(a) A commercial driver’s license issued in accordance with section 14-44c shall be designated as class A, B or C, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-44d. All other operators’ licenses shall be designated as class D. A license of any class that also authorizes the operation of a motorcycle shall contain the designation “M”, except that no such designation shall be required for the operation of an autocycle.

(b) A commercial driver’s license may contain any of the following endorsements:

“P”- authorizes the operation of commercial motor vehicles designed to carry passengers;

“S”- in combination with “P”, authorizes the operation of a school bus or any vehicle described in subsection (c) of this section;

“H”- authorizes the operation of vehicles transporting hazardous materials;

“N”- authorizes the operation of tank vehicles;

“X”- authorizes both hazardous materials and tank vehicles; and

“T”- authorizes the operation of vehicles with up to three trailing, nonpower units.

The commissioner may establish one or more restrictions on commercial driver’s licenses of any class, in regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54. Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of section 14-44d, a commercial driver’s license of any class authorizes the holder of such license to operate any motor vehicle that may be operated by the holder of a class D operator’s license.

(c) A commercial driver’s license or a class D license that contains any of the following public passenger endorsements, as defined in section 14-1, evidences that the holder meets the requirements of section 14-44:

“V”- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a student transportation vehicle, as defined in section 14-212, or any vehicle that requires an “A” or “F” endorsement;

“A”- authorizes the transportation of passengers in an activity vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, or any vehicle that requires an “F” endorsement; and

“F”- authorizes the transportation of passengers in a taxicab, motor vehicle in livery service, service bus or motor bus.

The commissioner may establish one or more endorsements or restrictions on class D licenses, in accordance with regulations adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.

(d) A license of any class that contains the designation “Q” indicates eligibility to operate fire apparatus. A “Q” endorsement shall signify that the holder has been trained to operate fire apparatus in accordance with standards established by the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. No such endorsement shall be issued to any person until he or she demonstrates personally to the commissioner, or the commissioner’s designee, including the Connecticut Fire Academy, any regional fire school or the chief local fire official of any municipality as defined in section 7-323j, by means of testing in a representative vehicle that such person possesses the skills necessary for operation of fire apparatus.

(e) No person shall operate a motor vehicle in violation of the classification of the license issued to such person.

(f) No employer shall knowingly require or permit an employee who is acting within the scope of such employee’s employment to operate a motor vehicle in violation of the classification of such employee’s license.

(g) (1) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (e) of this section shall, for a first offense, be deemed to have committed an infraction and be fined fifty dollars and, for a subsequent offense, be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.

(2) Any employer who violates subsection (f) of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for a first violation and not more than two thousand five hundred dollars for a second or subsequent violation.

(h) The revocation, suspension or withdrawal of, or refusal to issue or renew an “S” endorsement, or any endorsement described in subsection (c) of this section, shall prohibit the licensee from operating any public passenger vehicle for which an endorsement described in said subsection (c) is required. During the period of such revocation, suspension or withdrawal of, or after a refusal to issue or renew an “S” endorsement, or any endorsement described in said subsection (c), the commissioner shall not issue any other public passenger endorsement to such licensee.

(1967, P.A. 458, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 183, S. 3; 445, S. 2; P.A. 84-429, S. 16; P.A. 89-171, S. 1, 5; P.A. 91-407, S. 17, 42; P.A. 93-341, S. 10, 38; P.A. 94-189, S. 4, 34; P.A. 95-260, S. 9, 24; P.A. 03-171, S. 2; P.A. 04-217, S. 3; P.A. 05-218, S. 5, 37; 05-288, S. 55; P.A. 06-130, S. 25; P.A. 07-167, S. 37; P.A. 08-150, S. 20; P.A. 10-3, S. 57; 10-110, S. 34; P.A. 11-213, S. 14, 60; P.A. 12-80, S. 58; 12-81, S. 25; P.A. 13-271, S. 11; P.A. 15-46, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 198; P.A. 17-79, S. 3.)

