Driver's License - Class C - Commercial Driver – New ResidentInformationYou have 30 days to obtain your Minnesota license after moving to Minnesota if you have a valid commercial driver's license from another state. Policies and ProceduresFor all new residents, the class D knowledge (written) test (and motorcycle, if appropriate) is required. The general knowledge, air brake, combination, doubles/triples and passenger knowledge tests are not required.
If you currently have a hazardous materials and/or school bus endorsement, you must pass the knowledge (written) test(s) in order to transfer the endorsement(s) to the Minnesota CDL. Endorsement fees are collected. For the hazardous materials endorsement, new fingerprints are required. Refer to the School Bus Endorsement Page and HazMat Page.
If your out-of-state CDL is not endorsed for doubles/triples, tank vehicle and/or hazardous materials, these endorsements may be added to the Minnesota CDL by passing the knowledge (written) test(s) and paying the endorsement fee(s) before application, refer to the CDL Endorsements and Restrictions Page.
Proof of Identity/Residency Requirements
To apply for a Minnesota driver's license, identification card or instruction permit, you may present a Minnesota driver's license, instruction permit or state identification card that is current or expired for five years or less if it has a photo, one year or less if it does not have a photo.
If you do not have one of these items, you must present one primary and one secondary form of identification. The primary document must contain your full legal name (first, middle and last) and the month, day and year of your birth.
• Identification Requirements • Requisitos de Identificacion
Test RequirementsIf you have a valid license from another U.S. state, certain territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, and Guam, or Canada), you can obtain a Minnesota driver's license by passing the knowledge (written) test and a vision check. You do not need to take a skills (road) test unless your license has been expired for more than one year. If you have moved to Minnesota from a country other than the U.S. or Canada, you must pass a knowledge (written) and skills (road) test and a vision check, even if you have a valid driver's license from your former home country. At the time of application you must present your other driver's license. Your license from your previous state of residence will be invalidated and returned to you. Licenses from another country are not invalidated as you may use them if you have dual citizenship. If you are unable to present your current valid driver's license you will need to supply a certified copy of your driving record. Vision ScreeningYour eyes will be checked when you apply for a driver's license. This is not a medical exam; it is a screening to determine if your vision meets minimum standards. To pass, your normal or corrected vision must be at least 20/40 in either one usable eye or both eyes together. Your peripheral vision must be at least 140 degrees in either one or both eyes. Applying for a Minnesota Driver's LicenseYou will need to: - Present proper identification
- Present white and yellow copy of your successful test results
- Present all other driver's licenses. Your license from your previous state of residence will be invalidated and returned to you. Licenses from another country are not invalidated as you may use them if you have dual citizenship.
You can make an application at any driver's license application office, some of which are exam station locations. Name Change If your full name is different than the name on your primary document or driver's license, instruction permit or state identification card, you must also present proof of your legal name change. Acceptable proof consists of certified copies of marriage certificates, certified copies of divorce decrees or other court orders. Divorce decrees or other court orders must specify the name change. Your identity and name change documents need to show a clear link between your names. Medical Self-certification
Starting January 30, 2012 you will need to certify the following information with Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS):
- The type of driving you are engaged in (interstate or intrastate) and
- Whether you are subject to or exempt from the medical examination requirements of 49 CFR part 391 or Minnesota Statutes, chapter 221
Medical Waiver
A commercial driver may be granted a waiver from the following physical qualification requirements: vision, insulin-dependent diabetes, deaf and hard of hearing and limb impairment.
If your medical examiner’s certificate is only valid with a vision, diabetes or a skills performance evaluation waiver granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA), or if you are an intrastate driver with a MnDOT waiver or hold a DVS School Bus Waiver, you must also provide a copy of your waiver.
To obtain a federal exemption or waiver, you must contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association (FMCSA), which will advise on how to proceed.
Diabetes/Vision waivers: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/medical/exemptions.htm
Skill Performance: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/medical/spepackage.htm
FMCSA Phone: 1 (800) 832-5660
FMCSA Midwestern Service Center: (708) 283-3577
For information about MnDOT waivers, contact the MnDOT Driver Medical Program at (651) 366-3674. LawsYou must have a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate any of the following commercial motor vehicles in Minnesota:
A combination of vehicles in which the gross combination weight (GCW) is more than 26,000 pounds and the towed unit has a gross vehicle weight (GVW)* of more than 10,000 pounds — Minimum age is 18** - A single vehicle with a GVW exceeding 26,000 pounds — Minimum age is 17**
- A vehicle designed to transport more than 15 persons, including the driver — Minimum age is 18**
- Any size vehicle that requires hazardous materials placards — in most cases, you must be 21 years of age to transport hazardous materials. ***
- Any size vehicle outwardly equipped and identified as a school bus — Minimum age is 18
* Minnesota law defines gross vehicle weight (GVW) as the greater of:- The actual weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles plus the weight of the load
- The manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
** The minimum age listed is that at which you may apply for a Minnesota CDL. State and federal motor carrier regulations may set different age limits for operating a CMV.
*** A driver of a motorized tank truck vehicle having a capacity of less than 3,500 gallons, who is engaged in the intrastate transportation of petroleum products, or employees of fertilizer or agricultural chemical retailers that transport agricultural chemicals directly from the retailer location to a farm, must be at least 18 years of age. Drivers using these exceptions must operate exclusively within Minnesota. Contact the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), Office of Motor Carrier Services for complete information.
Code of Federal Regulations Medical Self-CertificationReference: Minnesota Statutes, sections 171.162, 221.031 and 221.0314, and 49 CFR 383.71 and 383.73.
Related NewsEffective January 1, 2014, the driver’s license filing fee which pays for the costs of the services provided in the driver’s license/ID card issuance process, increases from $5 to $8, as required by Minn. Stat. 171.061, HF 1444, Chapter 117.
Starting January 30, 2012, if you hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or are applying for a CDL, you will need to certify the following information with Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS):
- The type of driving you are engaged in (interstate or intrastate) and
- Whether you are subject to or exempt from the medical examination requirements of 49 CFR part 391 or Minnesota Statutes, chapter 221
What you need to know:
- The self-certification requirement goes into effect on January 30, 2012
- Only applies to drivers applying for, renewing, upgrading or replacing a commercial driver’s license, class A, B or C
- As a commercial driver, if there is a change in your medical status or interstate/intrastate status, you must provide DVS with a new self-certification form (PS33203), and if necessary new medical examination documents
- The self-certification is required by Minnesota statutes and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
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