Background

Dec. 4, 2007 — update

The Maryland Motor Administration has modified its licensing and testing procedures for motorhome owners who want to obtain a non-commercial Class B license. This license is required of drivers whose motorhomes weigh more than 26,000 pounds.

The skills tests for motorhomes no longer include parallel parking or backing up to an alley dock, as mandated by the previous tests. In addition, at least 20 items were removed from the pre-trip inspection for recreation vehicles.

The changes took effect Nov. 9, and the revised RV testing began Dec. 3.

Those who successfully complete testing for a non-commercial Class B license will receive a license containing the “J” restriction, denoting “Class B RV authorized only.”

Testing procedures

Marylanders who currently hold a valid noncommercial or commercial Class C license and want to operate a motorhome that weighs 26,001 pounds or more, are required to obtain a non-commercial Class B learner’s permit.

To obtain the learner’s permit, the applicant must take and pass a knowledge test consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions. A passing score of 85 percent is required.

The applicant must have the learner’s permit for at least two weeks before being permitted to take the skills tests.

Passing a vision test also is required.

An appointment must be scheduled to take the skills tests. The skills tests consist of three components: a pre-trip inspection, skills maneuvers and a public road test. These tests have been modified for the issuance of the motorhome restriction.

Pre-trip Inspection (to be completed within 20 minutes):

External:

Vehicle walkaround
Leaks (look for puddles or dripping fluids under the vehicle; listen for air leaks if the vehicle is equipped with air brakes)
Fuel tank
Exhaust system
Tires (inflation, depth, and condition of tires)
Rims
Lug nuts
Headlights (low and high beams)
Taillights and brake lights
Four-way flashers
Turn signals (front and back)
Rear of vehicle (doors, hinges, etc.)
Air brake check (if so equipped)
Hydraulic brake check (if so equipped)
Coupling system (if vehicle is being towed or is towing, includes electrical line(s) and airlines if the vehicle is so equipped)

Internal:

Seats and safety belts
Windows and windshield
Doors/mirrors (rearview and outside)
Wipers and washers
Heater/air conditioner/defroster
Horn
Parking brake tug test
Indicator lights (hazard and dashboard indicator lights, to include high beam indicator)
Gauges (including air gauge if vehicle is equipped)

Skills maneuvers (five-minute time limit per maneuver):

Backing 100 feet (straight line) — no speed limit
Offset backing to the right

Public road test:
This test uses the pre-existing CDL road route and scoring criteria, but omits the stopping and starting on the upgrades/downgrades.

Note: The vehicle furnished during the testing process must be of the appropriate class for which the customer is applying.

For more information, contact the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration at (800) 950-1682; www.marylandmva.com.

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Nov. 7, 2007 — update

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is modifying the license test for those who drive motorhomes that weigh more than 26,000 pounds.

Currently, Maryland law requires these drivers to hold a valid Class B non-commercial license. To obtain this license, they must pass a specialized road test that includes parallel parking and backing up to a loading dock. Also, the vehicle must pass an extensive pre-trip inspection.

Details of a proposed new test have not been made public, but the changes could result in a test that more accurately assesses the skills needed to drive large RVs.

An implementation date for the revised test has not been announced, but the MVA was targeting December 2007.

State Rep. Joseph Bartlett sponsored a related bill that died in the Senate in April 2006. The bill would have required the MVA to study driver licensing issues related to the operation of motorhomes, including exempting motorhome owners from the requirement to obtain a Class B non-commercial license.

A reintroduced version of the bill failed in January 2007.

A Maryland Class C non-commercial license, held by most drivers of passenger vehicles, applies to RVs that weigh up to 26,000 pounds. Specialized testing is not required for this license.

According to a motorhome regulations survey conducted by FMCA in fall 2006, at least nine other U.S. states have specialized licensing requirements based on a motorhome’s weight or length.

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April 12, 2006 — update

House Bill 1585 has died in a Senate committee, but it may be re-introduced next year.

The bill would have required the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to study certain issues related to driver licensing for the operation of motorhomes, and report its recommendations to the General Assembly on or before Dec. 31, 2006. The issues include:

• training;
• testing;
• requiring an endorsement for motorhomes on a noncommercial Class C driver's license; and
• feasibility of "grandfathering" license holders who currently drive motorhomes.

HB 1585 encountered virtually no resistance in the House, where it passed by a vote of 138-1. It was introduced in the Senate on April 6 and referred to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on April 10, the last day of the 2006 legislative session.

Rep. Joseph Bartlett's office said the bill will be re-introduced at the start of the next session in January.

Rep. Bartlett planned to meet with state police to request that the existing Class B license requirement for motorhomes not be enforced until the General Assembly has a chance to address the issue in 2007.

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March 9, 2006 — update

House Bill 1585 was introduced in the Maryland General Assembly in February.

