Alaska legislature passes bill removing one-year wait for new CDL applicants

For drivers in Alaska looking to earn their commercial driver’s license, the path has gotten a bit simpler.

On May 12, the Alaska House of Representatives unanimously approved SB123, repealing the state’s current regulation that CDL applicants hold a regular driver’s license for a minimum of one year prior to applying.

The bill unanimously passed the state Senate on May 3. Sen. James Kaufman, sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the bill’s passage will help remove barriers that could dissuade some from seeking a CDL.

“With the governor’s signature, whether you are coming in from a remote community of Alaska with limited (Department of Motor Vehicle) access, new to the country, or just waited longer than normal to get your regular driver’s license, you will be able to begin pursuing your commercial driver’s license without holding that regular license for a year,” Kaufman said in a Facebook post. “Alaskans are ready to work, and removing this unnecessary barrier to entry will help our state attract drivers to fill jobs in industries critical for food security, construction, transportation of goods, mining, oil, and gas.”

Supporters of the bill say the state’s large rural areas can present an issue when it comes to meeting the current regulations.

Karl Kowalski is the director of Alaska Technical Center, an “adult vocational/technical training school designed specifically to meet the workforce demands of rural Alaskans.” He says the requirement has an overall negative impact on the community.

“Current state law assumes that a young person will get their driver’s license when they turn 16 and be ready to test and train to obtain their CDL at age 18. This is typical for youth in urban areas but is not true for those in rural areas, where roads are nonexistent or limited and a driver’s license is not required,” Kowalski said in a letter to the Senate Transportation Committee in support of the bill. “This requirement places an undue burden on rural, primarily Alaska Native, youth who may decide to pursue a commercial driver’s license and must wait for a year, possibly losing interest and missing out on employment opportunities.”

In addition to the old regulation being a hindrance to those in rural areas when it comes to obtaining a CDL, supporters say it’s just plain unnecessary. Kaufman says the one-year requirement was established in 1985, well before the introduction of the current federal entry-level driver training regulations.

“ELDT provides a checklist of well over 100 different skill, inspection, and knowledge requirements an applicant must prove proficient in before they are allowed to test for a CDL,” Joe Michel, executive director of the Alaskan Trucking Association, said in a letter supporting the bill. “In light of these new requirements, the Alaska Trucking Association views holding a regular driver’s license for a calendar year as a redundant barrier to entry into our industry.”

Rep. Julie Coulombe, R-Anchorage, sponsor of House version of the bill, told the Alaska Beacon only a handful of other states have a one-year waiting period before they issue a CDL, which hurts the state’s chances in a competitive job market.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. Once signed, the new law will go into effect immediately. LL