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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
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 driv FMCSA-CDL-383.93-Q12 Commercial Driver License Standards; Empty Tank Vehicle
§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
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
When a driver (a) receives an Administrative Order of Suspension due to a blood alcohol reading in excess of the legal limit with notice that the suspension is not to be effective until 45 days after the notice or after an administrative hearing, and (b) FMCSA-CDL-383.33-Q1 Commercial Driver License Standards; Administrative Order of Suspension
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
Part 380 Appendix – Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Guidance Q&A (Q024) FMCSA-ELDT-380-Appendix-Q024 Commercial Driver License; Entry level Driver Training
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
What documentation must be maintained by an employer to serve as evidence that the employer, or their designated consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA), obtained consent for each query conducted? FMCSA-D&A-CLEAR-382.703-FAQ002 Guidance on consent form retention requirements
Are CDL drivers required to register for the Clearinghouse? FMCSA-D&A-CLEAR-382.703-FAQ003 Guidance on Clearinghouse registration requirements for drivers
Can a driver be assigned driver records recorded under the Unidentified Driver profile and indicate a special driving category at the time the driver is assigned the driver records? FMCSA-HOS-ELD-395-FAQ60(2018-12-19)-CORR1 ELD Guidance