History: 1969 acts revised definition of tractor semitrailer combination in Subsec. (a) to change gross weight of truck from maximum of 10,000 to maximum of 18,000 pounds and revised weight reference in Subsec. (b)(3) accordingly; P.A. 84-429 added Subsecs. (c) and (d) from Sec. 14-36 and made other technical changes; P.A. 89-171 amended Subsec. (a) to include a definition of “commercial motor vehicle” and Subsec. (b) to include “commercial motor vehicle” as a type of vehicle which a class 1 license holder is eligible to operate, to authorize commissioner to adopt regulations establishing additional classifications as necessary, and to prohibit the issuance of a class 1 license to any person under eighteen; P.A. 91-407 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding “for business or commercial use” after “truck”; P.A. 93-341 amended the section by deleting Subsec. (a) in its entirety, relettering Subsec. (b) and modifying the various motor vehicle classifications and inserting a new Subsec. (b) concerning Class 1 or Class 2 operator’s licenses which have “P” or “PS” endorsements, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing the “PS” endorsement with the “S” endorsement, effective July 1, 1994; P.A. 95-260 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to include a combination of motor vehicle and trailer used exclusively for camping or another recreational purpose regardless of gross weight of the trailer as a type of vehicle which a class 2 license holder is eligible to operate and to increase gross weight of trailing unit or trailer from a minimum of 6,000 to 10,000 pounds in the exception to “any motor vehicle” under a class 2 license, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 03-171 amended Subsec. (b) to establish that the endorsement “M” on class 1 or 2 operator’s license evidences holder’s qualification to operate a motorcycle; P.A. 04-217 replaced former provisions of Subsec. (a) with new provisions requiring commercial driver’s licenses to be classified as class A, B or C, all other operator’s licenses to be designated as class D and any class license with motorcycle endorsement to be designated “M”, amended Subsec. (b) to replace provisions re Class 1 and 2 licenses with provisions re various types of endorsements and to provide that “S” endorsement qualifies holder to operate school bus or any vehicle described in Subsec. (c), added new Subsec. (c) providing that commercial driver’s license or class D license containing specified endorsements evidences that holder meets requirements of Sec. 14-44 and permitting commissioner to establish restrictions on class D licenses and redesignated existing Subsecs. (c) and (d) as new Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “endorsements or” re class D licenses, effective July 1, 2005, and by adding camp vehicle to endorsement “A”; P.A. 05-288 made technical changes in Subsec. (e), effective July 13, 2005; P.A. 06-130 amended Subsec. (c) to remove reference to camp vehicles under “A” endorsement, added new Subsec. (d) re camp vehicles, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as Subsecs. (e) and (f) and inserted reference to violation of Subsec. (e) in Subsec. (f), effective June 2, 2006; P.A. 07-167 deleted former Subsec. (d) re endorsement for operation of camp vehicle and redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) and (f) as Subsecs. (d) and (e), effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re commercial driver’s license of any class authorizes holder to operate any motor vehicle that may be operated by holder of a class D operator’s license; P.A. 10-3 amended Subsec. (e) to replace fine for first offense of not less than $35 or more than $50 with fine of $50, effective April 14, 2010; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (c) to delete provisions re license containing “A” endorsement authorizing transportation of passengers in an activity vehicle or any vehicle that requires an “F” endorsement, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-213 changed effective date of P.A. 10-110, S. 34, from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2012, amended Subsec. (a) by adding provision re “Q” designation for operation of fire apparatus, made a technical change in Subsec. (d), added new Subsec. (e) re vehicle operation by employee in violation of license classification, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f) and amended same to add penalty for employer’s violation of Subsec. (e) and make a conforming change, and added Subsec. (g) re prohibition on operation of public service passenger vehicle without endorsement, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (f) to designate provisions re violation of Subsec. (d) as Subdiv. (1) and amend same to replace penalty for subsequent offense of a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both with a class D misdemeanor and designate provisions re violation of Subsec. (e) as Subdiv. (2); P.A. 12-81 amended Subsec. (c) to make a technical change, add reference to vehicle that requires “A” endorsement in provision re “V” endorsement and restore provision re license containing “A” endorsement authorizing transportation of passengers in activity vehicle or vehicle that requires an “F” endorsement, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 13-271 amended Subsec. (a) to delete provision re “Q” designation for fire apparatus, added new Subsec. (d) re “Q” endorsement for fire apparatus, redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) to (g) as Subsecs. (e) to (h) and made conforming changes, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-46 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that no “M” designation is required for the operation of an autocycle, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (b) to reposition description of “S” endorsement and revise same by adding language re in combination with “P” endorsement, and made technical changes, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 17-79 amended Subsec. (h) by replacing “public service passenger vehicle” with “public passenger vehicle”, replacing “public passenger endorsement” with “endorsement described in said subsection (c)” and making technical changes, effective June 27, 2017.