Department of Motor Vehicles
New Commercial Licensing Requirements
Effective May 10, 2017, pursuant to federal law, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will require all new and existing commercial driver license (CDL) applicants to provide DMV with the following:
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship/lawful permanent residency/legal presence (see list below).
  • Proof of residency (domicile).
The new requirements apply to original and renewal CDL applicants, as well as CDL cardholders who request a license upgrade. Applicants who have started their CDL application, but have not completed the process by May 9, 2017, will be required to meet the new requirements. 
Proof of U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Legal Presence
CDL applicants must submit one of the following genuine documents bearing his or her true full name as proof of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or legal presence:
  • Valid/unexpired U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card
  • Certified copy of a U.S. Birth Certificate (issued by a city, county, or state vital statistics office)
  • Certified copy of a Birth Certificate issued from one of the following U.S. Territories:
    • American Samoa
    • District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)
    • Swain’s Island
    • Puerto Rico (issued on or after July 1, 2010)
    • U.S. Virgin Islands (issued on or after January 17, 1917)
    • Guam (issued on or after April 10, 1899)
    • Northern Mariana Islands (issued after November 4, 1986)
  • U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad or Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen
  • Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
  • Valid/unexpired Permanent Resident Card
  • Valid/unexpired Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
  • Valid/unexpired foreign passport with an approved Record of Arrival/Departure
Note: Name change document(s), such as a marriage license, may be required to issue a CDL in your true full name.
Residency Documents:  CDL applicants must submit acceptable proof of residency in California. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Rental or lease agreement
  • Mortgage bill
  • Home utility bill
  • Employment document
  • Tax return​
For a complete list of acceptable documents, please visit: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/dl/residency_requirement    
​Please note:  If you do not yet have a California driver license and you are applying for a CDL, you must present two documents as proof of residency.  Existing California driver license cardholders applying for, upgrading, or renewing a CDL, are only required to present one document as proof of residency.
Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law
The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law was created after 19-year-old Paul Lee, a Whitter student who had severe autism, was left on a bus in the heat in September 2015. He was found dead hours later. Lee could not verbally communicate and needed special care.
The Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law requires:
  • All buses to be equipped with a “child safety alert system,” which is a device located at the interior rear of the bus. The driver must manually contact the device before exiting to ensure all seats were checked for children at the end of every shift.
  • Bus drivers will also be required to receive training in child-safety check procedures upon renewal of their annual school bus driver safety certification.  
  • If a student is left unattended onboard a bus, school officials must notify the CA Department of Motor Vehicles. This authorizes the department to refuse to issue or renew, and to revoke or suspend, a bus driver certificate on these grounds. 
  • The law also imposes penalties for bus drivers, school districts or contractors who knowingly transport students in a bus without an operable child safety alert system.
  • The law directs the CHP to promulgate rules to implement the new requirements and provide a list of child-safety alarms that are approved for use in school buses and a qualified technician or mechanic that can install the system.