I have a Formula 400ss with a custom gooseneck trailer. Last winter I took the boat to Florida but had someone else pull it down with their truck. I currently have a 2014 2500HD Silverado LTZ with the Duramax. I don't think this is the right truck to tow the boat so I am going to buy a 2016 3500 DenaliHD Dully. My question is since the over all combined weight is over 26,000 LBS do I need a CDL to tow my own boat?

Legally, Yes.

After my post I found this info. https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulation.../section/390.3 Section "f" Exceptions- number 3 "(3) The occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise;"

I think I might be ok without one. I am going to look into this further...

Grey area from what I've seen. Lack of consistency from state to state by the DOT enforcement officials..............I like to refer to them as road pirates...........is probably the biggest problem. Technically you shouldn't need a CDL, as you're not "commercial", but you technically should have a class A license for that weight. Seems like they don't have any other standard to go by (other than CDL) although some states supposedly have personal use class A licenses as an option. Ultimately you will need permits to be legal and most states required you to stop at all open weight stations with a permitted load. In doing so you will open your self up to scrutiny. I'll also say that in general the road pirates seem to have caught on that guys in "small" trucks are less likely to have their act together and there's a better likelihood that they'll be able to write more fines. They seem more focused on the smaller trucks in the last couple years. With all that said there are plenty of guys towing their own stuff that will just roll straight thru, plead ignorance if / when they get pulled over, and hope for the best.

I recently towed my Talon, 11'4" wide from Northern California to Loto. I pulled permits for the trip. I realize my truck is not a 1 ton so pulling thru the scales is mandatory. I was pulled behind at every scale or port of entry to check for permits. You can purchase a wide load permit at most. You would need to produce a CDL or no permit, no movement. I prefer to boat rather than hang out with cops at the scale house. I do know owners that beg for forgiveness rather than permission. Doug

Are you saying you needed a CDL to get a permit? I helped the driver who took my boat to Florida last winter get a couple permits in Florida and all I had to do was register the route online and submit payment and got the permit.

I used a service to pull my permits for all of the states that I ran through. They had my license number on file, in California you must have a class a license to pull a permitted load. I assume that all states require this. You can pull your own permits on line, except for Wyoming, but I believe that a license number is required. Doug