Snowplowing and CDL’s

If you or an employee drives a snowplow, then you have a Commercial Driver’s License for operating your vehicle. Federal and State law was changed last year which affects eligible local governments and their plowing employees.

The changes in the law applies ONLY to back-up snowplow drivers employed by municipalities. It waives the requirement for a CDL if certain conditions are met in the town. The conditions are as follows:

• the vehicle must be operated within the boundaries of the municipality or county that has a population of 3,000 or less
• the vehicle must be operated by an employee of that local government for the purpose of removing snow or ice from a roadway by plowing, sanding, or salting
• this exemption applies only when the employee who ordinarily operates the vehicle is unavailable or in need of additional assistance due to snow emergency.

Some towns have asked about the definition of "snow emergency" and whether that applies to followup snow removal work in the days following the storm. The MDOT does not have a definitive answer from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on this question yet, but is seeking an answer. Call the Center at 624-3270 for an updated answer.