No CDL knowledge test needed for ex-military with commercial vehicle driving experience

A new law passed by the 2019 General Assembly will make it easier for former military personnel with experience driving commercial vehicles while in the service to receive a Virginia commercial driver’s license (CDL) upon leaving the military. The law goes into effect July 1.

Senate Bill 1481 and House Bill 2551 allow DMV to waive the CDL knowledge test for qualifying military drivers. To qualify for the knowledge test waiver, applicants must meet the criteria for the skills test waiver and must have held, within the last year, a military driver’s license with an approved Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Code.

Through its Troops to Trucks program, DMV already waives the CDL skills test for former military applicants with two years experience safely operating heavy military vehicles.

“DMV prides itself on assisting service men and women obtain tools for future employment in the transportation industry,” says DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. “Waiving the knowledge exam for qualifying former military members helps get them in the workforce quickly and is the right thing to do for those who have bravely served our country.”

For more information on the Troops to TrucksSM program and to see the specific requirements to waive the CDL skills and knowledge tests, visit dmvNOW.com.