Commercial Driver’s Licenses During COVID-19
April 7, 2020In light of the March 13th COVID-19 Disaster Declaration, Governor Abbott directed the Department to waive certain expiration dates for driver licenses, identification cards and commercial driver licenses.
From the DPS website: “In accordance with section 418.016 of the Texas Government Code, the Office of the Governor approved DPS’ request to suspend provisions of the Texas Transportation Code to the extent necessary to delay the expiration of Texas DL/CDL/ID/EIC cards. This means that if your Texas DL/CDL/ID/EIC card expires on or after March 13, 2020, it falls under the period that encompasses the State of Disaster Declaration related to COVID-19 and will remain valid for 60 days after which time DPS issues public notice that the extension period for this disaster declaration has been lifted.”
Individuals applying for an original commercial license, will still have to come into one of our designated CDL testing sites. Please see the attached DL-95 for a map of CDL testing sites around the state. These offices are appointment only. For those needing to schedule a CDL test, you can schedule an appointment by sending an email to [email protected]. Please include your name, DL number, date of birth, telephone number, email address and your preferred office location in your request.
Additionally, the Department was advised on March 30th, that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will not issue a non-compliance finding if a state does not change the medical certification status to “not certified” or downgrade a CDL/CLP holder whose Medical Examiner’s Certificate has expired during the COVID-19 emergency.
