FMCSA says no to teens with K-restricted licenses attending out-of-state trucking school

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has denied a rule exemption request from a commercial driver’s license (CDL) school related to training truck driving students under 21 years of age who have restricted licenses.

The FMCSA announced in a Notice to be published in the Federal Register on July 28, 2025, that it will deny an exemption request from Michigan-based Bianco Trucking Services, LLC., which is a a registered entry-level driver training (ELDT) provider.

Bianco asked federal authorities for an exemption to allow to allow students between the ages of 18 and 20 holding a “K” restricted (intrastate only) commercial learners permit (CLP) issued by another state to attend its driver training facility in Michigan.

Bianco specifically asked for the exemption on behalf of student drivers from Wisconsin, as the company training facility is only 29 miles from the Wisconsin border, and “several students located in Wisconsin have inquired about attending its training program because Bianco’s training facility is their closest registered training provider.”

In explaining why the request was not approved, FMCSA said that a similar exemption request from 3 North LLC was denied in December 2024 because “the Agency agreed with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators that allowing drivers with a “K” restriction to operate in States other than their State of domicile would disrupt and confuse each State’s use of the “K” restriction.”

“The same reasoning applies to Bianco’s request for an exemption. Furthermore, based on information provided by the applicant, FMCSA is unable to determine that the applicant would likely achieve a level of safety equivalent to, or greater than, the level obtained by complying with the regulations,” the agency concluded.