How to Get a CDL: Step by Step

The steps to a CDL, in order

Federal rules set the same basic path in every state. The order below follows 49 CFR Part 383, with Part 380 for training and Part 391 for age, language and medical rules. Your state runs the tests and sets fees.

1. Pick your class and any endorsements from the vehicle you plan to drive: Class A, B or C by weight and use, plus H, N, P, S, T or X if your cargo or passengers call for one. 49 CFR 383.91
2. Check that you qualify: you must be at least 18 for a permit, able to read and speak English well enough for the job, and, if you will drive between states, medically certified. 49 CFR 383.7149 CFR 391.11
3. Get examined by a medical examiner and receive a medical examiner's certificate if you will drive in non-excepted interstate commerce. 49 CFR 391.4549 CFR 383.71
4. Pass the general knowledge test, plus the endorsement knowledge test for P, S or N if you want it on the permit, and receive a commercial learner's permit (CLP). 49 CFR 383.25
5. Practice with the permit, always with a qualified CDL holder beside you, and wait at least 14 days after the permit is first issued before the skills test. 49 CFR 383.25
6. Complete entry-level driver training from a provider on the Training Provider Registry if you are getting a first Class A or B CDL, upgrading to A or B, or adding a first P, S or H endorsement. 49 CFR 380.60949 CFR 380.603
7. Pass any remaining knowledge tests, such as air brakes, combination vehicles, tank vehicle, doubles and triples or hazardous materials. 49 CFR 383.9349 CFR 383.111
8. Pass the three-part skills test, in order: vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control, then on-road driving, in a vehicle that represents your class. 49 CFR 383.133
9. Receive your CDL. Any restriction for the test vehicle, such as no air brakes or no manual transmission, is printed on it. 49 CFR 383.9549 CFR 383.153

CDL classes and who needs one

No one may operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) without a CDL issued by the state where they live, unless an exception applies. The class depends on weight rating, not on how heavy the load is on a given day. 49 CFR 383.23

A higher class covers the lower ones once you hold the right endorsements. A Class A driver who has passed both test sets may drive Class B and C vehicles, and a Class B driver may drive Class C. Moving to a higher class means taking the related tests again. 49 CFR 383.91

• Military drivers operating military vehicles for military purposes must be exempted by each state. 49 CFR 383.3
• A state may choose to exempt farm vehicle operators within 150 miles of the farm, firefighters and emergency vehicle drivers, and local government drivers clearing snow and ice in some situations. Each exemption is limited to the home state. 49 CFR 383.3

Age, English, medical and identity requirements

• Age for a permit: 18 or older, with proof of age. 49 CFR 383.71
• Age to drive under the federal motor carrier rules (interstate): at least 21. A license limited to driving inside one state carries restriction code K, and for intrastate-only drivers the qualification rules, including age, are the state's own. 49 CFR 391.1149 CFR 383.15349 CFR 383.71
• English: you must read and speak English well enough to talk with the public, read traffic signs and signals, answer official questions and fill in reports. Skills tests are in English with no interpreter. 49 CFR 391.1149 CFR 383.133
• Medical: a medical examiner must certify you as physically qualified. A driver who has not been examined and certified in the previous 24 months must be examined again. Insulin-treated diabetes and certain vision standards require a new exam every 12 months. 49 CFR 391.4549 CFR 391.43
• Identity and residency: proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency, unless you qualify for a non-domiciled license, and proof of the state where you live. 49 CFR 383.71
• Clean record: you certify that you are not disqualified and hold a driver's license from only one state. 49 CFR 383.71

The commercial learner's permit

A CLP lets you practice on public roads. It is a separate document from your CDL, and getting one is a precondition for the first CDL and for any upgrade that needs a skills test. 49 CFR 383.25

• You need a general knowledge test pass, a valid regular driver's license from the same state, and an age of at least 18. 49 CFR 383.25
• Supervision: a CDL holder of the right class with the endorsements the vehicle needs must sit in the front seat next to you, or in the first row behind the driver in a passenger vehicle, observing and supervising you at all times. 49 CFR 383.25
• Validity: no more than one year from first issue without retaking the general and endorsement knowledge tests. 49 CFR 383.25
• Waiting period: you cannot take the skills test during the first 14 days after the permit is first issued. 49 CFR 383.25
• Endorsements: only P, S and N may appear on a permit. With P or S you may not carry passengers other than the people the rule lists. With N you may drive only an empty tank vehicle that has no hazardous residue. 49 CFR 383.2549 CFR 383.93
• Hazardous materials: you may not drive a vehicle that is hauling them. 49 CFR 383.25

