California Non-Commercial Class A License

**** Oops. My bad ***** I misread the original post. I thought your 5th wheel had a GVWR of 13k lbs. My response below does NOT apply to 5th wheels over 15K. I'm leaving the response in for those confused (like I was) about CA license requirements for 5th wheels.

I don't believe you will need the Non-Commercial class A license. Here is an excerpt from the DMV website.

"A driver must have a fifth-wheel recreational trailer endorsement added to his/her Class C driver license to pull a fifth-wheel recreational trailer over 10,000 lbs., but not over 15,000 lbs. GVWR, which is not used for hire. This endorsement is not required if the driver has a commercial or noncommercial Class A driver license."

The endorsement for your class C license is actually called Restriction 41 which allows you to tow a 5th wheel trailer with GVWR between 10,000 and 15,000 lbs.

Your biggest challenge may be finding a DMV that understands the process to give you a Restriction 41 endorsement. I had to go through 2 clerks and finally a manager before they got it straight. For me it was a written test only. You may have to take the regular class C test again depending on when you last renewed your license.

The wording on the CA DMV website leads me to believe it's the actual weight of the 5th wheel not the GVWR...

"fifth-wheel travel trailers WEIGHING OVER 15,000 POUNDS, not used for hire."

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/pubs/cdl_htm/lic_chart

It says nothing (at least on this webpage) about the combined weight of the truck and trailer.

Per the DMV:

A Noncommercial Class A DL is required if you tow:
•A travel trailer weighing over 10,000 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) which is not used for hire.
•A fifth-wheel travel trailer weighting over 15,000 lbs. GVWR which is not used for hire.
•A livestock trailer that is not for hire, weight over 10,000 lbs. GVWR but not over 15,000 lbs. GVWR, and is operated within 150 miles of the farm by a farmer to transport livestock.

Here is a chart explaining what you can drive and tow with each license class.

Basically, if the fifth wheel is under 10,000, you can tow it with a basic non-commercial Class C. If the fifth wheel is between 10,000 and 15,000, you can tow it with a basic non-commercial Class C WITH an endorsement. If the fifth wheel is over 15,000, you can tow it with a non-commercial Class A.

So basically from what I'm reading, with a non-commercial class A license, I could tow a 16K lbs. GVWR 5th wheel as long as:

a) My truck weighs over 4K lbs. unladen and
b) Total weight (truck and 5th wheel) combined does not exceed 26K lbs.

It doesn't matter if the truck's GVWR is 13K and 5th wheel GVWR is 16K as long as both combined weight does not exceed 26K lbs. and the 5th wheel weight does not exceed 16K.

You can't have a 13k truck and a 16k 5er because the combined is 29k (over 26k).

You can have a 10k truck and a 16k 5er because the combined is 26k.

toedtoes wrote:
You can't have a 13k truck and a 16k 5er because the combined is 29k (over 26k).

You can have a 10k truck and a 16k 5er because the combined is 26k.

Correct. The truck is under 10K, even though the GVWR of the truck is 13K.

This chart is helpful.
CA DL Classes Sorry, I see toedtoes already linked this.

There doesn't appear to be a combined gross limit with either comm or non-comm class A, as long as the vehicles are within other weight limits. (40 ton?)

You need a class A for fifthwheel over 15k gross rating, or over 10k for bumper pull. Not what it actually weighs, but what it is rated for. Can be comm or non-comm. Can be over 26k combined with either comm or non-comm. You cannot get a doubles endorsement on your non-comm class A, which is a big issue for those who want to double tow in CA.

Class C can pull up to 14,999 fiftwheel, but over 10k requires the rule 41 endorsement.

So if your fiver is going to be rated for 16k gross, you need the class A, regardless of whether it is over 26k combined.

Your CHP illegally pulls over triple axle toy haulers headed to the dunes to inspect the driver's license for a Class A non-commercial endorsement. Too bad CA DMV makes it such a pain to get the Class A as it seems DMV doesn't have a clue. Move to AZ where you don't need anything special to drive any size of RV. And yes, this topic has been discussed ad nauseum.

Bottom line... your 5th wheel trailer is over 15,000lbs you need a Non-commercial class A license.

License in another State. I am licensed SD and I tow 33k combined and also 35k double tow, no issues.

Why is this posted in Fifth-Wheels??? "General RVing Issues" IMHO would be more appropriate?