New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 15 - Department of Motor Vehicles › Chapter I - REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER › Subchapter A - DRIVER LICENSING AND TRAINING › Part 3 - Drivers' Licenses › Section 3.2 - Driver license classifications, endorsements and restrictions

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
Subdivision one of section 501 provides that a driver
					 license shall be valid only for the operation of the vehicles specified for
					 each class of license but shall not be valid for the operation of any type of
					 vehicle for which an endorsement is required unless the license contains such
					 endorsement and further that such license shall also be subject to any
					 restrictions contained on the license.
(a)
License classifications.
Paragraph (a) of subdivision two of section 501  of the Vehicle and Traffic Law
					 establishes eight classes of driver licenses and sets forth the vehicles which
					 may be operated with each such class subject to any required endorsements and
					 any restrictions which may be made to any such license. The license classes
					 are: A, B, C, D, E, DJ, M and MJ. Class A, class B and class C licenses which
					 contain an H, P, S or X endorsement are commercial driver licenses or CDLs. Any
					 other class license, including a class C license which does not contain an H,
					 P, S or X endorsement is not a CDL. No license may contain more than one class
					 except that any license may contain a motorcycle M class in addition to its
					 other class. A license which has both a motorcycle and a DJ class will be
					 designated as a DMJ license. No person shall apply for a commercial learner's
					 permit unless such person holds a class D license. A commercial learner's
					 permit may not be issued with an endorsement authorized by federal regulation,
					 other than a P, S or N endorsement.
(b)
Endorsements.
Paragraph (b) of subdivision two of section 501
					 specifically establishes endorsements which may be added to one or more classes
					 of licenses and further provides that the commissioner may by regulation
					 establish additional endorsements. An endorsement is required on a license in
					 order for the licensee to operate the type of vehicle or combination of
					 vehicles or to transport passengers for the type of cargo specified in the
					 endorsement. A license may contain multiple endorsements.
(1) Statutory endorsements. The endorsements
				  established in statute are T, N, P, X, H, S, W, covered farm vehicle, and
				  personal use vehicle endorsements. A covered farm vehicle endorsement or a
				  personal use vehicle endorsement shall only be added to a license which is not
				  a CDL. T, N, P, X, S or H endorsement shall only be added to a CDL. A W
				  endorsement may be added to a CDL license or to a license that is not a CDL.
(i) CDL endorsements. A P endorsement which
				  is needed to operate a bus or any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or
				  gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds which is designed to
				  transport passengers in commerce requires passage of both a special knowledge
				  test and a skills test in a representative vehicle. An S endorsement which is
				  needed to operate a school bus requires passage of both a special knowledge
				  test and a skills test in a representative vehicle. The holder of an S
				  endorsement must also hold a P endorsement. T, N, H, W or X endorsements which
				  are needed to operate the following vehicles or combinations require only the
				  passage of a knowledge test for each endorsement by the licensee:
T - double and triple trailers
N - tank vehicles
H - vehicles transporting hazardous materials which are
					 required to be placarded
W - tow trucks
X - combines H & N endorsements
(a) Metal coil endorsement. (M) This
				  endorsement shall be issued to the holder of a commercial driver's license who
				  transports metal coils weighing 5,000 pounds or more or bundled metal coils
				  weighing 5,000 pounds or more.
(b)
				  A metal coil is a product comprised of mixtures, compounds and/or alloys
				  commonly known as metal, metal foil, metal leaf, forged metal, stamped metal,
				  metal wire or metal chain that are generally good conductors of electricity and
				  heat and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wire
				  that are bulk packaged or packaged from a continuous pull or multiple pulls as
				  a roll, coil, spool, wind or wrap and where the aggregate weight of the coil is
				  equal to or greater than 5,000 pounds.