Do you need a CDL for a vehicle with commercial plates that does not use air brakes?
When it's an air brake equipped vehicle operating on a for-hire basis which meets any of the following criteria:It has a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 lbs. (New York State lowers the weight to 18,000 lbs.)It is a vehicle of any weight rating which is carrying a quantity of hazardous materials which requires the display of placardsIt is a vehicle designed to transport more than 15 persons (including the driver)It is a vehicle of an exempt category (recreational vehicles, military vehicles, registered farm vehicles, firefighting vehicles) which exceed a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 26,000 lbs., and are not operating within the specified usage for them to be exempt from CDL requirements (for example, you don't need a CDL to drive an RV, but a delivery driver taking it to the dealership would need one if it exceeds 26,000 lbs. GVWR)