Alaska - How to Obtain a Commercial Driving License

ProcedureEdit

Go to your local DMV office and bring along the required documents.
Complete the Form 415 APPLICATION FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE.
Provide proof of birthdate and identity.
Provide your Social Security number.
Pass the road, vision, and written tests.
Have a valid medical card.
Pay the fee.

Required DocumentsEdit

Legal name & date of birth (primary document)

The following documents are acceptable for proving legal name and date of birth. If your legal name is different than what is printed on your birth certificate, you will need to bring in the document(s) that provide proof of the name change, unless you have previously obtained an Alaska learner's permit or Alaska State ID card in your current name.

An original or certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate (From Vital Statistics)
If you were born in Puerto Rico, click here for important information
Passport (Issued by the United States or Canada. Must be current.)
An Alaska learner's permit or Alaska State Identification card.
Military Identification for active duty, retiree or reservist.
Certificate of Citizenship, Naturalization or Birth Abroad.
Passport issued from another country, with appropriate immigration documents.

Name Change

The document provided must be an original or certified copy of the original issued by a government agency.

U.S. Passport (Must be current)
Amended birth certificate
Certified adoption papers, marriage certificate, court order or divorce decree
Certificate of Dissolution, Divorce or Annulment
Certificate of Naturalization
Certificate of Name Change
Social Security Card
Original Social Security Card ( Metal and laminated cards are not acceptable).
Letter from the Social Security Administration verifying your name and number.
Letter from the Social Security Administration verifying you have never been assigned a social security number.

Note: If a number has been assigned to you, it is required on the application. For information regarding your social security number, please see the following: http://www.ssa.gov

Residence Address

The following items are acceptable for proving residency. The document must show your residence address, not a post office box or other mail cache facility.

Utility bill
Alaska voter registration card
Alaska title and/or registration (Issued at least 30 days prior to application)
Paycheck Stub
Medical Assistance card
Public Assistance card
Cancelled check or bank statement
Mortgage or rental documents

Office Locations & ContactsEdit

Driver Licensing Office

http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/office/index.htm

EligibilityEdit

To be eligible for a CDL, you must have a clean driving record. Federal regulations require you to pass a physical exam every two years.
You must be domiciled in the State of Alaska in order to obtain or renew an Alaska CDL. (Domicile = ALASKA MUST be your true, fixed and permanent home, and principal residence to which you intend to return whenever you are absent.)
You must be 21 years old when you apply if you plan to drive inside and outside of Alaska (interstate), plus, you must have held a regular driver's license for at least one year.
Be at least 19 years old when you apply if you plan to drive only within Alaska (intrastate).

Types of commercial Driver License's

The Act established three separate classes of commercial driver's licenses. Every state issues licenses in these categories:

Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GWVR) of 26,001 or more pounds, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
Class B: Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.
Class C: Any single vehicle or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

Many states make exceptions for farm vehicles, snow removal vehicles, fire and emergency vehicles, and some military vehicles.

Endorsements

To be licensed for certain types of commercial vehicles, extra testing is required. If you pass, you will receive an endorsement on your CDL. These are the five endorsements that you can apply for. Each requires between one and five knowledge (written) tests, and two require driving (skills) tests.

H - Knowledge & Background Check (Background check - Effective 1/31/05)Hazardous material in placardable amounts.
N - Knowledge - Hauling liquids in bulk (Tank)
P - Knowledge & Skills (road test) - Transporting more than 15 passengers
S - Knowledge & Skills (road test) - School Bus
T - Knowledge - Double or Triple Trailers
X - Knowledge & Background Check (Background check - Effective 1/31/05)Combination of N and H endorsements

FeesEdit

Here are the fees involved in the licensing process for a CLD in Alaska:

Basic CDL fee: $100
Road test fee: $25

The road test fee is non-refundable; even if you do not pass the road test in the three tries allotted to each applicant.

Note

Please be aware that the Alaska DMV does not accept non-personalized checks. Your name and address must be pre-printed on any check to be acceptable.

ValidityEdit

Alaska driver license's expire on the applicants birthday and are valid for approximately five years.

Documents to UseEdit

Please attach documents which can be used by people who would like to follow this procedure.

Sample DocumentsEdit

Please attach sample completed documents which would help other people who would like to follow this procedure.

Processing TimeEdit

Please explain the processing your application.

InstructionsEdit

An applicant must be at least twenty-one years of age at the time of application and must have held a valid driver license for at least one year.
For an intrastate license, the applicant must be at least nineteen years of age.
An applicant must pass the road, vision and written test prior to issuance of the CDL.
Your social security number is required to obtain a CDL.
The commercial driver license fee is $100.00.
There is a $25.00 non-refundable fee for those requiring a road test.
You need to pass the road, vision, and written tests.
Road test appointments may be scheduled in any State DMV office or using our Online Services.
In the Municipality of Anchorage, commercial tests are administered by the Center for Employment Education (CEE). Call 279-8451 for an appointment.
Outside the Municipality of Anchorage, please contact your local DMV, schedule your road test online.
You need to have a valid medical card. For information on medical cards, call (907) 341-3200

Required InformationEdit

Full Legal Name
Place of Birth
Date of Birth
Sex
Height, Weight, Hair color, Eye color
Country
Social Security Number
Mailing address
Residence address
Citizenship

Need for the DocumentEdit

If you will be driving a vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers, or transporting hazardous materials, regardless of the GVWR, a Commercial Driving License (CDL) is required. A commercial driver may have only one license and that license must be issued by their home state.

Information which might helpEdit

It is necessary to have active Auto Insurance in order to drive legally in Alaska.
Your Alaska driver's license will generally expire on your birthday. The expiration year will generally be five years from the year the license was issued or last renewed.
It is advisable to renew your driver's license before the birthday on which it will expire. You can renew your license any time in the three months leading up to its expiration.
Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) are issued by the Department of Homeland Security and are not available through DMV.

External LinksEdit

Alaska Division of Administration Division of Motor Vehicles - Commercial Drivers License

http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/akol/cdl.htm

Guide to Rural Driving Information

http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/akol/rural.htm

Road Test Information

http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/akol/roadtest.htm

Driver License & Reinstatement Fees

http://doa.alaska.gov/dmv/akol/fees.htm

Office Locations and Hours of Operation