Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012

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New Rules Help Troops Gain Commercial Driver’s Licenses

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2012 – Service members who are licensed to drive a range of military vehicles now have an advantage gaining a commercial driver’s license, a senior defense official said.

Frank C. DiGiovanni, who directs the Defense Department’s office of training readiness and strategy, recently told The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service the licensing development is “the second piece of something that was passed last year.”

In 2011, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted the commercial learner's permit rule. It allows states to substitute two years of safe driving experience in qualifying military vehicles for the skills-test portion of the commercial driver’s license test.

DiGiovanni said the Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012, which took effect in October, adds another boost for service members with military licenses who seek civilian credentials. The new legislation permits states to issue commercial driver's licenses to members of the Armed Forces who are stationed in a state, but not a resident of that state.

Because they move frequently, service members often maintain one state of residency. Service members who leave the military while living in a state other than their state of residency would previously have had to wait 30 days to a year to earn residency, DiGiovanni said.

He offered an example of the new act’s provisions: suppose a service member is stationed in Texas but plans to leave the military and move to South Carolina. That person -- if he or she has the required driving experience -- can take the written commercial driver’s license test in Texas while still on active duty, receive a license, and then transfer the license to South Carolina later on, DiGiovanni said. All 50 states have reciprocity agreements for commercial driving licenses, he noted.

The law applies to all active duty, reserve, National Guard, and Coast Guard members. read more>>>