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

Requirements verified July 20, 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.

Alaska issues CDLs through its Division of Motor Vehicles. The core process is the standard federal one — a regular Alaska license, knowledge tests for a $15 Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold while you complete ELDT, then a $25 road test in a matching vehicle — but Alaska has two distinctive features worth planning around.

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. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: General Knowledge (all applicants); Combination Vehicles (Class A); Air Brakes (to remove the L restriction); Any endorsement tests you need (P, S, H, N, T).
2. Complete ELDT training. For a first Class A/B CDL or a first hazmat, passenger, or school-bus endorsement, you must train with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Alaska relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Your provider reports completion to FMCSA, and the DMV confirms it before issuing your first CDL or a first-time endorsement. No separate state ELDT portal. ELDT is required for first CDL issuance and first-time hazmat; drivers who held the relevant credential before February 7, 2022 are grandfathered.
3. Hold your permit 14 days. Federal rules require at least 14 days before the skills test.
4. Pass the skills test. It has 3 parts: Pre-trip vehicle inspection, Basic vehicle control, On-road driving test. Road tests can be scheduled online, and Alaska certifies third-party examiners at driving schools; knowledge tests are still taken at DMV offices. Any DMV office or Business Partner can issue the license.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license. Alaska requires a passing 80% score on all knowledge tests. The road test must be taken in a vehicle matching the class and endorsement you're seeking. Alaska also issues a unique Off-Highway CDL for qualifying rural drivers (see skills-test notes). The CDL term in years is not stated on the DMV pages we could confirm — confirm with Alaska DMV.

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 doa.dmv.cdl@alaska.gov (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

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 Third-party testing allowed

Alaska allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. 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 — including offenses in your personal vehicle. 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.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Veterans may be eligible for a road/skills test waiver under the FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver program, for qualified applicants with recent equivalent military driving experience. Knowledge tests are not waived.

Alaska CDL FAQ