CDL Requirements (2026)

The requirements that are the same everywhere

1. Age

The federal minimum permit age is 18, which lets you drive intrastate (within your own state). To driveinterstate (across state lines) or to haul hazardous materials, you must be 21 under 49 CFR 391.11. The exact intrastate minimum age is set by each state within this frame.

2. Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP)

You must pass the general knowledge test to be issued a CLP, then hold that permit for at least 14 days before taking the skills test. The permit is valid up to one year, and a CLP holder must always be accompanied by a CDL holder in the front seat. Full detail is on the CDL permit guide.

3. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

Since February 7, 2022, ELDT is required for anyone getting a first Class A or B CDL, upgrading Class B to A, or getting a first hazmat, passenger, or school-bus endorsement. Your provider must be on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, and there is no federal minimum number of hours — it is proficiency-based. See ourELDT guide.

4. Medical certification (the DOT physical)

You must pass a DOT physical from a medical examiner on the FMCSA National Registry and keep a valid medical examiner’s certificate (medical card), which lasts up to 24 months. Let it lapse and your CDL can be downgraded. We describe the standard and process only — never medical advice — onthe DOT physical andthe CDL medical card.

5. Disqualifications

Federal rules under 49 CFR 383.51 list the offenses that cost you your CDL. Major offenses — DUI, a 0.04 or higher BAC in a commercial vehicle, refusing a test, and similar — bring aone-year disqualification for a first offense (three years if you were hauling placarded hazmat), and alifetime ban for a second. A drug-trafficking felony using a vehicle is a lifetime ban with no reinstatement. Importantly, many of these apply even for offenses in your personal car. See the full breakdown on CDL disqualifications.

6. Endorsements and classes

The class definitions (A, B, C) and theendorsement structure — hazmat (H), passenger (P), school bus (S), tanker (N), doubles/triples (T) — are federal. Hazmat additionally requires a TSA security background check. Which vehicle you need decides which of these apply: seeCDL classes andendorsements.

The requirements your state decides

Within the federal floor above, your state controls the practical details:

• Fees — application, testing, and license-issuance costs.
• Wait times — how quickly you can get a knowledge or skills test appointment.
• Testing logistics — whether an approved third-party school can give your road test, or only the state.
• License term — how many years your CDL is valid before renewal.
• The exact intrastate age and the identity and residency documents you must bring.

Because these vary, the smart move is to read the federal baseline once, then check your own state for the numbers.