Do I Need A CDL to Drive A Class A Motorhome?

Do I Need A CDL to Drive an RV?

One of the most common misconceptions or misunderstandings about RVs is the regulatory requirements to drive them. Only about ~3% of all RVs sold in the U.S. are Class A motorhomes, and these are the most likely type of RV to require any special licensing. There are a few extremely large 5th-wheel style campers that can require special licensing, but they are not separated from more typical-sized 5th wheels, so for the sake of simple math, let’s just call it around 5% or so of all RVs sold would require special attention. 

"Grand Canyon National Park Trailer Village (South Rim) 2785" by Grand Canyon NPS is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

So, yes, this means that your average Joe America can run down to the local RV lot and pick up a 37’ travel trailer and tow it around the states with no special certs whatsoever. Good, bad, or indifferent, this is how it is. For this article, we’re focusing on the luxurious land yachts known as Class A motorhomes. These absolute units are huge, powerful, and expensive. And they also have special licensing requirements in quite a few states. 

We’re going to tackle this issue and show you who has them, and what those requirements are. And remember this: licensing is a completely different issue than title and registration. We can help you with the latter two, but not the former. 

Class A RV License Requirements

First and foremost, let’s dispel any rumors: license requirements are a state-level function. 

Every state has its own unique requirements, and since you will be getting licensed in the state where your domicile resides, you really need to understand the rules of the road in your home state regardless of what license plate you have on your Class A. 

See, the ideas of reciprocity only extend so far. If you get pulled over in your home state where you hold a driver’s license, but your Class A rig is wearing a Montana or South Dakota plate, guess what statutes Officer Friendly is going to cite? Probably the one where your license is from. We aren’t lawyers, but this is pretty common sense stuff. If your state of domicile requires you to have special certifications to drive your RV, you should probably do that. 

Are There Any Specific Length Limitations?

Generally speaking, and we are speaking in generalities, the limitation for special licensure is weight, but there is at least one exception: Wisconsin requires a CDL if the RV is longer than 45 feet.  

Now, it is not specific whether that is the total length of the tow vehicle + the trailer or just the trailer. Here’s the excerpt from the official page, as linked above:

“Recreational vehicle operators (owned or leased motor home, fifth wheel mobile home or touring mobile home, provided it isn’t longer than 45 feet) not engaged in commercial activity are not required to hold a CDL.”

Common sense dictates that it is probably referring to trailer length alone because most common sized travel trailers with the tow rig exceed 45’. For example, my Forest River is 37’ long which only leaves eight feet for the tow rig, and I assure you my passenger van is longer than that (it’s 20 feet long).  

How About A Maximum Weight?

Length requirements are much less common than weight. The standard that all of the states we’ve found listed is 26,000 lbs across the board. This is a general weight, though, and is not indicative of all states, which is why we are talking about each state individually in this article. 

It is also important to note that RV trailer weight requirements are listed in certain states (California being the most prominent). 

Are All States the Same In Their Requirements?

No! All states are absolutely not the same in their requirements. Licensing requirements are a state issue, so there is no clear-cut across the board statutory requirements. 

This goes back to the previous issue, and one we have talked about quite a few times in our blog: domicile versus residency (check out this post and this one, too). You can have residency in a state besides your primary one, which is considered your domicile state. In my case, Kansas is my domicile, but I will have residency in Montana with an LLC for my vehicle titling and registration. 

But, since my primary residence, aka my domicile, is in Kansas, I am obligated to obtain a Kansas driver’s license. So, even if I am operating my RV with Montana plates and registration, my home address is Kansas, so I am more or less obligated to get a non-commercial Class B license for motorhomes over 26,000 lbs. 

What States Are Different?

So, the benchmark that we are using as the sort of standard is NO additional requirements. There are only seventeen states with additional or special requirements to operate an RV in excess of a stated size or weight, so these are the exception, not the rule. 

Arkansas

The Natural State requires that anyone operating a vehicle exceeding 26,001 lbs must obtain a Class A CDL. 

“Class A: Any combination of vehicles which has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds, whichever is greater.”

California 

California requires a non-commercial Class B license for vehicles over 26,000 lbs or over 40 feet in length and a Class A for towing vehicles over 10,000 lbs. Here’s the whole handbook. 

Hawaii

It is kind of odd that Hawaii would have any special RV license requirements because Hawaii hardly has any RVs to start with. They all have to be shipped over, and there are no places where RVs can camp, but regardless, there are special license requirements.

And actually, their rules are written in a way that makes the most sense: you must have a Class B CDL for any single vehicle exceeding 26,000 lbs, or a Class A CDL for multiple vehicles with a combined weight over 26,000 lbs. 

The complete rules for CDLs are here. 

Kansas

My home state has very similar rules to Hawaii, which is a Class B CDL for a single vehicle exceeding 26,000 lbs and a Class A CDL for multiple vehicles exceeding 26,000 lbs. 

For a sort of reference marker, the heaviest curb weight of a Ford Super Duty is 8,627 lbs on F-450 DRW Crew Cab, which is a huge truck. This still gives you 17,373 lbs for the trailer before you need a CDL to drive it. 

