One CDL speeding ticket won't take your CDL-A by itself, but it starts a 3-year clock. Under federal rules, speeding 15 mph or more over the limit is a "serious traffic violation." Two serious violations in separate incidents within 3 years means a 60-day disqualification from driving a commercial motor vehicle, and a third means 120 days. Convictions in your personal car can count too. Even a ticket that never reaches those limits shows up on your motor vehicle record (MVR), and carriers look at that record when you apply and at least once a year after you're hired. Here's how it works as of October 2026.
Which violations count as "serious" for a CDL-A driver?
The list is in 49 CFR 383.51, Table 2. A conviction for any of these counts as a serious traffic violation:
- Speeding 15 mph or more above the posted or regulated limit
- Reckless driving, as defined by state or local law
- Improper or erratic lane changes
- Following too closely
- A traffic-control violation (other than parking) connected to a fatal crash
- Driving a CMV without a CDL, without the CDL in your possession, or without the right class or endorsement
- Texting while driving a CMV
- Using a hand-held phone while driving a CMV
The penalties stack across the whole list. A speeding ticket and a following-too-closely ticket from separate incidents within 3 years is two serious violations, the same as two speeding tickets.
The major offenses in Table 1 are a separate and much heavier category: DUI, a 0.04 alcohol concentration in a CMV, refusing a test, leaving the scene of a crash and similar offenses. A first conviction there means at least a 1-year disqualification (3 years if you were hauling placarded hazmat), and a second can mean life.
How long is a CDL disqualification for speeding?
Here's what the federal table sets for serious traffic violations, all counted within a 3-year period:
- First serious violation: no federal disqualification. Your state may still add points, fines or its own penalties.
- Second, in a separate incident: 60 days out of a CMV.
- Third or more: 120 days out of a CMV.
Disqualification periods are served on top of any earlier ones. They are not served at the same time. States can be stricter than the federal minimum, so check your licensing state's DMV rules.
Does a speeding ticket in my personal car count against my CDL?
It can. Federal rules apply to CDL holders "in any type of motor vehicle." For serious traffic violations, a conviction in your personal vehicle counts toward the 60- and 120-day disqualifications if it results in the revocation, cancellation or suspension of your license or your non-CMV driving privileges. Either way, the conviction goes on your record, and a hiring safety department will see it. The rules hold you to the same standard on your days off.
Can I take traffic school or a deferral to keep it off my record?
Usually not. Under 49 CFR 384.226, states may not mask, defer or divert a CDL holder's conviction for a traffic violation (other than parking, weight or vehicle defect violations), in any type of vehicle, to keep it off the driver record. The diversion programs or traffic school that a car driver can use to make a ticket disappear generally aren't available to you once you hold a CDL. That's why many drivers talk to a traffic attorney before paying a ticket, because paying the fine is usually a conviction. This is general information. Ask a qualified traffic attorney about your own ticket.
Do I have to tell my carrier about a ticket?
Yes. 49 CFR 383.31 says that if you're convicted of any traffic violation other than parking, in any vehicle, you must notify your current employer in writing within 30 days of the conviction. The notice includes the date, the offense, where it happened and whether you were in a CMV. Many carriers also have company policies that require you to report a citation as soon as you get it, before any conviction. Check your driver handbook.
How do speeding tickets affect my CDL-A job prospects?
Carriers see your record in more than one way:
- When you apply: 49 CFR 391.23 requires a carrier to get your MVR from every state that licensed you in the past 3 years and to check your safety history with DOT employers over the same 3 years.
- Every year after hire: under 49 CFR 391.25, your carrier must pull and review your MVR at least once every 12 months, and the rule tells them to give "great weight" to violations like speeding and reckless driving.
- PSP report: FMCSA's Pre-Employment Screening Program shows 5 years of crash data and 3 years of roadside inspection data. FMCSA notes that PSP keeps the original violation written at the roadside even if a court later reduced or dismissed the ticket.
Each carrier sets its own hiring standards on top of the federal minimum, and insurance requirements often drive them. There's no single rule like "two tickets and no one will hire you." Ask the recruiter directly what their MVR standard is before you apply. You can browse current openings on our CDL-A jobs page or let our carrier match tool narrow down companies that fit your record and goals. If you're thinking about a move, our switching carriers checklist covers the paperwork side.
Speeding written up during a roadside inspection also counts against the carrier's Unsafe Driving score in FMCSA's safety measurement system. Carriers watch that closely, so they notice it. See our guide to DOT inspection levels for how roadside inspections are recorded.
Worked example: how the 3-year clock adds up
Hypothetical example for illustration only.
- March 2025: A driver is convicted of going 17 over in a CMV. That's serious violation #1. There's no federal disqualification, but it's on the MVR.
- August 2026: The same driver is convicted of following too closely in a CMV. That's serious violation #2 within 3 years, so it's a 60-day disqualification.
- January 2028: The driver is convicted of an improper lane change in a CMV. That's 34 months after the first conviction, so it's still inside the 3-year window and counts as #3: 120 days, served after any earlier disqualification.
The math: 60 + 120 = 180 days off the road. At a hypothetical $1,500 a week in gross pay, that's about 25.7 weeks × $1,500 = roughly $38,500 in lost pay, before you count the effect on future job offers. If the third ticket had come in May 2028, more than 3 years after the March 2025 conviction, it would have counted as #2 in the new window. Dates matter.
Common mistakes
- Paying the ticket by mail without thinking. Paying usually means a conviction. Look at your options first.
- Assuming a car ticket doesn't matter. It goes on the same record your carrier reviews, and it can count toward disqualification.
- Not reporting the conviction to your carrier within 30 days. That's a federal requirement on its own, and carriers find out at the annual MVR review anyway.
- Thinking a reduced charge erases the stop. PSP can still show the original roadside violation.
- Counting by calendar year. The window is 3 years between conviction dates, not "this year and last year."
- Running behind schedule. Plan fuel and parking ahead so you aren't speeding to make up time. Our truck parking finder and truck stop directory help.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 mph over a serious violation for a CDL driver?
Not under the federal list, which starts at 15 mph or more over. It's still a moving violation on your MVR, and carriers and states can treat it seriously.
How long does a speeding ticket stay on my CDL record?
That depends on your state. For federal disqualification, what counts is whether convictions fall within a 3-year period. Carriers must review at least 3 years of MVR history when they hire you.
Can I drive my personal car while disqualified from a CMV?
A 60- or 120-day CMV disqualification applies to commercial vehicles. If your state also suspended your regular driving privileges, that's separate. Check with your state DMV.
Can I check my own record?
Yes. You can order your MVR from your state DMV and your PSP record from FMCSA for $10. It's smart to do both before you apply to a new carrier.
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