(A) Commercial driver's licenses shall be issued in the following classes and shall include any endorsements and restrictions that are applicable. Subject to any such endorsements and restrictions, the holder of a valid commercial driver's license may drive all commercial motor vehicles in the class for which that license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles, except that the holder shall not operate a motorcycle unless the holder is licensed to do so under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code.
(B) The classes of commercial driver's licenses and the commercial motor vehicles that they authorize the operation of are as follows:
(1) Class A--any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, if the gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(2) Class B--any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more or any such vehicle towing a vehicle having a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating that is not in excess of ten thousand pounds.
(3) Class C--any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that is not a class A or class B vehicle, but that is designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, or is transporting hazardous materials in an amount requiring placarding, or any school bus with a gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating of less than twenty-six thousand one pounds that is designed to transport fewer than sixteen passengers including the driver.
(C) The following endorsements apply to commercial drivers' licenses:
(1) H--authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle transporting hazardous materials in an amount requiring placarding;
(2) T--authorizes the driver to drive a vehicle configured with double or triple trailers that create more than one articulation point for the combination;
(3) P--authorizes the driver to drive vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver;
(4) N--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles;
(5) S--authorizes the driver to drive school buses transporting children;
(6) X--authorizes the driver to drive tank vehicles transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding.
(D) The following restrictions apply to commercial driver's licenses:
(1) E--restricts the driver to vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission;
(2) K--restricts the driver to only intrastate operation;
(3) L--restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with air brakes;
(4) M--restricts the driver from operating class A passenger vehicles;
(5) N--restricts the driver from operating class A and B passenger vehicles;
(6) O--restricts the driver from operating tractor-trailer commercial motor vehicles;
(7) V--indicates the existence of a medical variance on the driver's commercial driver's license information system driver record;
(8) W--restricts the driver to the operation of commercial motor vehicles in accordance with a waiver for farm-related service industries issued under section4506.24of the Revised Code;
(9) Z--restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with full air brakes.
(E) In addition to any endorsement that otherwise may apply, a person who is engaged in the towing of a disabled or wrecked motor vehicle shall hold a commercial driver's license bearing any endorsement required to drive the towed vehicle except the driver is not required to have either of the following:
(1) A passenger endorsement to tow an unoccupied passenger vehicle;
(2) Any endorsement required for the wrecked or disabled vehicle when the driver initially removes a vehicle from the site of the emergency where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest appropriate repair, disposal, or storage facility, as applicable.
(F) The following endorsements apply to commercial driver's license temporary instruction permits:
(1) N--authorizes the holder to drive tank vehicles;
(2) P--authorizes the permit holder to drive vehicles designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver;
(3) S--authorizes the holder to drive school buses transporting children.
(G) The following restrictions apply to commercial driver's license temporary instruction permits:
(1) K--restricts the driver to only intrastate operation;
(2) L--restricts the driver to vehicles not equipped with air brakes;
(3) M--restricts the driver from operating class A passenger vehicles;
(4) N--restricts the driver from operating class A and B passenger vehicles;
(5) P--restricts the driver from transporting passengers in a commercial motor vehicle bus;
(6) V--indicates the existence of a medical variance on the driver's commercial driver's license information system driver record;
(7) X--restricts the driver from transporting cargo in a tank vehicle.
(H) A commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit holder shall not have an endorsement other than an endorsement set forth in division (F) of this section. A commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit holder with a tank vehicle (N) endorsement may only operate an empty tank vehicle, and is prohibited from operating any tank vehicle that previously contained hazardous materials that have not been purged from the tank vehicle. A commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit holder with a passenger (P) or school bus (S) endorsement is prohibited from operating a school bus or commercial motor vehicle carrying passengers.
(I) No person shall drive any commercial motor vehicle for which an endorsement is required under this section unless the proper endorsement appears on the person's commercial driver's license or commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit. No person shall drive a commercial motor vehicle in violation of a restriction established under this section that appears on the person's commercial driver's license or commercial driver's license temporary instruction permit.
(J)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(2) The offenses established under division (I) of this section are strict liability offenses and section2901.20of the Revised Code does not apply. The designation of these offenses as strict liability offenses shall not be construed to imply that any other offense for which there is no specified degree of culpability, whether in this section or another section of the Revised Code, is not a strict liability offense.