COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE (CDL) SUSPENSIONS IN NEW JERSEY
CDL’s are suspended more easily than standard licenses. This is because commercial drivers are held to very high standards. You must inform your employer within 30 days of traffic ticket conviction. In New Jersey, if you violate a traffic law, the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and courts may suspend your commercial driver’s license (CDL). You may also face fines, penalties, legal fees, a permanent revocation, or even imprisonment. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the following CDL penalties:
Major Offenses:
If you are convicted of any of the following violations, you’ll lose your CDL for 1 year:
- Driving any vehicle with a BAC of .08% or higher.
- Refusing to submit to a sobriety test.
- Leaving the scene of an accident.
- Commission of a felony with the vehicle.
- Driving a CMV with a suspended, revoked, or canceled CDL.
- Negligent driving that results in a fatality.
Serious Offenses:
- Excessive speeding and reckless driving.
- Improperly changing lanes.
- Following too closely behind another vehicle.
- Operating a CMV without holding a CDL.
- Operating a CMV without having your CDL in your possession.
- Operating a CMV without the proper CDL endorsement.
- Violating a state law of texting while driving.
You’ll lose your driving privileges for 60 days if you receive a 2nd conviction, and 120 days for a 3rd conviction.
Endorsement Suspensions:
The MVC can suspend or revoke your existing passenger (P) endorsement if your medical, criminal, or driver history shows any of the following:
- Failure to provide proof of 3 years of driving experience.
- 12 points or more on your driver record.
- A DUI conviction.
- An offense involving deviant or illicit social behavior.
- Using or threatening bodily force, or any crime or offense indicative of bad moral character.
- A diabetic condition.
- A serious heart condition.
- Medical condition that may cause loss of consciousness.
- Failure to meet vision standards.
You will receive a notice of suspension, and you may request a conference to contest the decision.
Additional Violations For Suspension:
- Accumulating too many points on your driver record.
- Failing to provide proof of NJ car insurance.
- License disqualifications and related fines for violating out-of-service orders.
- Violating railroad-highway grade crossings.
Visit the FMCSA website for information regarding federal regulations and penalties.
NOTE: By law, you are required to notify your employer within 30 days of receiving a traffic offense conviction or by the end of the next business day after receiving a CDL disqualification notice.