CDL Requirements in Alaska (2026): Steps, Cost & Testing

Source review dated October 12, 2026 against Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Alaska issues CDLs through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You hold a regular Alaska license, pass the knowledge tests for a $15 Commercial Learner's Permit, hold it at least 14 days while completing ELDT, then pass a road test ($25) in a matching vehicle — at a DMV office or through a certified third-party examiner. A CDL is $100 ($120 REAL ID). Alaska has a unique rural Off-Highway CDL that can waive the skills test, and — unlike most states — it has not joined the federal electronic medical-card system.

This guide combines federal rules with dated state research. Read the review notes before paying fees or booking a test.

First, the medical rules. Unlike most states, the Alaska DMV says it has not joined the National Registry II electronic system that took effect June 23, 2025. Non-excepted drivers still request and carry a physical MCSA-5876 medical card and submit it to the DMV themselves, and a lapse triggers CDL cancellation if not cured within 30 days.

Second, Alaska is the only state with a federal exemption for rural drivers: the Off-Highway CDL. Qualifying applicants who live off the road system without regular DMV access can have the skills test waived (Restriction 7) or take an amended road test (Restriction 8). The DMV fee for a standard CDL is $100, or $120 for the required REAL ID version.

Eligibility and documents in Alaska

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of legal name, date of birth, and U.S. citizenship or lawful presence (passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or permanent resident card)
• Proof of Alaska residence address
• Proof of Social Security number
• A current valid Alaska non-commercial driver license
• DOT medical card (MCSA-5876) when required for your operating category; Excepted drivers file Form 413
• New residents must obtain an Alaska CDL within 30 days of moving

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. 1

   Check eligibility, documents, and medical qualification

   Choose the CDL class and endorsements for your vehicle. Hold the required regular license and bring Alaska identity, residency, and Social Security documents. Self-certify your operating category and complete a DOT physical before the permit if that category requires medical certification.

2. 2

   Pass the knowledge tests and obtain your CLP

   Take general knowledge and the vehicle/endorsement tests that apply. ELDT theory may be taken earlier, but federal rules do not require it before the CLP. A first-time hazmat applicant must complete hazmat theory before the hazmat knowledge test; hazmat is not issued on a CLP.

3. 3

   Complete required training and practice during the permit hold

   Hold the CLP for at least 14 days before the skills test. Use a qualified supervising driver for public-road practice. First-time Class A/B, B-to-A upgrades, and first-time P/S endorsements require applicable theory and behind-the-wheel ELDT from registered providers. The appropriate CLP is needed for public-road training. State training requirements may add to the federal baseline.

4. 4

   Pass the skills test in the right vehicle

   Confirm ELDT completion is recorded, arrange the test and a representative vehicle, then complete vehicle inspection, basic control, and road driving. The vehicle and transmission you test in can restrict your license.

5. 5

   Complete issuance and maintain your qualifications

   Pay the applicable Alaska issuance fees and confirm the correct class, endorsements, restrictions, and expiration. Keep your medical status current when required and follow the agency’s renewal instructions.

Medical certification in Alaska

Self-certify your operating category with the DMV. Important Alaska difference: the DMV states it has NOT integrated with the new National Registry II electronic system, so non-excepted drivers still request and maintain a physical MCSA-5876 medical card and present it at application or submit it electronically to [email protected] (the card only, not the long form). This departs from the federal examiner-to-state transmission that took effect June 23, 2025 in most states.

If your card lapses: You must submit updated medical information within 30 days of the DMV's notice; failure results in cancellation of the CDL (non-commercial privileges are retained).

Every CDL holder must self-certify one operating category. The categories offered here:

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (medical card required)
• EI — Excepted Interstate
• NA — Non-excepted Intrastate (medical card required)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate (file Form 413)

New to the DOT physical? See our DOT physical guide and CDL medical card explainer.

What a CDL costs in Alaska

These are separate transaction types, not charges that every applicant pays. Renewal, replacement, endorsement, and retest fees are alternatives or extras. Amounts are from the dated research; check current official fees before paying.

Out-of-pocket DMV cost for a new CDL is roughly $140–$160 ($15 CLP + $25 road test + $100/$120 license). This excludes ELDT tuition, a DOT physical, and — for hazmat — the federal TSA Security Threat Assessment fee (paid to TSA, not the DMV).

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Alaska

Testing access: State / approved third parties. Official testing instructions.

Alaska allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, with availability and fees set by the provider. The DMV does not publish official wait times; certified third-party examiners can offer shorter waits than DMV offices.

Your test vehicle: The road test must be completed in a vehicle matching the class and endorsement sought and meeting FMCSA/DMV standards. Alaska uniquely offers an Off-Highway CDL for qualifying rural applicants who live off the road system without regular DMV access: Restriction 7 waives the skills test entirely, and Restriction 8 allows an amended road test in one of 14 designated areas — a federal exemption Alaska alone holds.

Endorsements available in Alaska

Alaska offers the standard federal endorsements. Adding one usually means an extra knowledge test (and a skills test for passenger and school bus). Tap an endorsement for the full federal process and cost:

• HHazmat — Requires the hazmat knowledge test (80% to pass), ELDT for first-timers, and a TSA Security Threat Assessment with fingerprinting via TSA/Universal Enroll (IdentoGO/IDEMIA) — Alaska is not a TSA self-managed state. Minimum age 21. Renewing within 1 year of CDL expiration preserves the original hazmat expiration date.
• NTanker — Tank.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tank + hazmat; follows the hazmat/TSA rules.
• PPassenger — Passenger. Requires ELDT for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus. Requires ELDT for first-timers and minimum age 21.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state. Some also apply in a personal vehicle; vehicle-specific conditions matter. Alaska adopts the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualifications by reference; no unusual state-only disqualification rules were found. A lapsed medical card triggers CDL cancellation/downgrade if updated information isn't submitted within 30 days of notice.

The offenses that trigger a disqualification, the length of each, and the federal exceptions are listed once in our CDL disqualifications guide instead of repeating the table here. Check the review notes for any Alaska-specific additions we could not confirm.

Military skills-test waiver

Check the temporary July 30–October 29, 2026 federal eligibility extension and ask the state whether it participates.

The Alaska DMV CDL page says veterans may be eligible for a CDL knowledge and/or road skills test waiver. Under the FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver program, qualified applicants with recent equivalent military driving experience can have the skills test waived; confirm with the DMV whether any knowledge-test waiver applies to you.

Alaska CDL FAQ