1997 Minnesota Statutes

     171.02 Licenses:  types, endorsements, restrictions. 

    Subdivision 1.    License required.  No person, except 
 those hereinafter expressly exempted, shall drive any motor 
 vehicle upon any street or highway in this state unless such 
 person has a license valid under the provisions of this chapter 
 for the type or class of vehicle being driven.  No person shall 
 receive a driver's license unless and until the person's license 
 from any jurisdiction has been invalidated by the department.  
 The department shall provide to the issuing department of any 
 jurisdiction, information that the licensee is now licensed in 
 Minnesota.  No person shall be permitted to have more than one 
 valid driver's license at any time.  No person to whom a current 
 Minnesota identification card has been issued may receive a 
 driver's license, other than an instruction permit or a limited 
 license, unless the person's Minnesota identification card has 
 been invalidated by the department. 

    Subd. 2.    Driver's license classifications, 
 endorsements, exemptions.  Drivers' licenses shall be 
 classified according to the types of vehicles which may be 
 driven by the holder of each type or class of license.  The 
 commissioner may, as appropriate, subdivide the classes listed 
 in this subdivision and issue licenses classified accordingly.  
 No class of license shall be valid to operate a motorcycle, 
 school bus, tank vehicle, double-trailer or triple-trailer 
 combination, vehicle transporting hazardous materials, or bus, 
 unless so endorsed. 

    There shall be four general classes of licenses as follows: 

    (a) Class D; valid for: 

    (1) all farm trucks operated by (i) the owner, (ii) an 
 immediate family member of the owner, (iii) an employee of the 
 owner not primarily employed to operate the farm truck, within 
 150 miles of the farm, or (iv) an employee of the owner employed 
 during harvest to operate the farm truck for the first, 
 continuous transportation of agricultural products from the 
 production site or on-farm storage site to any other location 
 within 50 miles of that site; 

    (2) fire trucks and emergency fire equipment, whether or 
 not in excess of 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, operated by 
 a firefighter while on duty, or a tiller operator employed by a 
 fire department who drives the rear portion of a midmount aerial 
 ladder truck; 

    (3) recreational equipment as defined in section 168.011, 
 subdivision 25, that is operated for personal use; and 

    (4) all single unit vehicles except vehicles with a gross 
 vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds, vehicles designed to 
 carry more than 15 passengers including the driver, and vehicles 
 that carry hazardous materials. 

    The holder of a class D license may also tow vehicles if 
 the combination of vehicles has a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 
 pounds or less. 

    (b) Class C; valid for:  

    (1) operating class D vehicles; 

    (2) with a hazardous materials endorsement, transporting 
 hazardous materials in class D vehicles; and 

    (3) with a school bus endorsement, operating school buses 
 designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers, including the 
 driver. 

    (c) Class B; valid for all vehicles in class C, class D, 
 and all other single unit vehicles including, with a passenger 
 endorsement, buses.  The holder of a class B license may tow 
 only vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or 
 less. 

    (d) Class A; valid for any vehicle or combination thereof. 

    Subd. 2a.    Exceptions.  Notwithstanding subdivision 2, 
 (1) a hazardous materials endorsement is not required to operate 
 a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less 
 while carrying in bulk tanks a total of not more than 200 
 gallons of petroleum products and (2) a class C license or 
 hazardous materials endorsement is not required to operate a 
 farm vehicle as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 
 49, section 390.5, having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 
 pounds or less while carrying in bulk tanks a total of not more 
 than 1,500 gallons of liquid fertilizer. 

    Subd. 3.    Motorized bicycles.  No motorized bicycle 
 shall be operated on any public roadway by any person who does 
 not possess a valid driver's license, unless the person has 
 obtained a motorized bicycle operator's permit or motorized 
 bicycle instruction permit from the commissioner of public 
 safety.  The operator's permit may be issued to any person who 
 has attained the age of 15 years and who has passed the 
 examination prescribed by the commissioner.  The instruction 
 permit may be issued to any person who has attained the age of 
 15 years and who has successfully completed an approved safety 
 course and passed the written portion of the examination 
 prescribed by the commissioner.  

