Licenses & drivers4 min read
Kentucky will waive the written CDL test for some veterans
Governor Andy Beshear signed an emergency rule on September 29. It applies only to Kentucky residents with recent military driving jobs, and the state still has to approve the form.
On September 29, 2026, Governor Andy Beshear signed an emergency regulation that fast-tracks a commercial driver's license for certain veterans and active-duty service members. A CDL is the license required to drive a large truck for work. The Kentucky General Assembly had already authorized a written-test waiver in Senate Bill 199 in 2024. This regulation is what turns that permission on.
The person has to live in Kentucky and must have operated commercial-style military vehicles within the past two years. The jobs that qualify, as Kentucky Today listed them, are Army motor transport operator (88M), fueler (92F), and Patriot launching station operator (14T); Marine Corps motor vehicle operator (3531); Navy equipment operator (EO); and Air Force vehicle operator (2TI), fueler (2FO), and pavement and construction equipment operator (3E2). CDLLife and Kentucky Today both reported the written-test waiver. Kentucky Today said the application the Transportation Cabinet uses asks to waive the written knowledge and skills tests. The cabinet mails an answer within 30 days.
A waiver is not the same as a license in hand. The state still approves or denies the form. Someone who does not live in Kentucky, or whose military job is not on that list, still takes the regular tests. This does not change the federal rules on non-domiciled licenses or the English check at the roadside.
Sources
- CDLLife on Kentucky's emergency CDL regulation, September 29, 2026
- Kentucky Today on the written-test waiver, September 29, 2026
The Ro-Mac Brief summarizes public reporting for a general reader. Figures can be revised by the agency that published them. This is not legal advice.
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