Or. Admin. Code § 735-063-0260 - [Effective 11/3/2025] CDL Testing and Requirements for Issuance of CDL
(1) An applicant for a CDL must first be
issued a CLP and pass a CDL skills test unless the applicant qualifies for one
of the following exceptions:
(a) The applicant
currently holds an Oregon CDL and is applying to renew or replace a CDL
granting the exact same privileges.
(b) The applicant currently holds an Oregon
CDL, is qualified for and has passed the knowledge test to add one or more of
the following endorsements:
(A)
Tank;
(B) Hazardous
Materials;
(C)
Doubles/Triples.
(c) The
applicant surrenders a CDL that is valid or expired less than one year and was
issued by another state or the District of Columbia and the applicant:
(A) Meets the qualifications set forth in OAR
735-062-0080 subsections (1)(a)
- (e);
(B) Surrenders a CDL that is
the same class as the CDL for which the application is made;
(C) Passes the vision screening;
and
(D) Complies with OAR
735-063-0250(8)(a) to
(d).
(d) The applicant meets the requirements of
OAR 735-063-0280 to be issued an
Oregon CDL based on the applicant's military training and experience operating
CMVs.
(e) The applicant surrenders
a valid, unexpired Licencia Federal de Conductor issued by the United Mexican
States or a valid, unexpired CDL issued by a Canadian Province or Territory in
conformity with the Canadian National Safety Code and meets the requirements
described in OAR 735-063-0263.
(2) For a DMV examiner or CDL
Third Party Examiner to administer a CDL skills test to an applicant, the
applicant must:
(a) Have an unexpired Oregon
driver license;
(b) Have an
unexpired Oregon CLP that was issued not less than 14 days prior to the
test;
(c) Have driving privileges
that are not suspended, revoked, cancelled or otherwise withdrawn;
(d) Complete all required ELDT;
(e) Be ready to take the test in a class of
vehicle or combination of vehicles that corresponds to or is lesser than the
CLP, class, endorsements, and restrictions, possessed by the applicant and that
corresponds to the CDL for which the person is applying;
(f) Have proof of insurance coverage on the
vehicle as required by Oregon law;
(g) Complete all portions of the CDL skills
test on the same calendar day unless the applicant fails or is unable to
complete all three parts of the CDL skills test during a previous attempt;
and
(h) Communicate with the
examiner in English. All examiner instructions are given in English and the
applicant must respond in English.
(3) In addition to the applicants described
in section (2) of this rule, a CDL Third Party Examiner may administer a CDL
skills test to an applicant who:
(a) Has a
valid non-commercial driver license issued by another state;
(b) Has a valid CLP issued by the same state
as the non-commercial driver license described in subsection (a) of this
section, that was issued not less than 14 days prior to the test;
(c) Meets the requirements provided in
subsections (c) though (h) of section (2) of this rule;
(d) Is employed by an organization that
provides employer-based training in Oregon and is an Oregon DMV approved
employer-based testing organization;
(e) Has completed the employer provided ELDT
in Oregon; and
(f) Is being tested
by the same organization that provided ELDT.
(4) DMV adopts the following FMSCA
regulations in effect as of January 1, 2020, as the standards that must be
followed by an examiner in the administration of a CDL skills test:
(a)
49 CFR
383.71, Driver Applicant and Certification
Procedures;
(5) The CDL skills test must be
administered in accordance with the federal regulations adopted by section (4)
of this rule and the methods and procedures set forth in the Oregon CDL
Examiner's Manual. The CDL skills test consists of three parts:
(a) A pre-trip vehicle inspection test. This
part of the CDL skills test must be the first test administered by the
examiner. It is designed to evaluate the applicant's ability to identify and
operate the equipment on the vehicle in which the applicant is being tested and
to detect and identify unsafe vehicle equipment items as described in the
Oregon Commercial Driver Manual.
(b) A basic control skills test. This part of
the CDL skills test must be administered after the applicant has successfully
completed the pre-trip vehicle inspection test and prior to the on-road drive
test. It is designed to evaluate the applicant's ability to control the vehicle
and judge the position of the vehicle in relation to other objects through
basic starting, stopping, backing and parking maneuvers.
(c) An on-road drive test. This part of the
CDL skills test, which must be administered after successful completion of the
basic control skills test, is designed to evaluate the applicant's competency
to safely operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles under actual driving
conditions. The applicant must demonstrate safe and proper driving methods and
procedures and knowledge of the traffic laws. The following apply to an on-road
drive test:
(A) The vehicle or combination of
vehicles used for the CDL skills test must be of the class for which the
applicant seeks a license or endorsement and must have the proper equipment in
safe working order so that the vehicle(s) can be operated safely and legally.
DMV will not administer the test if the examiner concludes the vehicle cannot
be operated safely and legally; and
(B) The vehicle or combination of vehicles
must not be loaded.
(6) If the applicant fails any part of the
CDL skills test, DMV or a CDL Third Party Tester may administer the failed
parts of the test on a subsequent day on which DMV or the CDL Third Party
Tester does business. CDL Third Party Examiners must conform to the scheduling
requirements in OAR 735-060-0105(1)(n).
(7) If an applicant fails any part of the CDL
skills test, DMV or an approved Third Party Tester may accept the score for the
part of the CDL skills test that the applicant passed. Scores for parts of the
CDL skills test that the applicant passed may not be accepted for subsequent
CDL skills test after the applicant's CLP expires.
(8) All CDL skills test results must be
recorded in CSTIMS.
(9) A passing
score for a completed CDL skills test is valid for six months. Once an
applicant uses a CDL skills test score to have DMV issue commercial driving
privileges, the test score is void and DMV may not use the test score for a
subsequent issuance.
(10) If a CDL
skills test administered by DMV is not completed because of vehicle equipment
failure due to the vehicle not having the necessary safety equipment or not
being in proper working order, the required test fee will remain on the DMV
customer record to serve as payment for a postponed test. If an applicant must
postpone a CDL skills test three times due to equipment failure, it is a test
failure and the test fee is forfeited. DMV will require an additional test fee
for subsequent tests.
(11) An
applicant for a CDL with a hazardous materials endorsement must meet the
requirements described in OAR
735-063-0290.
(12) If an applicant is applying for a Real
ID CDL, the applicant is not required to comply with the provisions in section
(1)(c)(D) of this rule.
(13) An
applicant for a Real ID CDL must first be issued a non-Real ID CLP and pass a
CDL skills test unless the applicant surrenders a valid CDL issued by another
state or the District of Columbia and the applicant:
(a) Meets social security number verification
requirements set forth in OAR
735-062-0006;
(b) Except as provided in section (14) of
this rule and OAR 735-063-0268, provides proof of
U.S. citizenship as described in OAR
735-062-0022(3)
or permanent legal residency in the U.S. as described in OAR
735-062-0022(4);
(c) Certifies driving type;
(d) Provides proof of medical qualification
as described in OAR 735-063-0220; and
(e) Satisfies all requirements set forth in
ORS 807.285.
(14) A citizen of a nation with a Compact of
Free Association (COFA) with the United States must provide the proof required
in OAR 735-062-0022(5).
For purposes of this rule, a citizen of a COFA nation is considered to have met
lawful permanent resident requirements, under authority of FMCSA guidance, as
required under ORS 807.040 for issuance of a CDL.
The expiration date of a Real ID issued to a COFA citizen is described in OAR
735-062-0008(14).
Notes
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