republic-os/legal/us/code/title-49/chapter-311/section-31101.md

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LegalText	49 U.S.C. § 31101	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	49	TRANSPORTATION	311	COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY	31101	49 U.S.C. § 31101	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc49@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t49/s31101	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-49/usc49.xml	d1a7e9b4ec18bbf2fc6ca394fe19338807c3c6cce49fdd84e95f9185873ef973	0786acdd244d8f42c5a8e8ed1ec2a8dcb47dd0e02a286752710a20745702a4fb	c9414897d73f6ac79960cf29166bccc7e6c5c0765290e2bd17abc66d6546b14c	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

49 U.S.C. § 31101 - Definitions

Text

In this subchapter—

(1) “commercial motor vehicle” means (except in section 31106) a self-propelled or towed vehicle used on the highways in commerce principally to transport passengers or cargo, if the vehicle—

(A) has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, whichever is greater;

(B) is designed to transport more than 10 passengers including the driver; or

(C) is used in transporting material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under section 5103 of this title and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under section 5103.

(2) “employee” means a driver of a commercial motor vehicle (including an independent contractor when personally operating a commercial motor vehicle), a mechanic, a freight handler, or an individual not an employer, who—

(A) directly affects commercial motor vehicle safety in the course of employment by a commercial motor carrier; and

(B) is not an employee of the United States Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State acting in the course of employment.

(3) “employer”—

(A) means a person engaged in a business affecting commerce that owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle in connection with that business, or assigns an employee to operate the vehicle in commerce; but

(B) does not include the Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State.

(4) “State” means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

(Pub. L. 103–272, § 1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 984; Pub. L. 105–178, title IV, § 4003(a), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 395.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3110149 App.:2301(1), (3)–(6).Jan. 6, 1983, Pub. L. 97–424, § 401(1), (3)–(6), 96 Stat. 2154, 2155. 49 App.:2301(2).Jan. 6, 1983, Pub. L. 97–424, § 401(2), 96 Stat. 2154; Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–554, § 228(a), (b), 98 Stat. 2852. Before clause (1), the words “unless the context otherwise requires” are omitted as unnecessary. The text of 49 App.:2301(4) is omitted as unnecessary because of 1:1. The text of 49 App.:2301(5) is omitted as surplus because the complete name of the Secretary of Transportation is used the first time the term appears in a section. In clause (1), before subclause (A), the words “(except in section 31106)” are added because the source provisions being restated in section 31106 of the revised title contain a definition of “commercial motor vehicle”. In clause (4), the words “the Commonwealth of” are omitted for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1998—Par. (1)(A). Pub. L. 105–178, § 4003(a)(1), inserted “or gross vehicle weight” after “rating” and substituted “10,001 pounds, whichever is greater” for “10,000 pounds”. Par. (1)(C). Pub. L. 105–178, § 4003(a)(2), inserted “and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under section 5103” before period at end.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Savings ClausePub. L. 105–178, title IV, § 4003(h), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 398, provided that: “Amendments made by this section [amending this section and sections 31102 to 31104 of this title] shall not affect any funds made available before the date of enactment of this Act [June 9, 1998].”