There are three types of commercial driver’s licenses in California. They are as follows:
- Commercial A License
- Commercial B License
- Commercial C License
We’ll look at those specifically, in a moment. What we are going to address here is what happens should you be unfortunate enough to experience commercial DUI charges. We will look at the punishments you may be subjected to and, finally, let you know who to contact so you can enroll in DUI classes (possibly court-ordered, as a stipulation of getting your license back, etc.).
Commercial Driver’s License Types
As mentioned, there are three types of commercial driver’s licenses in California. Classifications are based on cargo weight and more:
- Commercial A License – Weighing a total of 26,000 pounds (gross), a vehicle with a combined weight can be operated by someone holding a commercial A license
- Commercial B License – 1000 pounds may not be exceeded by the cargo you are carrying with a B license
- Commercial C License – Tank vehicles, passenger vehicles, and hazardous material transport are all allowed for the holder of a C license
Commercial Drivers and the Court System
Compared to regular license holders, a much higher standard is expected of commercial license holders by California courts. While operating these vehicles, any number of dangerous situations can present themselves. It takes special skills to operate commercial vehicles responsibly and safely. Therefore, in California, a BAC (blood alcohol level) of 0.4 or more is prohibited for commercial driver’s license holders. If convicted, commercial drivers will face severe consequences if they violate the DUI law.
DUI Punishments for Commercial Drivers
For 3 to 5 years, a commercial driver will be placed on probation if they are driving with a BAC of .04 or higher, and it is a first offense. Additionally, they’ll need to enroll in a three-month DUI education class, pay fines up to $2000, and their license will be suspended for a year. They may also face one year in county jail. Compared to noncommercial DUIs, the same penalties are enforced with the exception of suspension length being increased to one year. Clearly, both professionally and personally, that’s going to present a problem for a commercial driver. For one year, how will they earn a living? Apparently, the courts feel that’s something they should have thought about before they got behind the wheel of a vehicle, altered.
A commercial license will be completely forfeited if the driver gets a second DUI. For how long? Forever.
Are You Facing Commercial DUI Charges? Contact Jackson-Bibby Awareness Group
If you have been ordered by the court to take a DUI class or need to enroll to get your driver’s license back, we can help. We have both first-time offender programs and multiple offender programs.
To get an idea of how our classes run, click here to view the First-Time Offender Programs we have available and any associated fees.
Need to enroll in one of our programs? Contact Jackson-Bibby Awareness Group today. We have offices in Barstow, Victorville, and Redlands, California. If you have any questions, they may already have been answered on our FAQ page. If not, feel free to submit your question and we will do our best to answer you in a timely manner.
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