DMV Self-Certification Procedures

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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (§383.71) requires commercial drivers to self-certify the type of commercial operation they are engaged in: interstate commerce or intrastate commerce. CTA's Help Desk has received calls from members with drivers who have been incorrectly self certified as intrastate drivers. Below are the self-certification procedures that members can use if their drivers need to correct their self-certification status.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (§383.71) requires commercial drivers to disclose the type of commercial operation they are engaged in:

Non-Excepted Interstate (NI): Operates or expects to operate a CMV in interstate commerce and is subject to and meets the qualification requirements under Title 49, CFR, part 391. The license does not restrict the transport, origination, or destination of the load to be transported.

Interstate commerce means trade, traffic, or transportation in the U.S. that is:

Between a place in a State and a place outside of such State (including a place outside of the U.S.).
Between two places in the State through another State or a place outside of the U.S.
Between two places in the State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State or the U.S.

Non-Excepted Intrastate (NA): Operates or expects to operate in intrastate commerce and required to meet the qualification requirements under Title 49, CFR, part 391. The cargo and passengers must originate and end in California. While driving commercially you may not cross state or international borders.

Intrastate commerce means trade, traffic, or transportation in the U.S. that is:

Between two places in the State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating inside the State.

Note: If you self-certify as operating NA (Non-Excepted Intrastate) your CDL card and driver record will reflect a CDL Intrastate Only restriction (40/K).

Important: You may be engaged in interstate commerce even if your vehicle does not leave the state. DMV strongly recommends a driver certify a driving type of non-excepted interstate (NI) if you meet the federal qualifications and there is any chance you might operate a CMV in interstate commerce.

If a driver is incorrectly self-certified and wants to update the self-certification on their driving record and remove the Intrastate Only restriction from their physical CDL card, they need to visit a DMV Field Office. At the Field Office, they will complete a DL694 Form and pay the applicable fee to receive a new license. The applicable fee will vary depending on licensing factors. It may be a correction (duplicate) or it may be charged as a renewal, if the driver is within their CDL renewal period. For a full list of CDL application fees, click here and go to the Commercial Class A or B and Commercial Class C sections. The new driver license usually takes 2-3 weeks to arrive.

If your drivers have any issues when visiting the DMV Field Office to update their self-certification, contact the CTA Help Desk at 916-373-3500.

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