Question for TEXANS- Class A non CDL
We are looking at a toy hauler that combined with the truck will be over 26001 lbs. Legally this requires the Class A non CDL. I know many horse folks that are towing way over that that use their regu...
Forum Discussion
toedtoes wrote:
Here is the actual law:
SUBCHAPTER D. CLASSIFICATION OF DRIVER'S LICENSES
Sec. 521.081. CLASS A LICENSE. A Class A driver's license authorizes the holder of the license to operate:
(1) a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more; or
(2) a combination of vehicles that has a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight rating of any vehicle or vehicles in tow is more than 10,000 pounds.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Sec. 521.082. CLASS B LICENSE. (a) A Class B driver's license authorizes the holder of the license to operate:
(1) a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating that is more than 26,000 pounds;
(2) a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds or more towing:
(A) a vehicle, other than a farm trailer, with a gross vehicle weight rating that is not more than 10,000 pounds; or
(B) a farm trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating that is not more than 20,000 pounds; and
(3) a bus with a seating capacity of 24 passengers or more.
(b) For the purposes of Subsection (a)(3), seating capacity is computed in accordance with Section 502.253, except that the operator's seat is included in the computation.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 161 (S.B. 1093), Sec. 20.017, eff. September 1, 2013.
Sec. 521.083. CLASS C LICENSE. A Class C driver's license authorizes the holder of the license to operate:
(1) a vehicle or combination of vehicles not described by Section 521.081 or 521.082; and
(2) a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,001 pounds towing a farm trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating that is not more than 20,000 pounds.
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
The bolded sections are the pertinent sections.
The main difference between the class A and class B is that the Class A refers to the Combined gvwr and the Class B refers to the tow vehicle's gvwr.
In BB_TX's case, the Class C is the appropriate license because his combined gvwr is less than 26,001 and his tow vehicle gvwr is less than 26,000. The Class C requirement does not limit the gvwr of the trailer to 10,000 or less.
In the OP's case, the Class A is the required license because the combined gvwr is 26,001 or more and the towed has a gvwr of over 10,000.
Interesting. The quote in blue in my post above specifying the 10,000 lb limit came from the Texas Department of Public Safety TEXAS DRIVER HANDBOOK January 2022 edition.
What you posted above was enacted in 1995 in the state codes without the 10,000 lb limitation. So the million dollar question is; is the new handbook wrong to have that additional limitation or is the on-line access to the codes not up to date? :h
