The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a final rule requiring State Driver Licensing Agencies to implement a system and practices for the exclusively electronic exchange of driver history record information through the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), including the posting of convictions, withdrawals, and disqualifications.  86 Fed. Reg. 38937 (July 23, 2021).

The final rule gives States until August 22, 2024 to comply with this requirement.  Congress had mandated that the States adopt this type of electronic information exchange in 2012; this rulemaking codifies that mandate in federal regulation.

The FMCSA notice states that while all states currently have the technical capability to transmit the driver history record information through CDLIS, some State Driver Licensing Agencies are unable to do so when the driver information (e.g., driver’s CDL number, date of birth, or State of record), required for CDLIS to validate and accept the electronic record, is incorrect or missing. Under those circumstances, States must rely on alternative methods of transmission, such as the U.S. mail.

[Article originally appeared here]