To check your CDL status, log into your state licensing agency’s online driver record portal, or visit a DMV office in person. The record will show your license class, endorsements, restrictions, medical certification, and whether your driving privileges are active, suspended, disqualified, revoked, or expired. Most drivers can get this information in a few minutes with a license number and a date of birth.
Check Your Status Through Your State DMV Online
Every state runs its own online lookup for CDL holders. The setup differs by state: California requires you to create an account with phone-based authentication before you can view your record,1State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License and ID Card Status while Connecticut lets you look up credential status directly by entering your license number.2CT.gov. Connecticut Credential Verification Most states sit somewhere between those two, asking for a license number plus a date of birth or the last four digits of a Social Security number.
Once you’re in, you’ll see your license class (A, B, or C), any endorsements you hold (hazmat, tanker, passenger, school bus, doubles/triples, or the combined hazmat-tanker), any restrictions, your medical certification status with its expiration date, and the current standing of the license itself.
Stick with the official state site. Third-party lookup tools often carry stale data and sometimes charge for information the state provides free.
In Person, By Phone, or By Mail
If the online option won’t work for you, or the result is confusing, visit a local DMV or driver services office with your current license and any other ID your state requires. A representative can pull the full record and walk you through anything unclear.
Phone requests generally need your name, Social Security number, and CDL number for verification.3US Department of Transportation. PIA – Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS)-Gateway For mail, include your full name, date of birth, license number, and a clear description of what you need. Mail responses can take several weeks. Certified copies usually cost anywhere from a few dollars to around $25, depending on the state and the record type.
Pull Your PSP Report for the Federal Picture
Your state driving record only shows convictions from that state. For the fuller federal safety picture employers see, request your Pre-Employment Screening Program report through FMCSA. A PSP report includes your five-year crash history and three-year roadside inspection history, covers safety violations cited during inspection even when they didn’t result in a conviction, and lists every CDL number you’ve held over the past five years.4Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP). PSP and MVR – What’s the Difference?
Prospective employers pull PSP reports during hiring. Seeing yours before you apply gives you a chance to address problems on your terms.
What Each Status Means
Active or Valid
Your CDL is in good standing, your medical certification is current, and you’re authorized to drive within the scope of your class and endorsements.
Disqualified
Under federal law, “disqualification” is the umbrella term for any withdrawal of the privilege to drive a commercial vehicle, and it covers what states may separately call suspension, revocation, or cancellation.5eCFR. 49 CFR 383.5 – Definitions The periods are set by federal regulation:
- One year for a first major offense such as DUI, refusing an alcohol test, leaving the scene of an accident, using a CMV to commit a felony, or causing a fatality through negligent driving. Three years if hazmat was involved.
- Lifetime for a second major offense from a separate incident. States may allow reinstatement after 10 years with an approved rehabilitation program, but a third conviction after reinstatement is permanent.
- Lifetime with no 10-year reinstatement option for drug trafficking involving a CMV.
- 60 days for two serious traffic violations within three years, and 120 days for three or more. Serious violations include speeding 15 mph or more over the limit, reckless driving, improper lane changes, and following too closely.
Disqualification periods stack on top of any previous ones, and a disqualified driver is prohibited from operating a CMV.6eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers Driving while disqualified is itself a major offense, triggering another one-year disqualification for the first violation and lifetime for a second.7eCFR. 49 CFR Part 383 Subpart D – Driver Disqualifications and Penalties Federal civil penalties for out-of-service order violations start at $2,500 for a first offense and $5,000 for a second, and employers face up to $25,000 for knowingly letting a disqualified driver operate.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 31310 – Disqualifications
Suspended
Many states use “suspended” for a temporary withdrawal of driving privileges, often triggered by traffic violations, unpaid fines, or lapsed insurance. Suspension terms and reinstatement rules come from state law rather than federal regulation. Reinstatement typically means meeting whatever conditions the state imposed, paying a reinstatement fee, and sometimes waiting out a set period. During a suspension, operating any commercial vehicle is illegal.
Revoked
Revocation terminates the CDL rather than pausing it. States generally reserve revocation for the most serious situations, such as repeated DUI convictions, use of a commercial vehicle in a felony, or a pattern of serious violations. Getting the CDL back after revocation usually means starting over with a new application and retesting.
Expired
The license has passed its renewal date and is no longer valid for commercial operation. Most states offer a grace period, but once it closes you may have to retake skills or knowledge tests. Set a reminder well before the expiration date.
Medical Certification and the 60-Day Downgrade
Federal regulations require most CDL holders driving in interstate commerce to keep a valid medical examiner’s certificate. Your state licensing agency tracks that status on your CDLIS record as “certified” or “not-certified,” along with the certificate’s expiration date.9Federal Register. Medical Certification Requirements as Part of the CDL
Here’s where drivers get caught off guard. If your medical certificate expires, the state must change your status to “not-certified” and then downgrade your CDL within 60 days. A downgrade strips the commercial privilege from your license, converting it to a regular driver’s license until you submit a current medical certificate.10eCFR. 49 CFR 383.73 – State Procedures You can head this off by submitting a new medical certificate within the 60-day window, providing documentation of a medical variance such as a diabetes or vision exemption, or, if your state allows, changing your self-certification to intrastate-only or exempt operation.
The 60-day clock starts when the certificate expires, not when the state gets around to notifying you. Drivers who let a medical card lapse between jobs or during extended leave sometimes discover the downgrade only when they try to get hired again.
The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Can Change Your Status
The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks drug and alcohol program violations for CDL and CLP holders. A violation puts your Clearinghouse status at “prohibited,” meaning no employer can legally let you operate a commercial vehicle.11Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
As of November 18, 2024, state licensing agencies must remove commercial driving privileges from any driver with a “prohibited” Clearinghouse status. In practice, your CDL is downgraded until you complete the return-to-duty process with a DOT-qualified Substance Abuse Professional and produce a negative return-to-duty test.12Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse – Frequently Asked Questions If your state status shows a downgrade you didn’t expect, check your Clearinghouse status as well; the two are now linked.
Fixing Errors on Your Record
If something on your CDL status looks wrong, direct the challenge to the right place. For errors on your state driving record, contact your state licensing agency. States manage CDLIS records for the drivers they license, and drivers contesting the accuracy of information in their state-operated CDLIS records must go through the state agency.3US Department of Transportation. PIA – Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS)-Gateway
Errors in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse have their own petition process. You can challenge the accuracy of information reported to the Clearinghouse, but you cannot use that process to challenge the validity of the underlying test result or refusal.13Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Can a Driver Correct Information Recorded About Him or Her A flawed test itself is a separate legal matter.
Don’t sit on an error. An incorrect disqualification or a conviction that belongs to someone else can cost you a job offer or trigger an undeserved downgrade, and your employer is required to review your driving record at least once every 12 months.14eCFR. 49 CFR 391.25 – Annual Inquiry and Review of Driving Record The sooner you flag a problem, the sooner it gets corrected.