Tier of operation

Select a tier

Tier 1

You drive interstate (you or your load crosses state lines) and you need a Fed Med card to drive a commercial vehicle.

Tier 2

You drive interstate (you or your load crosses state lines), and you do not need a Fed Med card to drive a commercial vehicle because of one of the reasons listed below.

  • All school bus operations.
  • Transportation performed by any political subdivision.
  • Transportation of human corpses or sick and injured persons.
  • Operation of fire trucks and rescue vehicles while involved in emergency and related operations.
  • Operation of vehicles designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers not for direct compensation.
  • Transportation of propane winter heating fuel or responding to a pipeline emergency.
  • Farm custom operation, custom-harvesting operations, transporting farm machinery, supplies, or both to or from a farm for custom-harvesting operations on a farm, or transport custom-harvested crops to storage or market.
  • Operation of a commercial motor vehicle controlled and operated by a beekeeper engaged in the seasonal transportation of bees.
  • Operation of private motor carrier of passengers (non-business).
  • Occasional transportation of personal property not for compensation or commercial enterprise.

Tier 3

You drive intrastate (you or your load does not cross state lines), and you need a Fed Med card to drive a commercial vehicle.

Tier 4

You drive intrastate (you or your load does not cross state lines), and you do not need a Fed Med card to drive a commercial vehicle because of one of the reasons listed below.

  • All reasons in Tier 2 above.​
  • Plus Wisconsin exceptions as follows:◦Tow trucks (if requested by a federal, state or local officer to move a wrecked or disabled vehicle)
    • Grandfathered (held valid CDL since July 29, 1996 that has not been revoked)
    • Wisconsin diabetes exemption to the Fed Med card
    • Wisconsin vision exemption to the Fed Med card​

If you certify in Tiers 2-4, you may still be required to have a Fed Med card due to state statutes or employer policy. However, you do not have to furnish a copy of the Fed Med card to the DMV outside of a normal trip for a license renewal or replacement.

​​

Driver Eligibility Unit
Email Wisconsin DMV email service

Back to top button