{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-281a.170","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 281A.170","heading":"Form of licenses -- Use for federal identification purposes -- Limitations","body":"on licenses -- Administrative regulations -- Expiration.\n(1) The commercial driver's license shall be marked \"commercial driver's license\" and\n\"CDL\" and shall be, to the maximum extent practicable, tamper proof. It shall\ninclude but is not limited to the following information:\n(a) The name and present resident address of the licensee;\n(b) The licensee's photograph;\n(c) A physical description of the licensee incl uding sex, height, weight, and eye\ncolor;\n(d) The licensee's date of birth;\n(e) The licensee's signature;\n(f) The class or type of commercial motor vehicle or vehicles that the person is\nauthorized to drive together with any endorsements or restrictions;\n(g) The name of this state;\n(h) The dates between which the license is valid; and\n(i) Any other information required by the cabinet, except for a person's Social\nSecurity number.\n(2) A commercial driver's license issued under this chapter shall contain a denotation\nthat either:\n(a) The commercial driver's license is a voluntary travel ID identity document\nthat complies with the security standards set forth by Pub. L. No. 109 -13,\nTitle II, and may be used for identification for federal purposes; or\n(b) The commercial driver's license shall not be used for federal identification\npurposes.\n(3) A commercial driver's license shall be issued with classifications, endorsements,\nand restrictions. Vehicles that require an endorsement shall not be driven unless the\nproper endorsement appears on the license and the applicant has passed the\nknowledge and skills test required by the State Police.\n(a) Classifications:\n1. Class A - Any combination of v ehicles with a gross vehicle weight\nrating of twenty -six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or more, if the\ngross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle being towed is in excess of ten\nthousand (10,000) pounds. Licensees with an \"A\" classification may\nwith the proper endorsement drive Class B and C vehicles;\n2. Class B - Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of\ntwenty-six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or more, and any vehicle\ntowing a vehicle not in excess of ten thousand (10,000) pounds gros s\nvehicle weight rating. Licensees with a \"B\" classification may with the\nproper endorsements drive Class C vehicles;\n3. Class C - Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less\nthan twenty -six thousand and one (26,001) pounds or any vehicle\ntowing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating not in excess of ten\nthousand (10,000) pounds which includes:\na. Vehicles designed to transport sixteen (16) or more passengers,\nincluding the driver; or\nb. Vehicles used in the transportation of hazardo us materials which\nrequires the vehicle to be placarded under 49 C.F.R. secs. 172.500\nto 172.560, as adopted by administrative regulations of the\ncabinet, pursuant to KRS Chapter 13A;\n4. Class D - All other vehicles not listed in any other class, including\nmopeds; and\n5. Class M - Motorcycles. Licensees with a \"M\" classification may also\ndrive mopeds.\n(b) Endorsements:\n1. \"H\" - Authorizes the driver to operate a vehicle transporting hazardous\nmaterials;\n2. \"T\" - Authorizes operation of double trailers and t riple trailers in those\njurisdictions allowing the operation of triple trailers;\n3. \"P\" - Authorizes operation of vehicles carrying passengers;\n4. \"N\" - Authorizes operation of tank vehicles;\n5. \"X\" - Authorizes operation of combination of hazardous materi als and\ntank vehicle endorsements;\n6. \"R\" - Authorizes operation of all other endorsements not otherwise\nspecified; and\n7. \"S\" - Authorizes operation of school buses.\n(c) The Transportation Cabinet shall promulgate administrative regulations in\naccordance with KRS Chapter 13A to outline restrictions on the operation of\ncommercial vehicles and the associated codes to identify such restrictions,\nwhich shall appear on the face of the commercial driver's license.\n(4) Within ten (10) days after issuing a commerc ial driver's license, the cabinet shall\nnotify the commercial driver's license information system of that fact, providing all\ninformation required to ensure identification of the person.\n(5) A commercial driver's license issued to a resident pursuant to th is chapter shall\nexpire in eight (8) years unless the license was issued to a resident under the age of\ntwenty-one (21).\n(6) A person under the age of twenty-one (21):\n(a) Shall not be:\n1. Licensed to operate a Class A, B, or C vehicle unless he or she has a \"K\"\nrestriction; or\n2. Allowed to operate a school bus; and\n(b) Who holds a valid CDL may be issued a hazardous materials endorsement to transport hazardous materials in intrastate commerce.\n(7) A commercial driver with a \"K\" restriction shall not drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, unless he or sh e is exempt pursuant to 49 C.F.R. sec. 391.2.\n(8) The holder of a commercial driver's license shall be considered to hold a valid Kentucky driver's license issued under the provisions of KRS 186.4102 and 186.412.","path":["KRS Chapter 281A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56482","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:53:35Z","sha256":"3bb05a4cc1b97d80608a3605d216dcfe10a5a491ccd2af2cf635556f69f3fb3b","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-281a.165","next":"us-ky/krs-281a.175"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}