The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is issuing regulatory guidance to clarify that states can choose to accept out-of-state commercial learner’s permit (CLP) applications and administer the general knowledge test to out-of-state applicants.
In a notice to be published in the Federal Register Thursday, Aug. 3, FMCSA says the state administering the general knowledge test will send the test results “directly, securely and electronically” to the applicant’s home state, and the driver’s home state agrees to accept the test results and issue the CLP.
The guidance issued this week is in line with FMCSA’s final rule issued Oct. 13, 2016, that amended CDL regulations to ease the transition of military personnel into the trucking industry. Previously, states could only accept out-of-state applications from military personnel, but the new guidance applies to all drivers.
FMCSA clarifies that the guidance does not allow states to issue a CLP or CDL to a driver who is not domiciled in that state – they must be issued by the driver’s home state.
