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State rules

Driver training rules in Massachusetts

What Massachusetts requires of driving schools, CDL training and school bus drivers, with every fact linked to its official source.

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✓ Checked against official sources · 2026-10-18

Driver training rules in Massachusetts for teen and adult driver's education, CDL schools, carriers that train their own drivers and school bus drivers, each with a link to the official source. Federal ELDT rules (49 CFR Part 380) apply in every state on top of these.

Driver education (teens)Required under 18: 30 hours classroom, 12 hours behind the wheel, 6 hours observing, plus a 2-hour parent class.source 1 · source 2
Supervised practice (teens)40 hours supervised driving (30 if a driver skills program is done). Permit held 6 months. No night-hour minimum stated.source 1 · source 2
New adult driversNo driver ed required at 18+.source 3
Who licenses driving schoolsRegistry of Motor Vehicles (Registrar) licenses private driver schools.source 4
CDL training: state rules beyond federal ELDTFederal ELDT only: RMV requires ELDT from an FMCSA-registered provider before the CDL road test or H knowledge test; no state hours listed (archive.org snapshot 2026-03-07).source 5 · source 6
CDL schools: state licenseYes. RMV licenses for-hire driver schools for each license class (c. 90 s. 32G); private occupational schools also need a Division of Occupational Licensure license (c. 112 s. 263).source 4 · source 7
CDL schools: state hours or curriculumFederal ELDT only. RMV requires ELDT from an FMCSA-registered provider.source 5 · source 8
CDL schools: instructor rulesYes. RMV instructor certificate for anyone teaching driving for hire: age 21+ and 24 months' experience in the license class taught (540 CMR 23.03, 2022).source 8 · source 4
Carriers training their own drivers: licenseExempt. Employer training for a Class A, B or C license is not instruction for hire (540 CMR 23.02), and employee schools charging no fee are exempt from occupational licensing.source 8 · source 7
Carriers: hours or curriculumNo state hours for anyone; federal ELDT only.source 5
Carriers: instructor rulesExempt. The RMV certificate is required for instruction for hire, which excludes employer CDL training; carrier trainers need federal 380.605 qualifications.source 8
New school bus driversPre-service set by a certified School Bus Instructor: 60 hours (28 classroom, 32 BTW) without a CDL; 40 hours if a current CDL holder.source 9 · source 10
School bus refresher8 hours of in-service training before every renewal. Certificates last 1 year (6 months for some medical cases), so this is yearly (c. 90 s. 8A; RMV renewal rules).source 11 · source 9 · source 10

Driving manuals and handbooks

Official publications from Massachusetts, checked 2026-10-19. Read them here or download them; the state's own copy is always linked.

MassachusettsMassachusetts Driver's Manual (English)Driver's manual

Massachusetts Driver's Manual (English)

MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles · 140 pages

Open on the state siteOpens on the state's site.
MassachusettsSafe Driver ChecklistMature and senior drivers

Safe Driver Checklist

MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles · 2 pages

Open on the state siteOpens on the state's site.
MassachusettsYour Health and Driving Safely in MassachusettsMature and senior drivers

Your Health and Driving Safely in Massachusetts

MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles, Medical Affairs · Revised October 2026 (MAB124_1026) · 24 pages

Open on the state siteOpens on the state's site.
MassachusettsCommercial Driver's License ManualCommercial (CDL)

Commercial Driver's License Manual

MassDOT Registry of Motor Vehicles · Version: March 2025 (Document Number T20964 Rev. 10 25) · 192 pages

Open on the state siteCopyright American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), so it opens on the state's site.
MassachusettsGuide to School Pupil Transport Vehicles (7D)School bus

Guide to School Pupil Transport Vehicles (7D)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles · Document No. VSC100M-0322, February 2026 · 42 pages

Open on the state siteOpens on the state's site.
MassachusettsMotorcycle ManualMotorcycle and moped

Motorcycle Manual

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles · 2015 · 72 pages

Open on the state siteOpens on the state's site.

Driving jobs in Massachusetts

30,890heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers employed (May 2025)
$63,030median yearly pay (May 2025)
3,910projected openings each year, 2024 to 2034
8.5%projected job growth, 2024 to 2034
U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Massachusetts, May 2025Projections CentralLong-Term Occupational Projections (2024-2034)

Rules change. Always confirm with the state agency before you rely on a rule. Something out of date? Email terry@eldt.courses.

Federal rules in every state

CDL entry-level driver training must come from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry, for a first Class A or B CDL, an upgrade to Class A or B, or a first P, S or H endorsement (49 CFR 380.609). See ELDT record keeping under 49 CFR 380.

Sources

  1. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8
  2. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/junior-operator-license-jol-requirements
  3. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/passenger-class-d-road-tests
  4. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section32G
  5. https://www.mass.gov/guides/entry-level-driver-training-eldt
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20260307090407/https://www.mass.gov/guides/entry-level-driver-training-eldt
  7. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Chapter112/Section263
  8. https://www.mass.gov/doc/540-cmr-23-licensing-certification-and-operating-requirements-for-professional-driving-school-instructors/download
  9. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/apply-for-a-school-bus-driver-certificate
  10. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8A
  11. https://www.mass.gov/how-to/renew-your-school-bus-driver-certificate

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