CDLIS
CDLIS - the Commercial Driver's License Information System - is the federal AAMVA-managed database that links every state's CDL records, returning every state where a commercial driver has ever held a CDL or learner's permit.
What it is
CDLIS is operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) under federal mandate. It does not store the underlying driving record itself; instead it acts as a pointer system, telling you which states' MVRs to pull for a complete picture of a driver. A CDLIS query returns every license-issuing jurisdiction the driver has ever been associated with - including expired or surrendered CDLs, learner's permits, and licenses currently in disqualified status. The federal one-driver-one-license-one-record rule, codified at 49 USC §31309, depends on CDLIS to enforce it.
How it applies
For motor carriers, the FMCSA requires a CDLIS check on every CDL hire under 49 CFR §391.23(m)(2). Pulling only the issuing-state MVR is not enough - if a driver had a CDL in Texas, surrendered it, and got a new one in Florida, only CDLIS will surface the Texas history. For interstate brokers vetting carriers, a CDLIS hit on a driver showing licenses in three states over five years is a red flag worth asking about. For staffing agencies pre-screening pools of drivers, CDLIS-first screening prevents wasted MVR spend on drivers whose primary CDL history sits in another state.
Why it matters
A driver with an undisclosed out-of-state CDL is the classic compliance gap. The carrier pulls a clean home-state MVR, files it, and never learns about the suspended-for-DUI license sitting in the previous state of residence. CDLIS closes that gap. The bundle MVR + CDLIS is the standard for FMCSA-admissible §391.23 hiring documentation.
Related terms
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