CDL entry-level driver training: the federal rule and the Training Provider Registry

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The text is from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, and from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry site. It names no training school and ranks none. The state licensing agency issues the CDL, and it and FMCSA are the offices to ask about a particular applicant. Licence classes by weight are on the guide to driving licence classes by country.

What the rule is for

Section 380.601 says the subpart sets training requirements for entry-level drivers and minimum content for theory and behind-the-wheel (BTW) curricula. It says the training applies only to people applying for a commercial driver's licence (CDL) or a CDL upgrade or endorsement, and that it does not otherwise change the substantive CDL requirements in part 383. Section 380.600 gives the compliance date as February 7, 2022. See eCFR 380.601 on purpose and scope.

Who it applies to and who it leaves out

Section 380.603 applies the rules to all entry-level drivers who intend to drive commercial motor vehicles, as defined in 383.5, in interstate or intrastate commerce. Section 380.605 defines an entry-level driver as someone who must complete the CDL skills test under 383.71 before receiving a CDL for the first time, upgrading to Class A or Class B, or getting a hazardous materials, passenger or school bus endorsement for the first time. Section 380.603 lists four groups the rule does not cover:

drivers excepted from the CDL requirements under 383.3(c), (d) and (h);
drivers applying for a restricted CDL under 383.3(e) to (g);
military personnel with military CMV experience who meet 383.77;
drivers applying to remove a restriction under 383.135(b)(7).

It also sets the cut-off. A driver issued a Class A or Class B CDL, or a passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement, before February 7, 2022 does not have to comply for that licence or endorsement. A person who obtained a commercial learner's permit (CLP) before February 7, 2022 does not have to comply if a CDL is obtained before that permit or its renewal expires, and a person who obtained a CLP on or after that date does. See eCFR 380.603 on applicability.

The requirement

Section 380.609 says an individual who applies for the first time for a Class A or Class B CDL, or who upgrades to one, must complete driver training from a provider listed on the Training Provider Registry (TPR). A first passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement carries the same requirement for the training tied to that endorsement. Section 380.603 adds that, except for the hazardous materials endorsement, the theory and BTW parts, meaning range and public road, must be completed within one year of completing the first part.

Section 380.605 defines the two parts. Theory instruction is knowledge instruction on operating a CMV, which can be given through lectures, demonstrations, audio-visual presentations, computer-based instruction, driving simulation devices or online training. BTW training is a driving lesson where the trainee has actual control of the power unit on a range or a public road, and time spent only observing does not count. The same section says entry-level driver training is training received from an entity listed on the TPR before taking the skills test.

Section 383.25 says a CLP is treated as a valid CDL for BTW training on public roads only if conditions are met. They include being accompanied at all times by a valid CDL holder in the front seat, being 18 or older, and passing the general knowledge test. It also says the permit is valid for no more than one year from first issue and that the holder cannot take the skills test in the first 14 days after issue. See eCFR 383.25 on the commercial learner's permit.

The Training Provider Registry

Section 380.700 says that to provide entry-level driver training in compliance with the part, providers must be listed on the TPR. Section 380.703 lists what an entity must meet to be listed: a curriculum matching the criteria in appendices A to E of part 380, facilities and vehicles that meet the criteria in 380.709 and 380.711, instructors that meet 380.713, authorization under the laws of any state where in-person training is given, and permission for FMCSA to audit its operations. The appendices set the curricula for Class A, Class B, passenger, school bus and hazardous materials training. FMCSA then issues a unique TPR number.

After training, section 380.717 requires the provider to send the training certification through the TPR website by midnight of the second business day. The record includes the trainee's name and licence number, the class or endorsement and whether theory or BTW training was done, BTW clock hours, the provider's TPR number and the completion dates. See eCFR 380.703 on listing requirements.

The FMCSA registry site describes itself as the place where entry-level drivers can find a training provider and, after completing a course, check what their provider has submitted. It also lists locations under review and locations removed. See the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.

At a glance

Item	What the sources say
Covered	First-time Class A or B CDL, upgrade to A or B, first passenger, school bus or hazardous materials endorsement
Compliance date	February 7, 2022
Finish both parts within	One year of completing the first part, except for the hazardous materials endorsement
Where training must come from	A provider listed on the Training Provider Registry
Where CDL standards sit	49 CFR Part 383
Offices named	FMCSA; the state licensing agency