It would require the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to study driver licensing issues related to the operation of motorhomes, including exempting motorhome owners from the requirement to obtain a Class B non-commercial license.

HB 1585 is sponsored by Reps. Joseph Bartlett, Patrick N. Hogan, Susan W. Krebs and Paul S. Stull.

Status: A public hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. March 20 at the State House in Annapolis. The current General Assembly session adjourns April 10, 2006.

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Jan. 26, 2006

Maryland law requires drivers whose motorhomes weigh more than 26,000 pounds to have a valid Class B non-commercial license.

To obtain the license, applicants must pass a written test and a skill maneuvers test that includes parallel parking and backing up.

The law has been in effect for years, but apparently it has been overlooked, said Diane Krepke, an examiner at Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration headquarters.

Krepke told FMCA: “I would advise all your members … if a trooper would pull you over, you’d better have that Class B non-commercial license.”

Driving with an improper class of license is a misdemeanor that can result in a fine up to $500 and two points assessed against the violator’s driving record.

An FMCA member’s experience
Byron Souder of Hebron, Md., owns a Monaco Dynasty that weighs more than 26,000 pounds, and he has a Class C non-commercial license. This license, held by most drivers of passenger vehicles, authorizes the licensee to drive any vehicle or vehicle combination up to 26,000 pounds.

A few years ago Souder, aware of the Class B license requirement, went to his local MVA to obtain information about the test. “I was told by several people in the driver testing area that ‘We don’t test motorhomes here’ and ‘Motorhomes are not subject to that law,’” he said.

In January 2006 Souder again visited the MVA to inquire about licensing. “I was courteously told they were beginning to enforce the rule and I would have to obtain a Class B license.”

Joyce Mallon, section manager of the CDL Unit, Driver Services Division, confirmed that Souder should hold a Class B license for his motorhome.

In an e-mail to Souder, Mallon wrote, "I apologize for the inconsistent information you received from the MVA branch office. The MVA is addressing the issue to ensure that all branch offices are providing its customers with correct information."

Proper class
A Class B non-commercial license authorizes the licensee to drive any single vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more.

Commercial motor vehicles and motorcycles are exempt from the Class B non-commercial license regulations. Motorhomes are not.

According to the Code of Maryland Regulations, motorhomes are registered as Class M (multipurpose) vehicles. However, the type of license required is based on a vehicle’s weight, not its registration classification.

Seeking an exemption
Max Durbin, chair of FMCA’s Governmental and Legislative Advisory Committee, encourages motorhomers who live in Maryland to write to the Governor and state representatives to persuade them to exempt motorhomes from the statute.

“We recognize that quite a few of our Maryland members do not own a heavy motorhome,” Durbin said. “But if the state is successful in dusting off this older statute with the resulting testing of our members who own such coaches, it won’t be long before others will be facing such an imposition elsewhere.”

Testing
To obtain the Class B non-commercial license, applicants first must obtain a Class B learner’s permit ($30) by passing a written test covering the rules of the road.

They must hold the learner's permit for at least two weeks, said MVA examiner Krepke, but in the meantime they may set up an appointment to take a three-part skills test.

Applicants must have a properly licensed driver escort them to the skills test, Krepke said.

The skills test includes:

1. Pre-trip inspection — to be completed within 45 minutes. The inspection must be passed before proceeding to the basic skills test.

2. Basic skills test — 10 minutes per maneuver:

• straight line backing
• parallel parking sight side
• parallel parking conventional
• alley docking

The basic skills test must be passed before proceeding to the road test.

3. Public road test — averages 35 to 40 minutes depending on MVA location.

MVA uses its test course as a controlled environment for administering the skill maneuvers, said Mallon, the CDL section manager of the Driver Services Division.

Mallon said the parallel parking and docking portions of the test are administered to assess the driver's ability to judge the dimensions of the vehicle and maneuver it in confined spaces — "such spaces as those found in some recreational vehicle parks or if a detour was necessary due to a road closure.”

Two free manuals provide more information about the test: “Maryland Driver’s Handbook” and “Maryland Commercial Driver’s License Pre-Trip Inspection Guide.” They’re available at Maryland MVA offices.

FMCA’s Durbin said the skills testing, given the nature of how a motorhome is constructed and used, is not relevant to the motorhome community.

Durbin added that some motorhome owners, when faced with licensing procedures they consider unnecessary, have been known to title and license their vehicles in other states.

For more information about Class B non-commercial licenses, contact Maryland MVA headquarters at (410) 424-3011; e-mail MVACS@mdot.state.md.us

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Maryland General Assembly
http://mlis.state.md.us

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration
www.marylandmva.com

Motorhome Regulations, FMC magazine, January 2006
www.fmca.com/fmc2006/janmag/regulations/index.asp