Special non CDL drivers license

[docj]

Originally Posted by Slolane

My Florida DL states "CLASS E - Any non-commercial vehicle with a GVWR less than 26,001 lbs. or any RV.

Does that mean:

any non-commercial vehicle with a GVWR less than 26,001 lbs or any RV of ANY weight

or does it mean:

any non-commercial vehicle with a GVWR less than 26,001 lbs or any RV with a GVWR less than 26,001 lbs

The sentence structure is ambiguous.

[gacamp]

All Florida licensed RV drivers are exempt from special licensing including over 26,000 lbs.

[Mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

For drivers licensing and insurance it's your home state due to reciprocity laws. For equipment/towing/speed it's what ever state you're in or passing through. There is no reciprocity on those.

Can you cite reciprocity laws? Had discussion with my leo brother who said that no matter what state your licensed in, if your not equally licensed in state driving, you are driving w/out a license. Example:California basic license can tow 5th wheel, but in Nevada needs a class J endorsement. Is there a federal law on resiprocity?

Brandi


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

[docj]

Originally Posted by Mzbrandi

Is there a federal law on resiprocity?

Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

The "Full Faith and Credit" clause of the US Constitution provides for reciprocity between states. It's this clause that underlies the fact that other states will honor your drivers license in the first place. If you are licensed to drive in your state then you are also licensed in every other state.

You can read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_F..._Credit_Clause

[Scottybdivin]

Originally Posted by Murf2u

I didn't realize any jurisdiction gave you a free pass on air brakes. The IL website certainly doesn't seem to support this.

In Texas, Air Brakes is a restriction code "L", not an endorsement. That restriction only applies to CDL's and does not appear on non-CDL's.

[docj]

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

In Texas, Air Brakes is a restriction code "L", not an endorsement. That restriction only applies to CDL's and does not appear on non-CDL's.

I believe that the CDL process has been standardized in most (all?) states to comply with federal requirements. The "basic" CDL test does not include an air brake section. Therefore, you could, in theory, receive a CDL that is "restricted" to the operation of vehicles without air brakes (the "L" restriction you refer to).

If you take the air brake test (and I'm not sure why someone wouldn't want to) you get a full, unrestricted CDL.

My assumption is that if someone took a CDL driving test in a vehicle without air brakes he would have to receive the restricted CDL because there wouldn't be any way to demonstrate proficiency with them.

[Xanso]

Originally Posted by Mzbrandi

Can you cite reciprocity laws? Had discussion with my leo brother who said that no matter what state your licensed in, if your not equally licensed in state driving, you are driving w/out a license. Example:California basic license can tow 5th wheel, but in Nevada needs a class J endorsement. Is there a federal law on resiprocity?

Brandi


Sent from my iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

Not sure how one would comply, if your home state doesn't offer any endorsements. If you meet your state licensed requirements you are legal nationwide. Now towing and length requirements are different.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by falconman

Calif is by length not weight. Any rig over 40ft requires at least a non-comm Class B.

You need to be careful with CA license classes. Example: If you have a non commercial class A license you not licensed to drive a motorhome over 40' unless you have a MH enforcement added to your Class A.

Originally Posted by Mzbrandi

Can you cite reciprocity laws? Had discussion with my leo brother who said that no matter what state your licensed in, if your not equally licensed in state driving, you are driving w/out a license. Example:California basic license can tow 5th wheel, but in Nevada needs a class J endorsement. Is there a federal law on reciprocity?

Sorry but your LEO bother is wrong.

It's been well established in Federal law that what you're allowed to drive is totally controlled by how you're licensed in your home state. If your state has no special requirements for motorhome or 5th wheels RV then you don't need anything special in states that do. If you state has restrictions on what you can drive you must follow them even in states that don't.

When it comes to the vehicle specifications it must meet the requirements of the state your driving it. So in some states your overall length can't be over 60' but in others you can't be over 70'. One exception to this is smog requirements. A car licensed in another state can be driven in California even if it doesn't meet CA requirements.

[Mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by Timon

You need to be careful with CA license classes. Example: If you have a non commercial class A license you not licensed to drive a motorhome over 40' unless you have a MH enforcement added to your Class A.



Sorry but your LEO bother is wrong.



It's been well established in Federal law that what you're allowed to drive is totally controlled by how you're licensed in your home state. If your state has no special requirements for motorhome or 5th wheels RV then you don't need anything special in states that do. If you state has restrictions on what you can drive you must follow them even in states that don't.



When it comes to the vehicle specifications it must meet the requirements of the state your driving it. So in some states your overall length can't be over 60' but in others you can't be over 70'. One exception to this is smog requirements. A car licensed in another state can be driven in California even if it doesn't meet CA requirements.

That sounds, but can you cite fed regs to back it up. I couldn't.

Brandi

[SpaceNorman]

Michigan's rules seems to be a bit contradictory. According to the Michigan Secretary of State web site - they issue two types of Driver's licenses ... one being an "operators license" ... the other being a "Chauffuer License - with appropriate commercial drivers license (CDL) endorsement".

According the web site - "An operator's license is what most residents mean when they use the term "driver's license." An operator's license allows you to drive passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating capacity of less than 26,000 pounds."

However, specifically exempted from requiring a CDL are "Individuals operating motor homes or other vehicles used exclusively to transport personal possessions or family members, for non-business purposes."

