You must be a resident of North Carolina. Proof of residency includes providing your name and current address. You will need one document from this category. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of residency visit the Driver's Handbook: Chapter 1 - Requirements.

NOTE: The proof of residency documents are subject to verifiable authenticity by the Division.

You must be 21, however, at age 18 a client may obtain a CDL but they would not be eligible for the Hazardous Material Endorsement, and they will be restricted to drive inside North Carolina only (Intrastate Restriction 4).

All clients making application for an original CDL must provide an original Social Security Card.

Proof of liability insurance includes providing insurance documents such as:

• DMV form DL-123;
• or an original liability insurance policy binder;
• or certificate of insurance.

All clients making application for an original or renewal CDL must provide proof they have a clear driving record for both personal and commercial vehicles.

• At the time of application, you must certify that your privilege to drive any motor vehicle is not suspended, revoked, or disqualified anywhere and you currently hold no more than one driver's license.
• In some cases, DMV will require additional proof of identification or proof of a "clear driving record" prior to issuing a CDL.

Whenever you obtain your CDL, you must surrender any and all driver licenses you hold. Commercial drivers are restricted to one driver license (a single CDL). As a commercial driver, if you have more than one driver license you are in violation of federal law and could be fined a minimum of $250 for the first offense and $500 or more for each subsequent offense. A court may also fine you up to $5,000 or put you in jail.

Many commercial motor vehicle drivers are required to have medical cards. Those who require medical cards are required to bring them at the time of both the original application and renewal.

If questions arise about a driver's physical condition, the DMV may require the driver to submit a completed medical report, before or after certification, provided by the DMV Driver License Section.

Every commercial motor vehicle operator must be strong enough to drive their vehicle with ease. To drive a commercial motor vehicle, you should be able-bodied and free of physical handicaps. You should not suffer from chronic diseases such as heart trouble, seizure disorders, high or low blood pressure, fainting or dizzy spells, diabetes, or any other physical or mental disability that could reduce driver control, and you must never use narcotics, drugs or abuse alcoholic beverages. To safely operate a commercial motor vehicle, you must be in good physical condition. When you are very fatigued or have an illness that requires narcotic drugs or sedation, you should not drive any motor vehicle. The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and the N.C. Department of Human Resources have adopted joint regulations concerning physical requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers based on the federal requirements of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). A commercial motor vehicle driver operating out-of-state must hold a current NCDOT Medical Card certifying that he or she has passed a physical examination, as required by the ICC.

i. Vision:

• Visual Acuity: at least 20/40 for each eye and both eyes together, with or without corrective lenses.
  
  
• Field of Vision: at least 70 degrees in the horizontal median in each eye.
  
  
• Color Vision: demonstrated ability to distinguish colors that pertain to driving and traffic control.

ii. Hearing:

To operate a commercial motor vehicle, you must have good hearing to distinguish the warning sounds made by vehicle horns, screeching tires, emergency sirens, railroad crossing signals and train whistles. The ability to hear a whispered voice at five feet is considered adequate. If you use a hearing aid, you should always bring along a spare battery.

iii. Illness:

You must have no physical or mental illness that interferes with your ability to control and operate a motor vehicle. You must have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of epilepsy or any other condition which is likely to cause loss of consciousness or any loss of ability to control a motor vehicle. To operate a commercial motor vehicle, you must have no mental nervous, organic, or functional diseases or psychiatric disorder likely to interfere with your ability to drive a motor vehicle safely.