Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 13, December 25, 2024
(1)
Content. The skills test for a commercial driver's license is
a three-part test as required in 49 CFR Part 383 , Subparts E, G and
H.
(2)
Test
methods. All skills tests shall be administered in compliance with
49
CFR Section 383.133(c).
Interpreters are prohibited during the administration of skills tests.
Applicants must be able to understand and respond to verbal commands and
instructions in English by a skills test examiner. Neither the applicant nor
the examiner may communicate in a language other than English during the skills
test.
(3)
Order.
The skills test must be administered and successfully completed in the
following order: pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control skills, on-road
skills. If an applicant fails one segment of the skills test, the applicant
cannot continue to the next segment of the test, and scores for the passed
segments of the test are only valid during initial issuance of the commercial
learner's permit.
(4)
Vehicle. The applicant shall provide a representative vehicle
for the skills test. "Representative vehicle" means a commercial motor vehicle
that meets the statutory description for the class of license applied for.
a. To obtain a passenger vehicle endorsement
applicable to a specific vehicle class, the applicant must take the skills test
in a passenger vehicle, as defined in rule
761-607.3 (321), satisfying the
requirements of that class, as required in
49 CFR Section
383.117.
b. To obtain a school bus endorsement, the
applicant must qualify for a passenger vehicle endorsement and take the skills
test in a school bus, as defined in rule
761-607.3 (321), in the same
vehicle class as the applicant will drive, as required in
49 CFR Section
383.123.
c. To obtain a tank endorsement, the
applicant must take the skills test in a representative vehicle for the class
of license applied for, but the representative vehicle is not required to be a
tank vehicle.
d. To remove an air
brake or full air brake restriction, the applicant must take the skills test in
a vehicle equipped with an air brake system, as defined in rule
761-607.3 (321) and as required
in
49 CFR Section
383.113.
e. To remove a manual transmission
restriction, the applicant must take the on-road segment of the skills test in
a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission, as defined in rule
761-607.3 (321).
(5)
Skills test
scoring. Passing scores for a skills test shall meet the standards
contained in
49 CFR Section
383.135(b).
(6)
Military waiver. The
department may waive the requirement that an applicant pass a required skills
test for an applicant who is on active duty in the military service or who has
separated from such service in the past year, provided the applicant meets the
requirements of Iowa Code subsection
321.188(6).
(7)
Locations. The skills
test for a commercial driver's license shall be given only at specified
locations where adequate testing facilities are available. An applicant may
contact any driver's license service center for the location of the nearest
skills testing center.
(8)
Fees. Fees authorized pursuant to Iowa Code sections
321.187A
and
321M.6A
will be collected by the department or a county treasurer location offering
commercial driver's license skills tests.
a.
Except as provided in paragraph 607.28(8)
"c," the fee for an
applicant to schedule the pre-trip vehicle inspection segment of the skills
test with the department is $25. No fees are due to the department for
scheduling the basic vehicle control skills or on-road skills segment of the
test.
b. Except as provided in
paragraph 607.28(8)
"c," the fee to schedule the pre-trip
vehicle inspection segment of the skills test with a county treasurer is $25.
The fee for a county treasurer to administer the basic vehicle control skills
segment is $25, and the fee to administer the on-road skills segment of the
test is $25. However, if the applicant fails one segment of the driving skills
test, no fee shall be due for a subsequent segment of the test.
c. If the applicant is an employee or
volunteer of a government agency as defined in Iowa Code section
553.3, the following
shall apply:
(1) The department shall not
charge the pre-trip inspection scheduling fee under paragraph
607.28(8)
"a."
(2)
A county treasurer may charge only the pre-trip inspection fee under paragraph
607.28(8)
"b."
(3)
An applicant must provide the department or county treasurer with reasonable
proof that the applicant is an employee or volunteer of a qualifying government
agency and that a commercial driver's license is necessary for the applicant's
employment or volunteer duties. Reasonable proof shall be provided on Form
430311. Alternatively, if the applicant is seeking a skills test from a county
treasurer, reasonable proof may include payment of the pre-trip inspection fee
by a government agency on behalf of the applicant.
d. If an applicant fails to appear for the
pre-trip inspection segment of the skills test, the appointment shall be
canceled and no other applicable fees are due.
e. Except as provided in paragraph
607.28(8)
"g," new fees will apply if an applicant schedules a
new skills test appointment.
f. The
department or a county treasurer may collect any fees due and owed for the
skills test at the same time any fees are collected as part of the commercial
driver's license issuance transaction.
g. Any fees collected under this subrule are
nonrefundable. However, nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as
preventing the department or a county treasurer from transferring a fee charged
for a pre-trip inspection to a new pre-trip inspection if rescheduling the
appointment is determined necessary or appropriate as determined by the
department or county treasurer upon a showing of good cause.
h. A skills test fee charged under this
subrule that remains unpaid may be collected at the person's next driver's
license renewal or replacement.
This rule is intended to implement Iowa Code sections
321.186,
321.187A,
321.188
and
321M.6A.