Commercial Driver License Citations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires all convictions involving a commercial motor vehicle or for any driver who possesses a Commercial Driver License be reported within 10 calendar days of the date of  conviction. The State of Tennessee reporting requirement for commercial vehicle convictions is 5 days. According to Tennessee Law (Public Acts 2010, Chapter 1037) anyone holding a Commercial Driver License must report all traffic citations whether they are Non-CDL or CDL related. 

Judiciary and Court Clerks CDL Citation, Conviction and Disposition Reporting

Clerks can submit convictions electronically with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security's Court Disposition Reporting System.

If you submit your convictions electronically through TNSYS, Bridge or an Excel Spreadsheet sent by email, what are TNSYS and Bridge? Can we add links to them? Can we add the email address as well? you do NOT have to mail the paper conviction. If you mail your convictions to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, you only need to send one document, the court abstract or the copy of the disposition. Copies and additional documents are not necessary for the same conviction.

Sample CDL Tennessee Uniform Citation

Resources for Tennessee CDL Citation and Conviction Laws 

Use the search box at the top of the page to find related laws or to find a particular law, enter the statute number (i.e. 39-17-1351) into the search.

“Masking” a CDL Conviction

Masking a CDL conviction means that a conviction for a CDL license holder was downgraded to a less serious offense, deferred, or plea bargained. If a CDL license holder pays the citation fine without appearing in
court, that is the SAME as pleading guilty.  This should be reported as a conviction within 10 days.

Federal prohibition against masking CDL convictions is applied only to moving violations, not parking violations. Under Tennessee law, the dismissal with costs for a registration violation is not prohibited. Federal and state law prohibits masking of CDL or CMV convictions by sending convicted persons to traffic school or dismissing with cost. However, judges MAY downgrade the offense, find the defendant not guilty, or plea bargain the charge.