How to get a CDL

Step 1: get a commercial learner's permit

Start with a commercial learner's permit (CLP). The federal rules make it a precondition to the first CDL (49 CFR § 383.25(d)). To apply you must be at least 18, prove your age and where you live, and pass the general knowledge test (49 CFR § 383.71(a)). You also show proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency; some applicants from other countries can get a non-domiciled permit instead (§ 383.71(a)(5) and (f)). To train on public roads with the permit you also need a regular driver's license from the same state, and a CDL holder with the right class must ride beside you (49 CFR § 383.25(a)). The permit is valid for up to one year (49 CFR § 383.25(c)).

If you will drive across state lines (the rule calls it non-excepted interstate driving), you also need a DOT medical exam. A new permit or CDL applicant who certifies to that kind of driving must be medically examined and certified by a medical examiner (49 CFR § 383.71(h)(1)). Your state records your medical status when FMCSA sends it the examiner's certificate. Your state licensing agency lists the other documents, the fees and the test dates, so start on its CDL page. Done when: you hold the permit, you know your test date and, if you need the medical exam, it is on file. Common mistake: waiting to apply. The 14-day clock before the skills test starts when the permit is issued, not when training starts.

Step 2: pick a school on FMCSA's registry

For a first Class A or Class B CDL, the training has to come from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry (49 CFR § 380.609(a)). The registry file of Oct 5, 2026 has 2,217 schools that teach Class A and take students from the public, and FMCSA has removed 9,971 locations from the registry.

Which class: Class A covers a combination of vehicles rated at 26,001 pounds or more when the towed vehicle is over 10,000 pounds, such as a tractor-trailer. Class B covers a single heavy vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or more, such as a straight truck or a bus (49 CFR § 383.91(a)). A driver who passes the Class A tests may also drive Class B and C vehicles, with the right endorsements (§ 383.91(c)).

Search the registry for a school before you pay, and pick your state below to see every registered school with its posted tuition. Done when: the school shows as active at the location where you will train. Common mistake: paying a deposit before checking the removed and under-review lists.

Step 3: complete entry-level driver training

Training has a theory part and a behind-the-wheel part, and FMCSA says there is no required minimum number of instruction hours. Theory ends with an assessment that needs a score of at least 80%, and the instructor documents behind-the-wheel proficiency. The two parts must be finished within one year of each other.

• Cost: posted tuition is a median of $4,900, and the middle 80% of programs post $2,400 to $7,500. What CDL school costs, by state.
• Length: the median program runs 4 weeks at about 40 hours a week. How long CDL school takes, by state and school type.
• Free routes: workforce money under WIOA and carrier-paid programs. Free CDL training and what each carrier says you owe.

Done when: the school has reported your completed training to FMCSA's registry, which providers must do by the end of the second business day after you finish. Common mistake: finishing the theory and behind-the-wheel parts more than a year apart.

Step 4: pass the CDL skills test

The skills test has three parts: a pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control and safe on-road driving (49 CFR § 383.113). You cannot take it in the first 14 days after the permit is issued (49 CFR § 383.25(e)), and the entry-level driver training has to be finished first. Ask your state licensing agency how to book it.

Done when: you pass all three parts. Common mistake: booking the test before the 14 days have passed.

Step 5: get the license and meet the driver rules

Your state issues the CDL after you pass. On the application you certify whether you will drive across state lines or only inside one state, and whether that driving falls under an exception (49 CFR § 383.71(b)(1)). Your answer decides which driver rules apply. Interstate drivers must meet the federal driver qualification rules in 49 CFR part 391, which list being at least 21 years old and physically qualified among a driver's general qualifications (§ 391.11(b)(1) and (4)). A driver who certifies to in-state driving only follows the state's own qualification rules (§ 383.71(b)(1)(iii)). States may add requirements of their own.

The cost page shows the permit and license fees we have confirmed for 34 states; a fee we could not confirm on the state's own page is left blank. Done when: your state issues the CDL. Common mistake: assuming the federal rules are the only ones. Check your state's own.

Find CDL schools in your state

Each state page lists every registered Class A school with its posted tuition, the schools within reach of the biggest cities and the removed providers.

Number of Class A schools open to the public, registry file Oct 5, 2026.

Limits: what this page leaves out

Your state's own rules are not here, only the federal steps and the posted data. FMCSA notes that states may have requirements that exceed the federal ones, so check your state licensing agency for its documents, tests and fees. Tuition and length are what schools posted to state training lists, which cover programs a state approved for WIOA money, so a school that is not on a list can charge or run differently. Confirm everything with the school.

Sources

• FMCSA, Minimum Training Requirements for Entry-Level Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators (April 2023): no required minimum hours, the 80% theory assessment, the one-year window, record submission within two business days, states may exceed the federal requirements. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
• 49 CFR § 383.25, commercial learner's permit, 49 CFR § 383.113, required skills and 49 CFR § 383.71, driver application procedures: the permit and application rules, the 14 days and the three skills. Text current as of Oct 1, 2026, checked Oct 7, 2026.
• 49 CFR § 380.609 and 49 CFR § 391.11: training from a registered provider, and the general qualifications of a driver. Text current as of Oct 1, 2026, checked Oct 7, 2026.
• 49 CFR § 383.91, commercial motor vehicle groups and 49 CFR § 390.3, general applicability: the class definitions, and that the part 391 driver rules apply to interstate commerce. Text current as of Oct 1, 2026, checked Oct 7, 2026.
• FMCSA Training Provider Registry location file and removed list, pulled Oct 5, 2026, and the US Dept. of Labor TrainingProviderResults.gov program file, downloaded Oct 5, 2026: the school counts, posted tuition and length.

Questions people ask