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AN ACT relating to commercial driver's licenses. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
Section 1. KRS 281A.170 is amended to read as follows: 3
(1) The commercial driver's license shall be marked "commercial driver's license" and 4
"CDL" and shall be, to the maximum extent practicable, tamper proof. It shall 5
include but is not limited to the following information: 6
(a) The name and present resident address of the licensee; 7
(b) The licensee's photograph; 8
(c) A physical description of the licensee including sex, height, weight, and eye 9
color; 10
(d) The licensee's date of birth; 11
(e) The licensee's signature; 12
(f) The class or type of commercial motor vehicle or vehicles that the person is 13
authorized to drive together with any endorsements or restrictions; 14
(g) The name of this state; 15
(h) The dates between which the license is valid; and 16
(i) Any other information required by the cabinet, except for a person's Social 17
Security number. 18
(2) A commercial driver's license issued under this chapter shall contain a denotation 19
that either: 20
(a) The commercial driver's license is a voluntary travel ID identity document 21
that complies with the security standards set forth by Pub. L. No. 109-13, 22
Title II, and may be used for identification for federal purposes; or 23
(b) The commercial driver's license shall not be used for federal identification 24
purposes. 25
(3) A commercial driver's license shall be issued with classifications, endorsements, 26
and restrictions. Vehicles that require an endorsement shall not be driven unless the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS HB 444/GA
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proper endorsement appears on the license and the applicant has passed the 1
knowledge and skills test required by the State Police. 2
(a) Classifications: 3
1. Class A - Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight 4
rating of twenty-six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or more, if the 5
gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle being towed is in excess of ten 6
thousand (10,000) pounds. Licensees with an "A" classification may 7
with the proper endorsement drive Class B and C vehicles; 8
2. Class B - Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9
twenty-six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or more, and any vehicle 10
towing a vehicle not in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross 11
vehicle weight rating. Licensees with a "B" classification may with the 12
proper endorsements drive Class C vehicles; 13
3. Class C - Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less 14
than twenty-six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or any vehicle 15
towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of ten 16
thousand (10,000) pounds which includes: 17
a. Vehicles designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers, 18
including the driver; or 19
b. Vehicles used in the transportation of hazardous materials which 20
requires the vehicle to be placarded under 49 C.F.R. secs. 172.500 21
to 172.560, as adopted by administrative regulations of the 22
cabinet, pursuant to KRS Chapter 13A; 23
4. Class D - All other vehicles not listed in any other class, including 24
mopeds; and 25
5. Class M - Motorcycles. Licensees with a "M" classification may also 26
drive mopeds. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS HB 444/GA
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(b) Endorsements: 1
1. "H" - Authorizes the driver to operate a vehicle transporting hazardous 2
materials; 3
2. "T" - Authorizes operation of double trailers and triple trailers in those 4
jurisdictions allowing the operation of triple trailers; 5
3. "P" - Authorizes operation of vehicles carrying passengers; 6
4. "N" - Authorizes operation of tank vehicles; 7
5. "X" - Authorizes operation of combination of hazardous materials and 8
tank vehicle endorsements; 9
6. "R" - Authorizes operation of all other endorsements not otherwise 10
specified; and 11
7. "S" - Authorizes operation of school buses. 12
(c) The Transportation Cabinet shall promulgate administrative regulations in 13
accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to outline restrictions on the operation of 14
commercial vehicles and the associated codes to identify such restrictions, 15
which shall appear on the face of the commercial driver's license. 16
(4) Within ten (10) days after issuing a commercial driver's license, the cabinet shall 17
notify the commercial driver's license information system of that fact, providing all 18
information required to ensure identification of the person. 19
(5) A commercial driver's license issued to a resident pursuant to this chapter shall 20
expire in eight (8) years unless the license was issued to a resident under the age of 21
twenty-one (21). 22
(6) A person under the age of twenty-one (21): 23
(a) Shall not be: 24
1. Licensed to operate a Class A, B, or C vehicle unless he or she has a "K" 25
restriction; or 26
2. Allowed to operate a school bus; and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS HB 444/GA
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(b) Who holds a valid CDL may be issued a hazardous materials endorsement 1
to transport hazardous materials in intrastate commerce. 2
(7) A commercial driver with a "K" restriction shall not drive a commercial motor 3
vehicle in interstate commerce, unless he or she is exempt pursuant to 49 C.F.R. 4
sec. 391.2[. A commercial driver under the age of twenty-one (21) shall not be 5
allowed to operate a school bus or a vehicle transporting hazardous material in 6
intrastate commerce]. 7
(8)[(7)] The holder of a commercial driver's license shall be considered to hold a valid 8
Kentucky driver's license issued under the provisions of KRS 186.4102 and 9
186.412. 10
Section 2. KRS 281A.185 is amended to read as follows: 11
(1) The Commonwealth shall not mask, defer imposition of judgment, or allow an 12
individual to enter into a diversion program that would prevent a CLP or CDL 13
holder's conviction for any violation, in any type of motor vehicle, of a state or local 14
traffic control law from appearing on the CDLIS driver record, whether the driver's 15
conviction was[driver was convicted] for an offense committed in the 16
Commonwealth or another state. 17
(2) This section shall not apply to the following violations: 18
(a) Parking; 19
(b) Vehicle weight; or 20
(c) Vehicle defect. 21
(3) When any actions under subsection (1) of this section occur, the conviction must 22
be reported from the court to the licensing agency to be recorded on the driver's 23
record and trigger any appropriate disqualifying action. 24