How many points or tickets you can receive as a commercial driver's license (CDL) may differ according to state laws. The amount of points received for moving violations differ according to state laws as does the point total which may cause your commercial license to be suspended or revoked.
State laws have different points systems as well. Due to state laws differing you would need to check with your state's Department of Motor Vehicles to get specific information on how many tickets or points you can receive with a CDL.
There are Federal rules as well as state laws to be considered. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), if convicted while driving a CMV for the following items drivers must be disqualified and lose their privilege to drive for 60 to 120 days:
- Two or more serious traffic violations within a 3-year period. These include excessive speeding, reckless driving, improper or erratic lane changes, following the vehicle ahead too closely, and traffic offenses in connection with fatal traffic accidents 90 days to 5 years.
- One or more violations of an out-of-service order within a 10-year period.1 Year
- Driving under the influence of a controlled substance or alcohol; or
- Leaving the scene of an accident; or Using a CMV to commit a felony.3 Years:
- Any of the 1-year offenses while operating a CMV that is placarded for hazardous materials. Life
- Second offense of any of the 1-year or 3-year offenses; or Using a CMV to commit a felony involving manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing controlled substances.
- States have the option to reduce certain lifetime disqualifications to a minimum disqualification period of 10 years if the driver completes a driver rehabilitation program approved by the State.
- If a CDL holder is disqualified from operating a CMV, the State may issue him/her a license to operate non-CMVs. Drivers who are disqualified from operating a CMV can not be issued a "conditional" or "hardship" CDL or any other type of limited driving privileges to continue driving a CMV.
For disqualification purposes, convictions for out-of-state violations will be treated the same as convictions for violations that are committed in the home State. The CDLIS will ensure that convictions a driver receives outside his or her home State are transmitted to the home State so that the disqualifications can be applied.