Class A Driver Training School Third Party Tester - Application Process

Before applying:

Review the law pertaining to Class A driver training school third-party testers under the Code of Virginia at § 46.2-326.1 and §§ 46.2-341.14:1 thru 46.2-341.14:10.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be licensed as a Class A driver training school that:

    • Has maintained a place of business in the Commonwealth for at least three years and have maintained such licensure in good standing or
    • Employs a third-party examiner who has been licensed as a Class A driver training instructor for a minimum of three years and has maintained such licensure in good standing;

    Note: "Good standing" means (1) that the instructor has not had sanctions levied against him by the department for actions related to his role as an instructor or (2) that the driver training school has not had sanctions levied by the department for actions related to participation in the Class A driver training school program.

  • Employs or designates at least one person in the applicant's employ to be a third-party examiner applicant. All applicants must possess a valid Virginia commercial driver's license with the classification and endorsements required for operation of the class and type of commercial motor vehicle used in skills tests conducted by the examiner. A third-party examiner is not required to be licensed as a Class A driver training instructor.
  • Has a curriculum of at least 160 hours in length. 

Note: See Class A Driver Training Third-Party Tester School Curriculum Requirements (DTS/TPT 30 A)

  • Acquires and maintains a $100,000 surety bond in addition to the $100,000 surety bond already required for Class A driver training school licensure. 

    Note: The surety bond will be used to pay for retesting drivers in the event that the third-party tester or one or more of its third-party examiners are involved in fraudulent activities related to conducting the skills testing for applicants.

Application Requirements

The application package for certification must include:

  • An application for Class A Driver Training School Third-party Tester Certification
  • A Surety Bond Affidavit and Acknowledgement of Surety Form (TPT 557)
  • An application for a Third-party Examiner (TPT 576) for at least one employee. To find out more about the certification process for third-party examiners, refer to Applying to Become a Class A Driver Training School Third-Party Tester Examiner.
  • An application for Third-party Tester Certification of Skills Test (TPT 550) for the primary and secondary routes.
  • A Third-party Tester List of Vehicles Used for Testing (TPT 558)
  • A National Criminal Records Check (FBI) for each examiner
  • A Class A Driver Training School Third-Party Tester Agreement (TPT 559) signed by owner of the school or the authorized representative of the school as it appears on the licensing application.
  • An Agreement and Designation for Use of RoadTest Tablets (TPT 499).
  • A Third-party Tester Program CDL Examiner's RoadTest Tablet Application (TPT 500). 

    IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Licensed Class A driver training school third-party testers are required to use a CDL Examiner Roadtest Tablet (Tablet). The Tablets enable certified TPT CDL Examiners to electronically mark digitized testing evaluation forms for the CDL skills test directly on the Tablet in lieu of using hardcopy testing evaluation forms. The Tablets also provide capability for electronic upload of testing results to a customer's DMV record. The cost per Tablet, including proprietary testing software and first year maintenance, is $7,500. Refer to the TPT Agreement and RoadTest Tablet Agreement for details about other applicable monthly fees and requirements. 

    The Agreement and Designation for use of Road Test Tablets (TPT 499) facilitates obtaining and maintaining the Tablets and using the RoadTest software application component of the SecuriTest Solution (RoadTest). 

    You must use the Third-Party Tester Program CDL Examiner's Road Test Tablet Application (TPT 500) to identify an application user authorized to administer skills tests using Tablets. That person must be one of your employees and be certified by DMV as a third-party examiner.

The following fees must be included with the application package:

  • A Class A Third-party Tester annual application fee of $100
  • A Class A Third-party Examiner annual fee of $50 for each examiner

Mail completed applications, documents and fees to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Driver Training Work Center
Room 519
2300 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220

DMV will evaluate the materials submitted by the Third-party tester applicant. If the application materials are satisfactory, the Department will schedule an onsite inspection of the training range to complete the evaluation process.

On-Site Inspection

Once it has been determined that all requirements have been met, a DMV representative will contact the company's designated Contact Person to schedule training and conduct an on-site inspection of the testing range. The minimum amount of space needed to conduct the basic control skills maneuvers is 375 x 80ft. The company must also have representative vehicles for each class type being used for testing.

Training

Class A driver training school third-party examiner applicants must successfully complete a training course prior to administering CDL training and testing. The contact person should attend the training session for the purpose of maintaining accurate records and being aware of the responsibilities of the Examiner.

The training will consist of:

  • Classroom training
    • Program summary
    • Recordkeeping
    • Student training forms
    • CDL Examiner's Manual
    • Classroom training knowledge tests (general and endorsement). Applicants must correctly answer at least 80 percent of the questions.
  • Range training
    • Vehicle inspections
    • Basic control skills
    • Range training final examination
  • Conducting road skills examination
    • Tablet training
    • The electronic test result reporting system

Applicants should allow at least five days for classroom training and five days for range training. Once the training has been successfully completed, DMV will sign the Class A Driver Training School Third-Party Tester Agreement (TPT 559) and return a copy to the applicant, along with letters of certification for the tester and examiner(s).

Note: Before submitting the application, use the Class A Driver Training School Third-Party Tester Program - Application Checklist (TPT 575A) to ensure that all necessary forms and documentation have been completed and are enclosed. Mail the completed application, documents, and fees to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Driver Training Work Center
Room 519
2300 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23220

Important Information:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires minimum training requirements be met for individuals applying to:

  • Obtain a Class A or Class B commercial driver's license for the first time
  • Upgrade of an existing Class B to a Class A commercial driver's license
  • Obtain a hazardous material endorsement (HME), a passenger (P) or school bus (S) endorsement for the first time

Applicants for a class A or B CDL or a P or S endorsement must complete both theory and behind-the-wheel training prior to completing the applicable CDL road skills exam. Applicants for a class A endorsement will need to complete both trainings in person through the same training provider. Applicants for an HME must complete the theory portion of ELDT prior to taking the Hazmat knowledge exam at DMV. Any entity that wishes to provide this training, must comply with the requirements set out in 49 C.F.R. 380.719 and apply to appear on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. For entities interested in providing ELDT, information on the requirements and application process can be found at ELDT.