    This course must consist of, but is not limited to, a basic 
 understanding of: 

    (1) motorized bicycles and their limitations; 

    (2) motorized bicycle laws and rules; 

    (3) safe operating practices and basic operating 
 techniques; 

    (4) helmets and protective clothing; 

    (5) motorized bicycle traffic strategies; and 

    (6) effects of alcohol and drugs on motorized bicycle 
 operators. 

    The commissioner may promulgate rules prescribing the 
 content of the safety course, examination, and the information 
 to be contained on the permits.  A person operating a motorized 
 bicycle under a motorized bicycle permit is subject to the 
 restrictions imposed by section 169.974, subdivision 2, on 
 operation of a motorcycle under a two-wheel instruction permit. 

    The fees for motorized bicycle operator's permits are as 
 follows: 

       (a) Examination and operator's permit,
           valid for one year                     $ 6
       (b) Duplicate                              $ 3
       (c) Renewal permit before age 21
           and valid until age 21                 $ 9
       (d) Renewal permit after age 21
           and valid for four years               $15
       (e) Duplicate of any renewal permit        $ 4.50
       (f) Written examination and
           instruction permit, valid for
           30 days                                $ 6

    Subd. 4.    Restricted commercial drivers' licenses.  (a)
 The commissioner may issue restricted commercial drivers' 
 licenses and take the following actions to the extent that the 
 actions are authorized by regulation of the United States 
 Department of Transportation entitled "waiver for farm-related 
 service industries" as published in the Federal Register, April 
 17, 1992: 

    (1) prescribe examination requirements and other 
 qualifications for the license; 

    (2) prescribe classes of vehicles that may be operated by 
 holders of the license; 

    (3) specify commercial motor vehicle operation that is 
 authorized by the license, and prohibit other commercial vehicle 
 operation by holders of the license; and 

    (4) prescribe the period of time during which the license 
 is valid. 

    (b) Restricted commercial drivers' licenses are subject to 
 sections 171.165 and 171.166 in the same manner as other 
 commercial drivers' licenses. 

    (c) Actions of the commissioner under this subdivision are 
 not subject to sections 14.05 to 14.47 of the administrative 
 procedure act. 

    Subd. 5.    Exemption for certain backup snowplow drivers. 
  Pursuant to the waiver authorization set forth in Public Law 
 Number 104-59, section 345 (a)(5), a person who operates a 
 commercial motor vehicle for the purpose of removing snow or ice 
 from a roadway by plowing, salting, or sanding is not required 
 to hold a commercial driver's license if the person: 

    (1) is an employee of a local unit of government with a 
 population of 3,000 or less; 

    (2) is operating within the boundaries of the local unit of 
 government; 

    (3) holds a valid driver's license authorizing the 
 operation of class B vehicles; and 

    (4) except in the event of a lawful strike, is temporarily 
 replacing the employee who normally operates the vehicle but 
 either is unable to operate the vehicle or is in need of 
 additional assistance due to a snow emergency as determined by 
 the local unit of government. 

    HIST: (2720-143) 1939 c 401 s 2; 1963 c 393 s 1; 1971 c 644 s 
 4; 1973 c 16 s 1; 1977 c 214 s 12; 1977 c 429 s 63; 1978 c 479 s 
 1; 1979 c 227 s 3; 1981 c 363 s 29; 1984 c 546 s 1; 1985 c 248 s 
 70; 1985 c 291 s 19; 1986 c 444; 1986 c 454 s 21; 1987 c 269 s 
 7; 1987 c 358 s 110; 1989 c 301 s 4,5; 1989 c 307 s 17; 1989 c 
 342 s 21; 1990 c 529 s 5; 1991 c 174 s 8; 1991 c 298 art 7 s 2; 
 1991 c 333 s 24-26; 1992 c 581 s 14; 1993 c 78 s 4; 1993 c 142 s 
 1; 1993 c 266 s 20; 1994 c 465 art 3 s 48; 1995 c 95 s 7; 1995 c 
 174 s 3; 1996 c 275 s 1,2; 1997 c 35 s 1