A Jayco Seismic Toy Hauler, which is 45’ 8”, has a curb weight of 15,815 lbs, so even with a huge trailer and a very large truck, you are still under the threshold of needing a Class A CDL. 

Also, a 26,000 lb Class A motorhome is exceptionally large. Jayco’s largest Class A motorhome, the Precept Prestige, has a GVWR of 24,000 lbs. 

Maryland

Maryland is part of the cadre of states that require a non-commercial special driver’s license for RVs, in this case weighing over 26,000 lbs. There is no reference to combined weights like Hawaii or Kansas have, though. 

Michigan

Okay, so Michigan does not require any special endorsement to drive a Class A motorhome, but they have a really unique RV-specific endorsement that needs to be mentioned. 

The Recreational Double “R” Endorsement is required if you tow a fifth-wheel trailer plus an additional trailer. This is not terribly uncommon, as many campers tow a boat or a trailer with a UTV, ATV, motorcycle, or golf cart. 

Nevada

Nevada does not require a CDL if you exceed certain weights, but you will have to get a non-commercial Class B for single vehicles over 26,000 lbs, a Class A for multiple vehicles over 26,000 lbs, and a “J” endorsement is required to tow a vehicle over 10,000 lbs if the combined weight is less than 26,000 lbs. 

That “J” endorsement is probably the most likely item on the list to apply to you because so many fifth-wheel campers are over 10k—food for thought when planning your next purchase. 

New Mexico

"Jayco RV - Class A Motorhome" by Anshamblen15 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The Land of Enchantment (and one of my favorite places in the world) requires a Class B CDL for single vehicles exceeding 26,000 lbs and a Class A CDL for multiple vehicles with a combined weight exceeding 26,000 lbs. 

New York

Despite our takes on the difficulties of registering and titling vehicles in New York, their requirements are pretty simple for RVers. A Recreational Vehicle “R” endorsement is mandatory for all RVs over 26,000 lbs. 

North Carolina

No CDLs are required in North Carolina, just a Class B non-commercial for singles over 26,000 lbs and a Class A non-commercial for vehicles with a combined weight over 26,000 lbs. Easy peasy. 

Pennsylvania

Penn has the exact same rules as North Carolina, including the same nomenclature. 

South Carolina

The Palmetto State follows the exact same guidelines as NC and Penn, but the language is a little different. The Class E is good for a single vehicle over 26,000 lbs, and you’ll need a Class F for multiple vehicles that tip the scales over 26,000 lbs. 

Texas

The Lone Star State comes in hot (it’s always hot in Texas 🥵) with the same rules as NC and Penn: a Class B license is required for a single vehicle over 26,000 lb, and a Class A license is required for multiple vehicles with a combined weight over 26,000 lb. 

Washington, D.C. territory

DC has the same requirements as Texas, NC, and Pennsylvania, but in this case, you must have a CDL for each class (Class B for single vehicle over 26k, Class A for multiple vehicles over 26k).

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has similar rules as well (emphasis added):

“Commercial driver licenses (CDL) are required to operate vehicles that:

• Weigh over 26,000 pounds, determined by the highest of the following weights:

• manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)

• manufacturer’s gross combination weight rating (GCWR) when the towed unit has a GVWR, registered weight or actual gross weight over 10,000 pounds

• actual weight

• registered weight”

Wyoming

Finally, Wyoming. This most beautiful and rugged state requires a Class B CDL for vehicles over 26,000 lbs but towing less than 10,000 lbs and a Class A CDL for vehicles over 26,000 lbs and towing over 10,000 lbs. 

Why Do These States Have Special Requirements?

Licensing requirements are at the discretion of the states, not a federal matter. So, for whatever reason, the states listed above felt the need to apply more stringent standards. 

This next section is based on my opinion and my experience towing RV trailers cross-country.

I am not actually opposed to a lot of these. In fact, having a threshold to entry is not a bad idea. Towing a large trailer (I have never driven a motorhome so I can’t speak to those) is not like towing a utility trailer or even a large car-hauler or equipment trailer with cars or machinery on it. 

Even when the weights are comparable, a huge, boxy trailer is a completely different experience. They catch every gust of wind. They are hard to see around. They bounce and porpoise. A little extra training is a good idea for the rank novice before they hit the road with stars in their eyes. 

And look at it this way: a 45’ long fifth-wheel (which is not uncommon) is only eight feet shorter than a standard 53’ box trailer on a semi-truck. Yes, they are a lot lighter, but the turning radius and overall experience are very similar. The same holds true for Class A motorhomes; they are very close in size (if not larger) than a tour bus or school bus, both of which require a CDL for commercial use. 

Does The State of Title & Registration Matter?

We touched on this earlier, but no, it doesn’t. You can have your rig titled and registered through a Montana LLC, but it is the matter of domicile that matters. So long as your driver’s license reflects your domicile address, then your home state's rules apply. After all, our process is called “out-of-state” registration for a reason. 

For the sake of simplicity, the driver’s license requirements are on you. You need to follow your domicile state’s rules, regardless of what tag it wears. We will help you out with your titling and registration, and saving money on taxes. But licensing issues and rules are definitely in your wheelhouse.