Minnesota CDL Information
A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is one of the first steps to a great-paying career as a commercial truck driver. However, in order to drive a commercial vehicle (CMV) in Minnesota, you must first obtain a Minnesota CDL. Drivers Legal Plan, the Nation’s Leading CDL Defense Law Firm, has summarized many of the steps and requirements for obtaining your CDL in Minnesota.
Please note that your state and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regularly update these CDL requirements. Please visit the Minnesota Department of Safety’s Driver & Vehicle Services (DVS) website and the FMCSA website for the most authoritative and up-to-date information regarding CDL requirements and processes.
Drivers who wish to qualify for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in the state of Minnesota must hold a valid state driver’s license and must be at least 18 years of age to drive within state lines and 21 years of age to drive outside of the state. In addition to the age requirement, drivers must meet identification requirements and complete the application and written tests for a commercial learner’s permit (CLP). If the driver passes, the CLP must be held for at least 14 days, during which they are eligible to practice driving with a licensed commercial driver in the front seat. After the 14-day period, drivers are eligible to apply for a CDL, which includes passing a skills test and a driving test. A CDL is required to drive any vehicle that falls within Class A, B, or C categories.
Class A vehicles include any combination of vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 26,001 pounds or more, provided that the gross vehicle weight rating of the towed vehicle is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
Class B vehicles include any single vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 26,001 pounds or more, as well as any vehicle towing another vehicle that does not exceed a weight of 10,000 pounds.
Class C vehicles include any vehicle or combination of vehicles that does not meet the criteria of either Class A or B but is designed to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) or is used in transporting materials classified as hazardous in the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act. Applicants must also have a passenger or hazardous materials endorsement to drive a Class C vehicle.
Additional testing and fees are required in Minnesota to add endorsements or remove restrictions from a CDL, so be sure you know which ones, if any, apply to your vehicle. Minnesota requires drivers wishing to add school bus and passenger transport endorsements to take a road test in an appropriate vehicle.
CDL Endorsements
- H – Hazardous materials
- N – Tank vehicle
- P – Passenger transport
- S – School bus
- T – Doubles/Triples
- X – Tanker and hazardous materials
CDL Restrictions
- E – Automatic transmission CMV
- K – Intrastate only
- L – Vehicles without air brakes
- M – No Class A passenger bus
- N – No Class B passenger bus
- O – No tractor-trailer CMV
- P – No passengers in CMV bus
- V – FMCSA waiver
- W – Buses with less than 24-passenger capacity
- X – No cargo in CMV tank vehicle
- Z – Air over hydraulic brake system
In Minnesota, certain types of vehicles may be exempt from the CDL requirement. These include emergency vehicles, farm trucks that are controlled and operated by a farmer or immediate family member or employee of the farmer, some recreational vehicles, and backup snowplow drivers who are operating a commercial vehicle for the purpose of removing snow or ice from a roadway by plowing, salting, or sanding. There are restrictions that apply to each of these instances, so please consult the Minnesota CDL manual for details.
Remember, the most important thing to remember when you receive a ticket is that you should never just pay the ticket or the court fees without first talking to a legal representative who understands trucking laws. While you want to maintain a clean driving record, unforeseen violations can happen. When they do, you need expert legal protection. Drivers Legal Plan, the Nation's Leading CDL Defense Law Firm, is ready to defend your rights and your career.