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FMCSA guides licensing agencies

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published guidance for state driver licensing agencies to meet U.S. commercial driver’s license rules for reporting traffic convictions and keeping CDL information secure.

The FMCSA published two rules in the July 2 Federal Register. One was for the states on timely reporting and posting of traffic offense convictions and the other was regarding CDL information security and recommendations for continuing operation and recovering information in a disaster.

The new rules are in response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inspector General's report, “Audit of the Data Integrity of the Commercial Driver's License Information System.”

Reporting requirements for state driver licensing agencies include:
When a CDL holder is convicted of a traffic offense in a state other than the state issuing the license, that state must notify the licensing state within 10 days of the conviction. If a CDL holder is disqualified or driving privileges are withdrawn/suspended from operating a commercial motor vehicle for longer than 60 days in a state other than the licensing state, the penalizing state must notify the CDL holder’s licensing state within 10 days. Whenever a state licensing agency receives notification of a conviction/ disqualification from another state, it must post the information to the driver history record within 10 days of receipt. The timeline is the same if the conviction occurred in the licensing state.
The FMCSA will begin posting information about state compliance with timeliness requirements on its website soon.

The other rule dealt with state licensing agency methods of keeping information secure and recovering data in case of a disaster.

The 2009 IG report noted states had delays in posting convictions for the CDL Information System. Also, state licensing agencies had deficiencies in security controls, but both state and CDLIS needed enhanced contingency planning and testing.

The FR notices may be read in full here and here .

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