Arkansas CDL License Requirements. What You Need to Know.

(a) Commercial Learner's Permit. Prior to obtaining a CLP, a person must meet the following requirements:

(1) Commercial learner's permit applications submitted prior to July 8, 2014. CLPs issued prior to July 8, 2015 for limited time periods according to State requirements, shall be considered valid commercial drivers' licenses for purposes of behind-the-wheel training on public roads or highways, if the following minimum conditions are met:

(i) The learner's permit holder is at all times accompanied by the holder of a valid CDL;

(ii) He/she either holds a valid automobile driver's license, or has passed such vision, sign/symbol, and knowledge tests as the State issuing the learner's permit ordinarily administers to applicants for automotive drivers' licenses; an

(iii) He/she does not operate a commercial motor vehicle transporting hazardous materials as defined in § 383.5.

(2) Commercial learner's permit applications submitted on or after July 8, 2015. Any person applying for a CLP on or after July 8, 2014 must meet the following conditions:

(i) The person must be 18 years of age or older and provide proof of his/her age.

(ii) The person must have taken and passed a general knowledge test that meets the Federal standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part for the commercial motor vehicle group that person operates or expects to operate

(iii) The person must certify that he/she is not subject to any disqualification under § 383.51, or any license disqualification under State law, and that he/she does not have a driver's license from more than one State or jurisdiction.

(iv) The person must provide to the State of issuance the information required to be included on the CLP as specified in subpart J of this part.

(v) The person must provide to the State proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency as specified in Table 1 of this section or obtain a Non-domiciled CLP as specified in paragraph (f) of this section.

(vi) The person must provide proof that the State to which application is made is his/her State of domicile, as the term is defined in § 383.5. Acceptable proof of domicile is a document with the person's name and residential address within the State, such as a government issued tax form.

(vii) The person must provide the names of all States where the applicant has been licensed to drive any type of motor vehicle during the previous 10 years.

(viii) A person seeking a passenger (P), school bus (S) or tank vehicle (N) endorsement must have taken and passed the endorsement knowledge test for the specific endorsement.

(ix) The person must provide the State the certification contained in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(b) Initial Commercial Driver's License.

Prior to obtaining a CDL, a person must meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Initial Commercial Driver's License applications submitted on or after January 30, 2012.Any person applying for a CDL on or after January 30, 2012, must meet the requirements set forth in paragraphs (b)(2) through (10), and (h) of this section, and make one of the following applicable certifications in paragraph paragraph (b)(1)(i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) of this section:

Starting May 31, 2005, new federal regulations require a person who is applying for a Arkansas commercial driver license with an original or renewal Hazardous Materials (HazMat) endorsement to undergo a security threat assessment. The USA Patriot Act requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to complete a security threat assessment (background records check) before the Department of Motor Vehicles issues a HazMat endorsement.

(i) Non-excepted interstate. A person must certify that he/she operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, is both subject to and meets the qualification requirements under 49 CFR part 391, and is required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by § 391.45 of this chapter;

(ii) Excepted interstate. A person must certify that he/she operates or expects to operate in interstate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted under 49 CFR 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3 from all or parts of the qualification requirements of 49 CFR part 391, and is therefore not required to obtain a medical examiner's certificate by 49 CFR 391.45 of this chapter;

(iii) Non-excepted intrastate. A person must certify that he/she operates only in intrastate commerce and therefore is subject to State driver qualification requirements; or

(iv) Excepted intrastate. A person must certify that he/she operates in intrastate commerce, but engages exclusively in transportation or operations excepted from all or parts of the State driver qualification requirements.

(2) The person must pass a driving or skills test in accordance with the standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part taken in a motor vehicle that is representative of the type of motor vehicle the person operates or expects to operate; or provide evidence that he/she has successfully passed a driving test administered by an authorized third party.

(3) The person must certify that the motor vehicle in which the person takes the driving skills test is representative of the type of motor vehicle that person operates or expects to operate.

(4) The person must provide the State the information required to be included on the CDL as specified in subpart J of this part.

(5) The person must certify that he/she is not subject to any disqualification under § 383.51, or any license disqualification under State law, and that he/she does not have a driver's license from more than one State or jurisdiction.

(6) The person must surrender his/her non-CDL driver's licenses and CLP to the State.

(7) The person must provide the names of all States where he/she has previously been licensed to drive any type of motor vehicle during the previous 10 years

(8) If the person is applying for a hazardous materials endorsement, he/she must comply with Transportation Security Administration requirements codified in 49 CFR part 1572. A lawful permanent resident of the United States requesting a hazardous materials endorsement must additionally provide his/her U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Alien registration number.

(9) The person must provide proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency as specified in Table 1 of this section, or be registered under paragraph (f) of this section.

Status Proof of status U.S. Citizen • Valid, unexpired U.S. Passport. • Certified copy of a birth certificate filed with a State Office of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency in the individual's State of birth, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. • Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) issued by the U.S. Department of State. • Certificate of Naturalization issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). • Certificate of Citizenship issued by DHS. Lawful Permanent Resident • Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card, issued by USCIS or INS.

(10) The person must provide proof that the State to which application is made is his/her State of domicile, as the term is defined in § 383.5. Acceptable proof of domicile is a document with the person's name and residential address within the State, such as a government issued tax form.