Entry-level driver training (ELDT)

Since February 7, 2022, an entry-level driver must finish training from a provider listed on the federal Training Provider Registry before the relevant test. The training has a theory part and behind-the-wheel part, with range and public-road time. 49 CFR 380.60949 CFR 380.605

• Class A or B for the first time, or upgrading to A or B: training comes before the skills test. 49 CFR 380.60949 CFR 383.71
• Passenger (P) or school bus (S) endorsement for the first time: training comes before the skills test. 49 CFR 380.60949 CFR 380.605
• Hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time: training comes before the knowledge test. 49 CFR 380.60949 CFR 380.605
• Time limit: except for H, you must finish the theory and behind-the-wheel parts within one year of completing the first part. 49 CFR 380.603
• Not covered: restricted CDLs, drivers who held the CDL or endorsement before February 7, 2022, people with a permit from before that date who earn the CDL before it expires, qualifying military applicants, and people only removing a restriction. 49 CFR 380.603

The knowledge tests

Every applicant is tested on 20 general areas, from safe operation rules and vehicle controls to shifting, backing, speed and space management, emergency maneuvers, skids, cargo, inspections, mountain driving and fatigue. 49 CFR 383.111

• Passing score: at least 80 percent correct on each knowledge test. 49 CFR 383.135
• Air brakes: the test covers 7 areas, including contaminated air, low pressure, pre-trip checks and air loss tests. Failing it puts an air brake restriction on the permit or license. 49 CFR 383.11149 CFR 383.135
• Combination vehicles: the test covers 3 areas, including coupling and uncoupling. Failing it means you cannot be issued a Group A permit or license. 49 CFR 383.11149 CFR 383.135
• Endorsements: each has its own knowledge test, covered in our endorsements guide. 49 CFR 383.93
• Format: questions come from an FMCSA-approved pool, a retake must use a different version, and tests may be given in other languages but without an interpreter. 49 CFR 383.133

The skills test

The skills test must be taken and passed in a fixed order, and you cannot go on to the next part after failing one. Scores for passed parts last only for the initial permit; if the permit is renewed, you retake all three. 49 CFR 383.133

• Vehicle inspection: identify each safety-related part and explain what you check, covering the engine compartment, cab and engine start, steering, suspension, brakes, wheels, sides and rear, and the special features of a tractor-trailer, school bus or coach. With air brakes you also demonstrate the air brake checks. 49 CFR 383.113
• Basic vehicle control: start, warm up and shut down the engine, move and stop smoothly, back in a straight line, turn, shift and back along a curved path. 49 CFR 383.113
• On-road driving: visual search, signaling, speed choice, gaps, turn positioning, following distance, weather adjustment and observing other traffic. 49 CFR 383.113
• Automatic failure: breaking traffic laws or causing a crash during the test fails it. 49 CFR 383.135
• Test vehicle: it must represent your class, judged by its rated weight (GVWR or GCWR), not what it weighs that day. The test runs on streets or a mix of streets and off-street areas, and a simulator can never replace the street portion. 49 CFR 383.13349 CFR 383.113

Restrictions from your test vehicle

Your CDL carries the restrictions that match the vehicle you tested in, so the choice of test truck matters. 49 CFR 383.95

To remove a restriction for air brakes or a manual transmission, a modified skills test is allowed. For air brakes you must also pass the air brake pre-trip and knowledge test. Removing the tractor-trailer restriction means retaking all three skills tests in a tractor-trailer. 49 CFR 383.135

Disqualifications that can end a CDL

A disqualified driver must not drive a CMV, and an employer must not allow it. The periods stack on any earlier ones, and many offenses count even if committed in your own car. 49 CFR 383.51

FMCSA can also disqualify a driver whose driving it finds to be an imminent hazard, first for up to 30 days and, after a hearing, up to one year. 49 CFR 383.52