Can I Get a CDL with a DUI?
TL;DR
The short answer: it depends on how many DUIs you have and when they happened. One DUI usually means your CDL is disqualified for a year. A second DUI is a lifetime ban from commercial driving. After a first DUI, plenty of drivers do get their CDL back once that disqualification period ends, but the exact rules vary from state to state.
FMCSA Rules: What a DUI Means for Your CDL
Federal FMCSA regulations treat a DUI (your state might call it a DWI or OWI) as a 'serious traffic violation,' and that carries a mandatory CDL disqualification. Here's how it breaks down.
- First DUI conviction: your CDL is disqualified for 1 year. If you were hauling hazardous materials at the time, it's 3 years.
- Second DUI conviction: a lifetime CDL disqualification. That's a permanent ban from commercial driving.
- A DUI in ANY vehicle counts. Get one in your personal car and it still disqualifies your CDL.
- Refusing a BAC test is treated exactly like a DUI conviction as far as your CDL goes.
- BAC threshold for CDL drivers: 0.04% behind the wheel of a CMV, compared to 0.08% on a regular license.
Getting a CDL After a First DUI
So you've got one DUI behind you. Here's the realistic path back to commercial driving.
- Wait out your full 1-year disqualification period.
- Finish whatever your state requires of you, things like a DUI program, probation, or community service.
- Get your regular driver's license reinstated if it was suspended.
- Retake the CDL knowledge tests. Most states will make you do this again.
- Get a fresh DOT physical and a new medical card.
- Be straight with employers on your job applications. A lot of trucking companies run background checks going back 7 to 10 years, so they'll find out anyway.
How a DUI Affects Getting Hired With a CDL
Qualifying for a CDL again is one thing. Getting a carrier to hire you is a whole separate hurdle, and a lot of companies have strict hiring policies around this.
- The big carriers (think Schneider, Swift, Werner) generally won't touch a driver with a DUI in the past 3 to 5 years.
- Smaller regional carriers tend to have more wiggle room depending on your situation.
- Going owner-operator can be an easier door to walk through, though your insurance is going to cost more.
- If you want Passenger (P) or School Bus (S) endorsements, a DUI history makes those extremely hard to land.
Preparing for Your CDL? Start Here
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