(c) License transfer. When applying to transfer a CDL from one State of domicile to a new State of domicile, an applicant must apply for a CDL from the new State of domicile within no more than 30 days after establishing his/her new domicile. The applicant must:

(1) Provide to the new State of domicile the certifications contained in paragraphs (b)(1) and (5) of this section;

(2) Provide to the new State of domicile updated information as specified in subpart J of this part;

(3) If the applicant wishes to retain a hazardous materials endorsement, he/she must comply with the requirements specified in paragraph (b)(8) of this section and State requirements as specified in § 383.73(c)(4);

(4) Surrender the CDL from the old State of domicile to the new State of domicile; and

(7) Provide proof to the State that this is his/her State of domicile, as the term is defined in § 383.5. Acceptable proof of domicile is a document with the person's name and residential address within the State, such as a government issued tax form.

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(d) License renewal. When applying for a renewal of a CDL, all applicants must:

(1) Provide to the State certifications contained in paragraphs (b)(1) and (5) of this section;

(2) Provide to the State updated information as specified in subpart J of this part; and

(3) If a person wishes to retain a hazardous materials endorsement, he/she must comply with the requirements specified in paragraph (b)(8) of this section and pass the test specified in § 383.121 for such endorsement.

(6) Provide proof to the State that this is his/her State of domicile, as the term is defined in § 383.5. Acceptable proof of domicile is a document, such as a government issued tax form, with the person's name and residential address within the State.

(e) License upgrades. When applying for a CDL or an endorsement authorizing the operation of a CMV not covered by the current CDL, all applicants must:

(1) Provide the certifications specified in paragraph (b) of this section;

(2) Pass all the knowledge tests in accordance with the standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part and all the skills tests specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section for the new vehicle group and/or different endorsements;

(3) Comply with the requirements specified in paragraph (b)(8) of this section to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement; and

(4) Surrender the previous CDL

(f) Non-domiciled CLP and CDL. (1) A person must obtain a Non-domiciled CLP or CDL:

(i) If the applicant is domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction, as defined in § 383.5, and the Administrator has not determined that the commercial motor vehicle operator testing and licensing standards of that jurisdiction meet the standards contained in subparts G and H of this part.

(ii) If the applicant is domiciled in a State that is prohibited from issuing CLPs and CDLs in accordance with § 384.405 of this subchapter. That person is eligible to obtain a Non-domiciled CLP or CDL from any State that elects to issue a Non-domiciled CLP or CDL and that complies with the testing and licensing standards contained in subparts F, G, and H of this part.

(2) An applicant for a Non-domiciled CLP and CDL must do both of the following:

(i) Complete the requirements to obtain a CLP contained in paragraph (a) of this section or a CDL contained in paragraph (b) of this section. Exception: An applicant domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction must provide an unexpired employment authorization document (EAD) issued by USCIS or an unexpired foreign passport accompanied by an approved I-94 form documenting the applicant's most recent admittance into the United States. No proof of domicile is required.

(ii) After receipt of the Non-domiciled CLP or CDL, and for as long as it is valid, notify the State which issued the Non-domiciled CLP or CDL of any adverse action taken by any jurisdiction or governmental agency, foreign or domestic, against his/her driving privileges. Such adverse actions include, but are not be limited to, license disqualification or disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for the convictions described in § 383.51. Notifications must be made within the time periods specified in § 383.33.

(3) An applicant for a Non-domiciled CLP or CDL is not required to surrender his/her foreign license.

(g) Existing CLP and CDL Holder's Self-Certification. Every person who holds a CLP or CDL must provide to the State on or after January 30, 2012, but not later than January 30, 2014, the certification contained in § 383.(h) Medical certification documentation required by the State. An applicant or CLP or CDL holder who certifies to non-excepted, interstate driving operations according to § 383.71(b)(1)(i) must comply with applicable requirements in paragraphs (h)(1) through (3) of this section: 71.

(h) Medical certification documentation required by the State. An applicant or CLP or CDL holder who certifies to non-excepted, interstate driving operations according to § 383.71(b)(1)(i) must comply with applicable requirements in paragraphs (h)(1) through (3) of this section:

(1) New CLP and CDL applicants. After January 30, 2012, a new CLP or CDL applicant who certifies that he/she will operate CMVs in non-excepted, interstate commerce must provide the State with an original or copy (as required by the State) of a medical examiner's certificate prepared by a medical examiner, as defined in § 390.5 of this chapter, and the State will post a certification status of “certified” on the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS) driver record for the driver;

(2) Existing CLP and CDL holders. By January 30, 2014, provide the State with an original or copy (as required by the State) of a current medical examiner's certificate prepared by a medical examiner, as defined in 49 CFR 390.5, and the State will post a certification status of “certified” on CDLIS driver record for the driver. If the nonexcepted, interstate CLP or CDL holder fails to provide the State with a current medical examiner's certificate, the State will post a certification status of “notcertified” in the CDLIS driver record for the driver, and initiate a CLP or CDL downgrade following State procedures in accordance with § 383.73(o)(4); and

(3) Maintaining the medical certification status of “certified.” In order to maintain a medical certification status of “certified,” after January 30, 2012, a CLP or CDL holder who certifies that he/she will operate CMVs in non-excepted, interstate commerce must provide the State with an original or copy (as required by the State) of each subsequently issued medical examiner's certificate.

Citation: [76 FR 26881, May 9, 2011, as amended at 77 FR 59825, Oct. 1, 2012; 78 FR 58480, Sept. 24, 2013]

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