# Policy AM-501-2 City-Owned Vehicles Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference. ## Policy AM-501-2 City-Owned Vehicles Balt., Md., Admin. Manual AM-501-2 (2026) 1 scope Except as otherwise stated, this Policy applies to all City employees (civil and non-civil service) who will operate a vehicle for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. This policy does not apply to employees of the Baltimore City Sherriff’s Office, or the Baltimore Police Department, who have received State certification for operating an emergency vehicle. Eligibility for a City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization (CBDP/A) is contingent upon a City employee having a valid Maryland State driver's license with the appropriate license class code, (employees with licenses from another State not Maryland may be eligible if that State is proven to be their actual state of residency…i.e. commute between the state and City employment each day and evening of employee’s work day/shift), and meeting the requirements for such Permit/Authorization as outlined in this policy. A City employee who does not have a valid City of Baltimore Driver Permit will not be allowed to operate any type of City-owned vehicle. A CBDP/A may be suspended or revoked by the Department of Finance, Division of Occupational Safety (DOS), or the employee's agency head when circumstances warrant it. Failure to maintain (for any reason) a CBDP/A, may result in the immediate transfer, demotion, and/or termination of the affected employee. A current file of individuals who’s CBDP/As and/or State drivers' licenses have been suspended or revoked shall be maintained by DOS and at the agency level. Employees who have been approved for a CBDP/A, but reside in another state outside of Maryland must provide DOS with a certified copy of their State Driving Record every six (6) months, in January and July. Issuance and/or reinstatement of a CBDP/A, upon request of a City Agency shall be solely the discretion of DOS. training Basic Driver Training The Basic Driver Training Course provides instruction in basic driving and safety techniques for the Mayor's Motor Vehicle Freeze Committee (MMVFC) and activity-assigned vehicles. DOS and/or their assigned representatives administer this course. DOS designs the course (which currently includes the National Safety Council’s Defensive Driving Course, vision examination, and other required elements. Although these may change in the future, all aspects of the course must be passed in order to attain or retain a City Driver’s Permit. A MMVFC/activity-assigned vehicle is defined as a car, station wagon, or truck with a 2,000 pound load capacity or less. (See AM-501-2, Part II, Commercial Driver License (CDL) policy. Completing this course in full is a prerequisite for obtaining a CBDP/A. Blanket Exception for the Baltimore City Fire Department Upon meeting all of the aforementioned requirements, an employee of the Baltimore City Fire department must be at least 19 years of age with at least eighteen (18) months of licensed driving experience. Recertification Driver Training The Recertification Driver Training Course provides an update to the preceding Basic Driver Training Course in driving and safety techniques for the MMVFC and activity-assigned vehicles. DOS and/or their assigned representatives administer this course. This course is designed as an update to the Basis Driver Training Course and must be completed in full every three years to maintain an active and current CBDP/A. Requirement for Renewals of Basic and Recertification Training If an employee fails to renew his CBDP/A by participating/complying with the above referenced required training classes, the employee may be subject to the appropriate action which may include suspension of driving privileges by DOS and/or disciplinary action by agency for insubordination (up to and including termination). Please note that if it has been five (5) or more years since an employee has participated/complied with his/her Recertification Driving Training Course, the employee will be required to attend the Basic Driving Training Course again instead of the Recertification Course in order to receive CBDP/A. Special Purpose Vehicle Training The Special Purpose Vehicle Training Course is administered by each agency having personnel who are required to use special purpose vehicles. A special purpose vehicle is defined as any vehicle that requires anything other than a Class C license to operate. Prior to special purpose vehicle training, the agency must have an approved training course on file with DOS and special purpose instructors shall maintain and timely keep up to date any and all required and/or suggested credentials authorizing he/she to instruct. An agency head must notify DOS by memo within five (5) days after employees have completed the course. The memo should state those employees who have been qualified to operate a special purpose vehicle and the type of vehicle each is permitted to operate. DOS will issue the Special Purpose Vehicle Permit to each qualified employee. requirements-for-obtaining-a-driver-permit Basic Vehicle Permit Upon request of a City Agency for an employee to operate a City-owned MMVFC or activity-assigned vehicle, an employee must meet all of the below listed requirements. Upon meeting all of the requirements, an individual (must be a City employee not a contractual employee or volunteer) will be issued a City of Baltimore Driver Permit by DOS. A City of Baltimore Driver Permit is valid for three (3) years and is renewable only if the employee completes the Driver Recertification Training Course (every three (3) years) and continues to meet all of the following listed requirements. As noted above, employees that have allowed his/her CBDP/A to lapse/expire for five (5) or more years, shall be required to take the BASIC course again in lieu of taking a Recertification course in order to regain their COB driving privileges. Special Purpose Vehicle Authorization In order to operate any type of City-owned special purpose vehicle an employee must meet all of the below listed requirements. Upon meeting all of the requirements, a Special Vehicle Permit will be issued by DOS indicating the type of special purpose vehicle he/she is authorized to operate. This authorization is valid for three (3) years and is renewable only if the employee successfully completes an additional Special Vehicle Training Course and continues to meet all of the following requirements. Exception to Age Requirement If an agency head finds it necessary for an employee under age 21 and/or with less than three (3) years of licensed driving experience to operate a City-owned vehicle on a basic or special vehicle permit, a memo detailing the reason(s) for the request should be forwarded to DOS. A certified copy of the employee's Motor Vehicle Administration driving record must be attached to the memo for evaluation. DOS will notify the agency head of the decision on a case-by-case basis. Any blanket exceptions need approval by the Board of Estimates. suspension-or-revocation-of-city-of-baltimore-driver-permit/-authorization Suspension or revocation of an employee's City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization by the employee's agency head