Chapter 2 · Lesson 7 of 7
The for-hire endorsement
4 min read · Restrictions and Endorsements
Explanation
A for-hire endorsement covers a vehicle registered between 16,000 and 26,000 pounds carrying property for hire, or a vehicle designed for fewer than 16 passengers carrying people for hire. A CDL holder operating in a for-hire capacity — a limo, cab, or ride-share vehicle, for example — must still pass the for-hire knowledge exam and apply for the endorsement; the CDL alone doesn’t cover it.
For the standard Indiana-resident path, you must be at least 18 and have held a valid Indiana driver’s license for at least a year. You pass both the driver knowledge exam and the for-hire knowledge exam — unless your license is already unexpired, in which case only the for-hire exam is needed. New residents who are at least 18 and hold a qualifying valid out-of-state for-hire credential may add the Indiana endorsement after passing the for-hire knowledge exam.
The endorsement lasts as long as the license and renews up to a year before expiration. No medical exam report is required for it. A few things don’t count as “for hire” at all: operating a medical services vehicle, certain pre-sale recreational-vehicle transport under weight limits, and operating a vehicle registered under 16,000 pounds even if it transports property for pay.
Example
A CDL holder who wants to drive for a ride-share company passes the for-hire knowledge exam and adds the for-hire endorsement to her license — her CDL by itself does not authorize for-hire passenger transport.
Common mistake
Assuming any vehicle under 16,000 pounds transporting goods for pay needs the endorsement. The manual specifically excludes vehicles registered under 16,000 pounds from the for-hire definition.
What the manual says
Indiana residents who hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and wish to operate in a “for-hire” capacity (such as operating as a limo, cab driver, or ride share) must pass a for-hire knowledge exam and apply for the for-hire endorsement.
Operating a motor vehicle that is registered as having a gross weight of less than 16,000 pounds and used to transport property for hire
Sources
- Manual p. 16
“Registered as having a gross weight of at least 16,000 pounds, but not more than 26,000 pounds and operated for the purpose of transporting property for hire; or”
- Manual p. 16
“Designed to transport fewer than 16 passengers, including the driver, and operated for the purpose of transporting passengers for hire.”
- Manual p. 16
“Indiana residents who hold a commercial driver's license (CDL) and wish to operate in a "for-hire" capacity (such as operating as a limo, cab driver, or ride share) must pass a for-hire knowledge exam and apply for the for-hire endorsement.”
- Manual p. 16
“A for-hire endorsement may be issued to Indiana residents who are at least 18 years of age and who have held a valid Indiana driver's license for at least one year. To obtain a driver's license with a for-hire endorsement, you must pass both a driver knowledge exam and the for-hire knowledge exam. If you currently hold an unexpired driver's license, you will only need to pass the for-hire exam.”
- Manual p. 16
“New Indiana residents who are at least 18 years of age and who hold a valid driver's license, chauffeur's license, public passenger chauffeur's license, or CDL with a for-hire endorsement from another state may add a for-hire endorsement to their Indiana driver's license after passing the for-hire knowledge exam.”
- Manual p. 16
“Your Indiana for-hire endorsement is valid for the same period of time as your Indiana driver's license. You may renew your driver's license with a for-hire endorsement at any Indiana BMV branch or online up to one year before the license expires.”
- Manual p. 16
“The BMV does not require a medical examination report in order to issue a driver's license with the for-hire endorsement.”
- Manual p. 16
“Operating a medical services vehicle”
- Manual p. 16
“Operating a motor vehicle that is registered as having a gross weight of less than 16,000 pounds and used to transport property for hire”
Check your understanding
Question 1 of 3