The Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services carries out oversight and regulatory functions for Florida's trucking industry; ensuring individuals with a Florida commercial driver license (CDL) are properly trained and in good standing, as well as registering and auditing commercial motor carriers to meet standards for North American registration and fuel tax agreements.
The Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services provides contract management and regulatory oversight for entities conducting CDL skill tests, coordinates investigations and enforcement actions involving third party testers, and administers mandatory retesting programs for CDL holders when necessary due to fraud or improper testing that may have occurred.
The bureau registers, licenses, and audits Florida-based commercial motor carriers under the International Registration Plan (IRP) and the International Fuel Use Tax Agreement (IFTA). The State of Florida is required by federal regulations to maintain its commercial motor vehicle registration and fuel use tax reporting laws and programs in conformance with the IRP and IFTA. The IRP is a North American interstate agreement that allows a carrier to register a vehicle once and satisfy the registration requirements for all other participating jurisdictions. Once registered, the carrier is allowed to perform intrastate and interstate operations. The IFTA is a North American interstate agreement that allows a carrier to obtain a fuel tax license in one state and report all operations for fuel tax purposes to that one state. Registration fees and fuel taxes owed to other jurisdictions are then distributed accordingly.
In Fiscal Year 2020-21 the Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services conducted 95,355 commercial motor vehicle inspections and 241,053 registration transactions including registrant audits as part of its oversight and regulatory functions for Florida's trucking industry.
| Fund | Dollars | Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRAM: MOTORIST SERVICES | |||
| MOTORIST SERVICES |
129,315,074
|
1,418.00 |
|
TOTAL |
129,315,074 |
1,418.00 |
Charter Buses. The 2022 Legislature enacted Ch. 2022-175, Laws of Florida, which among other provisions, revises Florida Statutes to make them consistent with International Registration Plan (IRP) requirements regarding charter buses. Previous Florida law exempted charter buses from the definition of an apportionable vehicle under the IRP. Removing the exemption will require charter buses to pay apportioned licensing fees based on the total distance operated in all member jurisdictions (U.S. states and Canadian provinces).
Commercial Vehicle Insurance Coverage. Chapter 2022-175, Laws of Florida, also establishes minimum insurance requirements for commercial vehicles that carry passengers by incorporating federal requirements for minimum coverage limits.
Other Reports
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports including driver, vehicle, and crash statistics are available on the departments' resource page.
Websites of Interest
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver License
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Cabinet and Legislature Reports & Statistics
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Useful Web Links
Department of Transportation
Florida Transportation Commission
U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Performance Information
DHSMV Customer Service Center, 850-617-2000
Calls regarding a commercial drivers license (CDL) should be directed to 850-617-2606.
Calls regarding the International Registration Plan (IRP) and the International Fuel Use Tax Agreement (IFTA) should be directed to 850-617-3711.
Any complaint with any division in DHSMV may be sent to ExecutiveDirector@flhsmv.gov.