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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
Do tow truck operators who hold a CDL require endorsements to tow “endorsable” vehicles? FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q08 Commercial Driver License Standards; Towing; Emergency and First Moves
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
May a State exempt CMV drivers employed by a partnership, corporation or an association engaged in farming from the CDL requirements under the farmer waiver (§ 383.3(d)) or is the waiver only available to drivers employed by a family-owned farm? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q21 Commercial Driver License Standards; Operators of a Farm Vehicle
Do third party skills test examiners have to meet all the requirements of State-employed examiners—i.e., all the State’s qualification and training standards? FMCSA-CDL-383.75-Q02 Commercial Driver License Standards; Third Party Testing
Must the licensing agency establish a commercial driver record, including a CDLIS pointer record, for a person holding a non-commercial license issued by that jurisdiction upon receiving notification of a conviction of any offense committed while (illegal FMCSA-STCDL-384.209-Q01 Guidance for establishing commercial driver record for non-CDL drivers convicted of operating a CMV without a CDL
§380.721 – Removal from training provider registry: factors considered Guidance Q&A Question 14: Can training providers be removed from the listing on the Training Provider Registry? FMCSA-ELDT-380.721-Q014 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
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
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
Part 380 Appendix – Entry level Driver Training Guidance Q&A Question 19: Are there specific hours of behind-the-wheel (BTW) training mandated for the various curricula? FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q019 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
Are State, county and municipal workers operating CMVs required to obtain CDLs? FMCSA-CDL-383.3-Q8 Commercial Driver License Standards; Municipal Workers