Arizona DOT Commercial Driver Restrictions
- There is a basic set of requirements that CDL holders must possess in Arizona. If you are between 18-20 years old, your license is only valid intrastate, while those 21 or older can use their license interstate. You must also prove that you are a U.S. citizen or provide proof of authorized presence, such as a permanent resident card or a temporary I-551 stamp in a valid passport. Furthermore, you must show your regular driver's license, which you must have held for at least one year. If this license is not from Arizona, you will be issued an Arizona license. Finally, you must have a valid Social Security card to gain a CDL in Arizona.
- Arizona CDL applicants must also provide a fully completed and endorsed medical examiner's form. This form must be completed and signed by a physician, who will lead you through a series of health and fitness questions to check you are fit for the rigors of truck driving. The doctor will also provide Arizona DOT with any details of medications you might be taking and any neurological or physical conditions which may inhibit your ability to drive a CMV. Several conditions or illnesses restrict a driver from holding a CDL in Arizona, such as diabetes for which the applicant must use insulin.
- A CDL applicant's vision must rate as at least 20/40 on the Snellen scale of visual acuity and have a field of vision of at least 70 degrees in each eye. Drivers may wear corrective lenses of spectacles when completing eyesight assessments, but the physician is required to note whether or not the driver requires lenses. If a driver can only pass the vision test using corrective lenses, he must wear them at all times while driving. Any driver who refuses to do this, or has visual acuity less than 20/40 or less than a 70-degree field of vision in each eye, cannot hold a CDL in Arizona.
- CDL applicants who have committed a number of crimes are restricted from driving certain types of CDL. For example, any applicant found guilty of a long list of crimes, such as terrorism, espionage, extortion, robbery or assault, is restricted from holding a HazMat endorsement on their CDL.