While clearly a Michigan resident doesn't require a CDL to drive a motor home ... there appears to be a gray area since a standard "operators license" seems to stop at 26,000 lbs.

[jstdreamin]

Originally Posted by Mzbrandi

That sounds, but can you cite fed regs to back it up. I couldn't.

Brandi

Brandy,

I called my insurance company to validate that my insurance would cover me in states with stronger regulations, and they stated that the policy followed the laws in my state of residence.

[slowmachine]

Originally Posted by Mzbrandi

That sounds, but can you cite fed regs to back it up. I couldn't.

Brandi

Don't chase your tail for too long. This is the behind-the-scenes discussion from Wikipedia on the subject:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk..._United_States

I removed the reference to a "federal law" that requires states to honor each other's licenses, since I could not find such a law. If you know of one, please post a citation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bud08 (talk • contribs) 03:06, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

It's the full faith and credit doctrine that requires that states honor each other's contracts, marriages, et cetera. 12.109.73.226 (talk) 17:56, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
Actually, it is not that simple. Some people claim that the full faith and credit doctrine requires this, but no court has ruled as such. Marriages are most certainly not always recognized across state lines (gay marriages a case in point). I don't know of a single federal law or court case that has ever forced a state to honor an out-of-state driver's license, or license of any type. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bud08 (talk • contribs) 08:24, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

Okay...out-of-state driver's licenses are ALWAYS recognized in other states. Always. There has never been a court case forcing a state to recognize an out-of-state driver's license because there has never been a case where the issue was challenged. No person has ever been fined or charged with a crime in ANY state in the U.S. for not having a driver's license when they had a valid one from a different state. No, I can't cite references, because there are no references to cite for something that doesn't exist. But it's common sense. I challenge ANYONE to disprove this. Kronos o (talk) 01:13, 22 March 2009 (UTC)
It doesn't matter if there has never been a court case. The fact is that no such federal law exists, and therefore you cannot write it on wikipedia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bud08 (talk • contribs) 06:09, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

"Section 1. Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Section 2. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. "-US Constitution — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bolegash (talk • contribs) 04:55, 23 December 2011 (UTC)

Mike
2000 Holiday Rambler Endeavor 40PBD
Freghtliner XC, CAT 3126B

[Murf2u]

Originally Posted by Timon

You need to be careful with CA license classes. Example: If you have a non commercial class A license you not licensed to drive a motorhome over 40' unless you have a MH enforcement added to your Class A.



Sorry but your LEO bother is wrong.



It's been well established in Federal law that what you're allowed to drive is totally controlled by how you're licensed in your home state. If your state has no special requirements for motorhome or 5th wheels RV then you don't need anything special in states that do. If you state has restrictions on what you can drive you must follow them even in states that don't.



When it comes to the vehicle specifications it must meet the requirements of the state your driving it. So in some states your overall length can't be over 60' but in others you can't be over 70'. One exception to this is smog requirements. A car licensed in another state can be driven in California even if it doesn't meet CA requirements.

I'm not sure that's correct. A 'Michigan Spread' trailer is a prime example, what can legally drive in one state isn't necessarily legal in another.

Reciprocity of drivers licenses doesn't extend to weight or length regulators, just to equivalent classes of licenses.

In Ontario for example, the 'regular' drivers licence allows a person to drive any vehicle that weighs less than (11,000 kg.) 24,200 pounds.

If however, that person is driving in a jurisdiction that allows 26,000 pounds, they are still legal there, a rented US unit for example.

[Timon]

Originally Posted by Murf2u

I'm not sure that's correct. A 'Michigan Spread' trailer is a prime example, what can legally drive in one state isn't necessarily legal in another.

Reciprocity of drivers licenses doesn't extend to weight or length regulators, just to equivalent classes of licenses.

In Ontario for example, the 'regular' drivers licence allows a person to drive any vehicle that weighs less than (11,000 kg.) 24,200 pounds.

If however, that person is driving in a jurisdiction that allows 26,000 pounds, they are still legal there, a rented US unit for example.

In the US what you're allowed to drive is covered by Reciprocity. So if my state says I can drive a 80,000 pound vehicle with 5 axels with a body width of 8' 6" and 75' long with my license class I can drive that vehicle in any state as long as that vehicle combination can be legally driven in that state. My state controls what I can drive period, full stop end of discussion.

However if the state I'm driving in only allows vehicles 65' long the rig would be illegal in that state, even though I'm allowed to drive it, but not states that allow 75' rigs.

So the bottom line is this. As long as long the vehicle I'm driving is legal in the state I'm driving in and my state says I can drive it then the state I'm driving in must allow me to drive it even if the drivers in the state I'm driving it with a license equivalent to mine can't. Whew, long sentence.

I'm going to digress here so read or not at your choosing.

Now here is where it gets complicated. Any driver with a commercial license can pull a DOT approved 48' trailer, most allow 53', in any state using a tractor of any length because there is no overall length limit. Note, my understanding is that this does not apply if the tractor can carry cargo such as a smart car.


Same for dual trailer each being 28'.


Why? Because commercial trucks have no overall length limit just the length of the trailers they pull. Too bad this doesn't apply to regular 5th wheel RVs.

What I've never been able to find out is if a driver with a Non Commercial Class A license, using Calif, can pull a DOT approved trailer which has been built as a RV for personal use, such as the ones that SpaceCraft builds below, and which length rules apply if they could.