How to Get a CDL Permit (CLP): Tests, Documents and Rules

Quick answer: To get a commercial learner's permit (CLP), you pass a DOT physical, bring identity and residency documents to your state licensing agency, pass the CDL general knowledge test plus any endorsement tests you need, and pay the state fee. Then you hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you can take the skills test.

That's the short version of how to get a CDL permit. The details are where people lose weeks: the wrong combination of knowledge tests, a medical card that isn't on file, or a CLP that expires before the road test. Here's the full picture.

What a commercial learner's permit lets you do

A CLP is a training license. It lets you drive a commercial motor vehicle on public roads, but only with a qualified CDL holder seated beside you. Under FMCSA rules, that supervisor must hold a CDL of the right class with any endorsements the vehicle requires and must sit in the front seat next to you. In a bus or other passenger vehicle, the supervisor may instead sit directly behind you or in the first row behind the driver, as long as they can observe and direct you.

The permit also carries limits on what you can haul and who can ride along. A CLP holder with a passenger (P) or school bus (S) endorsement on the permit can't carry passengers other than trainers, examiners and other trainees. A tank vehicle (N) endorsement on a CLP only allows driving an empty tank that has been purged if it last held hazardous materials. And there is no hazmat on a CLP at all.

How to get a CDL permit: eligibility and medical card

Federal rules set the floor; your state adds its own steps.

• Age: 18 to drive within your state (intrastate), 21 to drive across state lines or haul hazmat. Some states have different intrastate rules, so confirm locally.
• Base license: You need a valid non-commercial driver's license, usually from the state where you live.
• Medical certification: You must be examined by a medical examiner listed on FMCSA's National Registry and receive a medical certificate. Since FMCSA's National Registry II rule took effect in June 2025, examiners send results electronically and FMCSA forwards them to the states, though not every state finished the switch on day one. Ask your licensing office whether it still wants a paper copy.
• Self-certification: You'll declare the type of driving you'll do (interstate or intrastate, excepted or non-excepted). Most new drivers headed for trucking jobs choose non-excepted interstate.

Our guide to DOT physical requirements explains what the exam checks and what can shorten your card.

Which knowledge tests to take for Class A or B

Everyone takes the general knowledge test. After that, the tests you add depend on the vehicle you'll train in and the job you want. Taking the endorsement knowledge tests now means they print on your CLP and you can train for them right away.

Skipping the air brakes test isn't free. If you don't pass it, or you take your skills test in a vehicle without full air brakes, your CDL gets an air brake restriction. Most trucking jobs require air brakes, so for nearly everyone, take it. Our CDL air brakes test guide covers the numbers you need.

Most states use the AAMVA question pools built from the FMCSA model CDL manual, so the general knowledge test is typically 50 questions with an 80% passing score, and endorsement tests also require 80%. Question counts for endorsements vary a bit by state. Our CDL general knowledge test guide breaks down what's covered.

Documents to bring

Each state publishes its own list, but expect to bring:

• Proof of identity and lawful presence (a passport or birth certificate, for example)
• Your Social Security number
• Proof of state residency (often two documents, such as a utility bill and a bank statement)
• Your current driver's license
• Medical certification, if your state hasn't received it electronically
• Payment for the CLP fee and test fees

Many states also run a vision test at the counter and take a new photo. If your name changed through marriage or court order, bring the paper trail connecting the names.

CLP restrictions and the 14-day rule

The 14-day rule is federal. Under 49 CFR Part 383, you can't take the CDL skills test until you've held your CLP for at least 14 days after it was first issued. Apply on July 1, and the earliest skills test date is July 15. The same waiting period applies when you upgrade a class or add an endorsement that requires a skills test.

There's a second gate: Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). Since February 7, 2022, first-time Class A or B applicants (and first-time P, S or H endorsement applicants) must complete training from a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test, or before the knowledge test for hazmat. You can get the CLP first, which is the usual order. Our ELDT requirements post explains what counts.

Day-to-day CLP rules to remember:

• A qualified CDL holder rides with you at all times.
• No hazardous materials.
• Passenger and tanker limits as described above.
• Carry the CLP along with your regular driver's license.

How long the CLP is valid

Federal rules let states issue a CLP valid for up to one year from the initial issue date. Some states issue a shorter permit that can be renewed, but the total can't run past one year without retaking the knowledge tests. If your permit expires before you pass the skills test, you start over with the knowledge tests.

That's why timing matters. A realistic sequence looks like this:

1. DOT physical and medical certificate
2. Knowledge tests and CLP issued
3. ELDT theory (often online) and behind-the-wheel training
4. 14 days pass (usually more, while you train)
5. Pre-trip, basic control and road skills test

Ready to start? Work through our free CDL practice tests for general knowledge and air brakes, and compare the full path to a license in our how to get a CDL guide. For the official rules, read FMCSA's commercial learner's permit page.

Frequently asked questions

How long do you have to hold a CDL permit?

At least 14 days after it's first issued before you can take the skills test. Most students hold it longer because ELDT and practice take more than two weeks.

Can you drive alone with a CDL permit?

No. A CDL holder with the right class and endorsements must be with you every time you drive a commercial vehicle on a public road.

How many tests are on the CDL permit?

Everyone takes the general knowledge test; most Class A students also take air brakes and combination vehicles. Add one test for each endorsement you want printed on the CLP.

Do I need ELDT before the CDL permit test?

Not for the regular knowledge tests. ELDT must be finished before the skills test, except hazmat theory training, which must be completed before the hazmat knowledge test.