Great news for young people in New York State! CDLs can now be obtained by 18-20-year-olds. Governor Kathy Hochul has issued a great law stating that if certain requirements are met, 18-20-year-olds can get a commercial driver’s license. Here are the basic 4 requirements for getting a CDL:
1. It is mandatory that applicants pass the “Class A Young Adult CDL Driver Training Program”
2. The Minimum number of hours of supervised driving.
3. Applicant must not have had a recordable accident or violation for at least one year.
4. Minimum of one year of commercial driving experience.
A little information about the law itself: the training program must not fall below the entry-level driver training requirements prescribed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Also, the program must include the supervision of an experienced driver, which is 300 hours of closely supervised behind-the-wheel training. We would like to remind you that only New York State required the age of 21 to obtain a CDL. Alaska still stands out from all the states. In Alaska, prospective drivers must be at least 19 years of age to obtain a CDL. In the remaining states, CDL holders are allowed to drive (within the state) at age 18. The new law does not affect federal interstate driving laws, which currently require that a CDL owner must be at least 21 years old to cross state lines.
An infrastructure package signed into law earlier this month requires DOT to create a superior training plan for CDL owners under age 21 to drive interstate.