FMCSA says no to high school’s ask for commercial learner’s permits for 17 year olds

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has denied an age-related regulation exemption request from a high school located in Washington state.

In a Notice to be published in the Federal Register on April 28, FMCSA announced the denial of an application for exemption from the commercial learner’s permit (CLP) minimum 18-year age requirement that was requested by Connell High School (CHS), located in Connell, Washington.

CHS asked authorities for a 5 year exemption that would allow students in the school’s Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Training Program to obtain a CLP at the age of 17.

CHS argued that an equivalent or greater level of safety as would be obtained by complying with the regulation due in part to various safety requirements, training, and field exercises such as:

• Commercial vehicle training simulators to enhance the overall curriculum
• Requiring students to maintain a clean driving record throughout the entirety of the CDL course
• Training courses from the Washington State Patrol on sex trafficking, vehicle inspections, and other commercial vehicle regulations
• Use of golf carts and utility trailers to teach backing techniques

A slight majority of the public comments received on the exemption request opposed allowing 17 year olds to obtain CLPs.

FMCSA ultimately opted to deny CHS’s request because it “would allow drivers who are both young and inexperienced to operate CMVs, and the available data do not support a determination that such an exemption would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to that achieved by following the existing regulations.”