§383.21 Number of drivers’ licenses.

Question 1: Are there any circumstances under which the driver of a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) as defined in §383.5 is allowed to hold more than one driver’s license?

Guidance: Yes. A recipient of a new driver’s license may hold more than one license during the 10 days beginning on the date the person is issued a driver’s license.

Question 2: Is a person from Puerto Rico required to surrender his or her driver’s license in order to obtain a nonresident CDL?

Guidance: Since Puerto Rico and the U.S. Territories are not included in the definition of a State in section 12016 of the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 (CMVSA) (49 U.S.C. §31301(13)), they must be considered foreign countries for purposes of the CDL requirements. Under part 383, a person domiciled in a foreign country is not required to surrender his or her foreign license in order to obtain a nonresident CDL. There are two reasons for permitting this dual licensing to a person domiciled in Puerto Rico: (a) There is no reciprocal agreement with Puerto Rico recognizing its Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) testing and licensing standards as equivalent to the standards in part 383 and, (b) the nonresident CDL may not be recognized as a valid license to drive in Puerto Rico.