Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation Grant (20.232)
Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation Grant (Assistance Listing 20.232) is run by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, part of the Department of Transportation. It awarded $159 million in 161 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $985,463 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $738,474. Half of the 161 awards fell between $268,981 and $1.5 million, and they ranged from $21,660 to $7.3 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$159 million
- Grant awards161
- Typical award$738,474
- Awarded in FY 2025$3.2 million
- Size rank674 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements, project grants, project grants (discretionary)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $27.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $3.2 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 674th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 85% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 38 states and territories.
What the program funds
Assist States in complying with CDL requirements and dedicate funding to priority activities for research, development and testing, demonstration projects, public education, and other special activities and projects relating to commercial drivers licensing.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Past notices
Of 6 notices posted under this program since 2021, most went up in January (2), March (1) and May (1).
- FM-CDL-26-001: FY 2026 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation (CDLPI)
- FM-CDL-25-003: FY2025 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation (CDLPI)
- FM-CDL-24-002: FY2024 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation (CDLPI)
- FM-CDL-23-001: FY2023 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation (CDLPI)
- FM-CDL-22-001: FY2022 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation
- FM-CDL-21-001: FY2021 Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
States may receive grant funds to comply with the requirements of section 31311 of SAFETEA-LU or if making good faith efforts toward substantial compliance with the requirements of section 31311 and 31313 receive grant funds to improve implementation of the commercial driver's license program. States, local governments, and other persons for projects involving research, development, demonstration projects, public education, and other special activities and projects relating to commercial driver licensing and motor vehicle safety that are of benefit to all jurisdictions of the United States or are designed to address national safety concerns and circumstances. States, local governments, and other persons may use grant funds to address emerging issues relating to commercial driver's license improvements.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Assist States and ensure State is making a good faith effort toward substantial CDL compliance; improve the State’s implementation of its computer hardware and software; pay for publications, testing, personnel, training, quality control, CDL program coordinators; and implement or maintain a system to notify an employer of an operator of a CMV of the suspension or revocation of the operator’s CDL. For Priority Activities: Promote activities that benefit all U.S. jurisdictions; address National safety concerns and circumstances; address emerging issues relating to CDL improvements; support innovative ideas and solutions to CDL issues; or other CDL issues as determined by FMCSA. The grant may not be used to rent, lease, or buy land or buildings or to generate profit. Every grant must serve a public purpose. ;
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. There is no matching requirement for the CDLPI program for 2025.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
$20,000 - $1,500,000
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2016: 2016 Funded projects include, but are not limited to data integration, addressing data backlog, training on the use of automated skills testing systems, expanding system capabilities to include mobile platforms, fraud prevention using facial recognition software, correction of data errors, outreach to court officers in the correct adjudicating and reporting of CDL convictions, outreach to State partners, operational support of the skills testing system platform, examiner Train-the Trainer and refresher training, replacing paper-based systems with electronic systems for use in testing and in reporting data, and overt and covert monitoring of examiners. Fiscal Year2017: Funded a project to upload and cleanse medical certificate data for programming services to integrate the State’s system with the Commercial Skills Test Information Management System (CSTIMS) to receive out-of-state and third party test scores electronically.Fiscal Year2018: CDLPI Basic Grants - Only SDLAs are eligible. Applications that support the development, implementation, and maintenance of all or part of the CDL program or that have a direct impact on a State’s compliance with the provisions of 49 C.F.R. parts 383 and 384. For FY 2018, priority is given to funding projects that will enable States to achieve and/or sustain full compliance or, in the case of a State that is making a good faith effort toward substantial compliance with the requirements in 49 U.S.C.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Commercial Driver's License Program Implementation Grant (20.232) awarded $159 million across 161 grant awards, an average of $985,463 per award.
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 75% of the money, nonprofits 22% and colleges and universities 3.7%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| State and local governments | 124 | $119 million | 75% |
| Nonprofits | 31 | $34.7 million | 22% |
| Colleges and universities | 6 | $5.9 million | 3.7% |
By state
31 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 33 | $32.8 million |
| New York | 4 | $23.3 million |
| Louisiana | 7 | $14.4 million |
| Mississippi | 4 | $7.5 million |
| Connecticut | 4 | $7.4 million |
| Georgia | 4 | $6.9 million |
| South Carolina | 4 | $6.4 million |
| New Jersey | 4 | $6.4 million |
| Ohio | 7 | $5.1 million |
| Arizona | 3 | $4.2 million |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | $4.0 million |
| North Carolina | 4 | $4.0 million |
| Nevada | 2 | $3.7 million |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $3.2 million |
| Alabama | 5 | $3.1 million |
| Rhode Island | 4 | $2.6 million |
| Arkansas | 1 | $2.6 million |
| Maryland | 5 | $2.3 million |
| Florida | 3 | $1.8 million |
| Illinois | 1 | $1.8 million |
| Iowa | 4 | $1.8 million |
| Minnesota | 1 | $1.7 million |
| Washington | 2 | $1.6 million |
| Kansas | 1 | $1.6 million |
| Indiana | 4 | $1.5 million |
| Kentucky | 4 | $1.4 million |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $1.3 million |
| West Virginia | 5 | $1.3 million |
| Idaho | 2 | $1.2 million |
| Colorado | 2 | $1.1 million |
| New Hampshire | 3 | $1.0 million |
| Michigan | 2 | $983,344 |
| South Dakota | 3 | $666,260 |
| Missouri | 2 | $393,509 |
| Nebraska | 2 | $259,544 |
| Delaware | 3 | $188,754 |
| District of Columbia | 1 | $114,000 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $67,226 |