must be reported by memo within three (3) workdays to the MMVFC and to DOS. The memo must cite the reason(s) for the suspension or revocation and specify actions taken to prevent recurrences. DOS may revoke or suspend an employee's CBDP/A even if the employee's agency head elects not to take such action. Further, an agency may request DOS to suspend or revoke an employee’s CBDP/A when warranted and agency shall provide documentation and/or communication memorializing that the request is warranted. This documentation shall be noted in the employee’s electronic driver’s file as well as in his/her hard file, both of which is maintained/housed at DOS. An employee's City of Baltimore Driver Permit/Authorization may be suspended or revoked for any of the following reasons, which include but are not limited to: The Law and Police Departments are also responsible for reporting any of the above instances within three (3) workdays to DOS. reporting-suspension,-revocation-or-expiration-of-state-driver's-license An employee must officially notify, either in person or in writing, his supervisor and DOS of the suspension, revocation, or expiration of his/her State driver's license within one (1) workday. Failure to notify as required may result in suspension of the employee from work. DOS and the agency head will periodically obtain and review the Maryland State driving record of each employee who possesses a City of Baltimore Driver Permit in order to monitor compliance with the Administrative Manual policy. Employers who have been approved for a CBDP/A but reside in another State outside of Maryland must provide DOS with a certified copy of their State Driving Record every six (6) months, in January and July. Appropriate action will be initiated as required for employees who are in violation of this policy. The appropriate action may include suspension of driving privileges by DOS and/or disciplinary action by agency for insubordination (up to and including termination). 2 scope This policy applies to all City employees (Civil Service and non-Civil Service) who will operate Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV) for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements for all Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders to maintain a City of Baltimore Driver Permit and the specifics of the physical examinations and testing procedures, according to the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. requirements In order to operate a City-owned Mayor’s Motor Vehicle Freeze Committee (MMVFC) or activity-assigned vehicle, an employee must meet all of the requirements of AM-501-2, Part I. Upon meeting all of the requirements, an employee will be issued a City of Baltimore Driver Permit by the Department of Finance, Division of Occupational Safety (DOS). In addition, all City drivers operating a CMV for and/or owned by the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore are subject to the provisions of the federal DOT regulations. The regulations require that all CDL holders be randomly tested for alcohol and drugs and successfully complete a physical examination every two (2) years, effective January 1, 1995. A City of Baltimore Driver Permit is valid for three (3) years and is renewable, only if the employee completes a Driver Re-certification Training Course and continues to meet all of the requirements of the Motor Vehicle policies in the Administrative Manual Section 501. Drivers are to notify their immediate supervisor of conditions that adversely change their driving status. A CMV, according to 49 CFR 382.107, means “a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle: cdl-biennial-physical-examination The purpose of this examination is to determine a driver’s physical qualifications to operate a CMV according to requirements and guidelines in 49 CFR 391.41-49. All City drivers are required to successfully complete this examination and obtain a two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate (i.e.: DOT Card) from the City of Baltimore Occupational Medical Services (Mercy Clinic). The City of Baltimore does not recognize Medical Examiner’s Certificates (DOT Cards) obtained from any outside medical facility. The CDL biennial physical examination will consist of: Checking for the following: Failure to successfully meet any of the requirements of the CDL biennial physical examination will result in disqualification from receiving the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) and the driver will be considered as “Does Not Meet Standards (DMS).” Depending upon the outcome of the employee’s physical examination, the employee may receive a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) for either three (3) months, six (6) months or one (1) year in place of the two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate and is considered “Temporarily Qualified (TQ)”. An employee may also be “Deferred (DEFF)” from receiving a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card) until additional required information is forwarded to the Mercy Clinic by the employee. It is required that this information be received by the Mercy Clinic within fourteen (14) workdays. If an employee is classified as “Temporarily Disqualified (TD)”, the employee must recover from the physical condition(s) that lead to the limitation(s) prior to being issued the Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card). Employees are required to closely follow all medical directions for rapid full recovery. cdl-drug-testing-procedure DOS maintains the listing of CDL drivers from which random selections are made for drug and/or alcohol testing. Agencies must supply the names of employees and any subsequent changes with CDL to DOS within 10 workdays. DOS may notify the agency of the names of employees requiring CDL biennial physicals prior to the expiration of the two-year Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Card). . At that point, the agency human resources/personnel designee must contact the Mercy Clinic to schedule examinations. Agencies will receive a daily list from the Mercy Clinic with the names of CDL holders that need to report for testing on the scheduled day. The agency human resources/personnel designee will notify the employee selected to be at the Mercy Clinic, 323 North Calvert Street, at the beginning of the employee’s shift. The employee will report to the Mercy Clinic with the following: a completed Request for Services Form (#28- 1608-5151), a completed Supervisory Drug/Alcohol Testing Order form (#28-1608-5157), and City photo identification. (Note: The drug/alcohol testing order form does not have to be signed by a Substance Abuse Control Officer, SACO). random-tests All CDL employees shall be subject to regulated drug and alcohol testing as enumerated in the Baltimore City Substance Abuse Control Policy. test-results Negative Test Results: DOS will receive a written report stating negative test results. . The employee will continue to work and will be subject to future testing if selected again by the random selection process. Positive Test Results: DOS will receive a written report stating positive test results. DOS will suspend the employee’s driving privileges. *History: May 18, 2012* *History: July 25, 2018* *History: June 26, 2019*