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Texas_Two_Stepp's avatar
Nov 03, 2013

Testing for Texas non-commercial class A driver's license

I want to pass along some information for those of you who might read this thread. Home base for us is near Beaumont, Tx and we were recently in New Mexico coming back from Alaska. My son suggested I try to get my testing squared away on the way home in Ft. Stockton Tx, which is what a friend's parents had done rather than trying to deal with a larger DMV. I called them and they actually knew what a non-commercial class a driver's license was (which is more than I can say for a lot of places), they gave me the study material and said just call when I came through and they would set up the driving test immediately after I passed the written. They did say I would have to parallel park.
Anyway, we pulled into WM (which is next to the DMV in Ft Stockton) last Sunday to spend the night. The next morning I went over to the DMV signed up and took the written test which was followed immediately by the driving test. The whole process took about 2 hours. The good part is the parallel parking testing area is the same area they use for tractor trailers and you have about a hundred feet to parallel park in.
The people there are very nice and the process was seamless.

4 Replies

  • Keith Haw wrote:
    I used to have a commercial license for years and wasn't even aware there was a non-commercial one. Is it requited to operate all RV's, such as fifth wheels and travel trailers, or just class C and A motorhomes?


    If the gvwr rating of your truck plus the gvwr rating of your trailer is over 26,000 lbs.then you need a class A non-commercial Texas license. If the gvwr rating of your motorhome is over 26,000 lbs then you need a class B non-exempt license in Texas.
  • sounds like getting a non-commercial class A in Texas is pretty much the same as it is in NC .... the written test covers the first 3 chapters in the Commercial license manual .... basic safety is covered, the only thing new to me was placement of the warning triangles when a rig is broken down on the side of the road .... I did have to do the test drive but no parallel parking was required

    Jim
  • I used to have a commercial license for years and wasn't even aware there was a non-commercial one. Is it requited to operate all RV's, such as fifth wheels and travel trailers, or just class C and A motorhomes?
  • Congratulations!

    I've been postponing taking my Class A exam in PA. From the little I've looked into it, there is no written exam if one already has a Class C license, but the DMV doesn't seem to have many people that even know a Non-Commercial Class A exists or how to administer an exam for it. I'm not sure I have the proper attitude to deal with someone that would want me to parallel park a 5th wheel. In hindsight I wished I would have went with a Motorhome < than 26,000lbs.