The Licensing Individual Commercial Exam-takers Now Safely and Efficiently Act of 2025 (LICENSE Act) would change federal rules to expand who can administer commercial driver's license (CDL) tests. Specifically, it would allow State governments or third-party examiners to give the CDL knowledge test (the written test) if the examiner holds a valid test certification, completes an exam training course, and completes a required instructional unit. It would also let a State administer the CDL driving skills test (the road test) to any CDL applicant, regardless of the applicant’s state of residence or where they received driver training. The changes would take effect within 90 days after enactment. In short, the bill aims to boost testing capacity and efficiency by broadening who can administer CDL tests, while maintaining certain training and certification safeguards.
Key Points
- 1Expands authority to administer the CDL knowledge test to include State examiners or qualified third-party examiners.
- 2Requirements for knowledge-test examiners: must have a valid CDL test examiner certification, complete a training course meeting FMCSA requirements, and complete 1 unit of instruction described in the relevant regulation.
- 3Expands authority to administer the CDL driving skills test to any CDL applicant, regardless of the applicant’s state of domicile or where the applicant received driver training.
- 4Regulation changes would be made to 49 CFR 384.228 (knowledge test) and 49 CFR 383.79 (driving skills test), with “successor regulations” referenced if the regulations have been updated.
- 5Implementation timeline: the Secretary of Transportation, via the FMCSA Administrator, must revise the rules within 90 days of enactment.