commercial Driver License Standards; Municipal Workers
Are drivers required to have both the “P” passenger and “S” school bus endorsement if they are not transporting students when operating a “school bus,” as defined in § 383.5? FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q10 Commercial Driver License Standards; Passenger and School Bus Endorsements
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
Does a driver who operates a straight truck equipped with a pintle hook towing a full trailer (a semitrailer equipped with a converter dolly) need a doubles/triples endorsement on his or her CDL? FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q09 Commercial Driver License Standards; Towing; Emergency and First Moves
Is a person who operates a custom motorcoach in commerce with a GVWR or GVW greater than 26,001 pounds required to have a passenger endorsement for his or her CDL if the vehicle is designed or used to transport fewer than 16 passengers, including the dr FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q11 Commercial Driver License Standards; Heavy Straight Vehicles