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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Department of Revenue

Colorado issues CDLs through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of the Department of Revenue. You hold a regular Colorado license, pass the knowledge tests for a $20 Commercial Learner's Permit, complete ELDT and hold the permit at least 14 days, then take your skills test — which state offices no longer give, so you schedule it with a state-certified third-party tester. The CDL fee is $35 and a Colorado CDL is valid 4 years.

Colorado runs its CDL program through the Division of Motor Vehicles, part of the Department of Revenue. The process follows the federal pattern — a regular Colorado license, knowledge tests for a $20 Commercial Learner's Permit, ELDT, a 14-day hold — but with one big structural difference: state offices no longer administer the CDL skills test. You schedule it with a state-certified third-party tester, which records your result in the CSTIMS system.

State fees are low: $20 for the permit and $35 for the CDL, about $55 total. The larger, effectively mandatory cost is the third-party skills test (a surveyed ~$200–$300), plus ELDT tuition (roughly $4,000–$8,000 for a Class A program) and a DOT physical. A Colorado CDL then lasts 4 years, and the permit is valid one year and can't be renewed.

Two other points to plan around: medical certificates are handled entirely electronically — Colorado accepts DOT medical info only from your provider through FMCSA's National Registry, with no paper accepted — and, due to a new FMCSA rule, the DMV paused issuance and renewal of term-limited (non-domiciled) CDLs and CLPs effective September 29, 2025. That pause affects only non-domiciled applicants, not standard Colorado residents.

Eligibility and documents in Colorado

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• A valid Colorado driver license and a CLP (or a valid out-of-state CDL if transferring)
• A current DOT medical card on file electronically (see medical section)
• Proof of your current physical Colorado address
• Identity, Social Security number, and residency documents per general DMV requirements
• For hazmat: a current TSA background check each time you purchase the CDL
• Skills-test completion recorded in CSTIMS by the certified third-party tester

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 (if your vehicle has them); Passenger and/or Hazmat (Class C, as applicable); 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. Colorado requires ELDT at an approved school and relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry — the provider must be registered and reports completion to FMCSA, which the state checks before issuing. The DMV phrases this as 'approved school' rather than spelling out the registry mechanics. Applies to first-time Class A/B, B→A upgrades, and first-time H/P/S endorsements; drivers grandfathered if credentialed before February 7, 2022.
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-controls test, On-road driving test. State driver-license offices no longer offer the CDL skills test — it is administered only by state-certified CDL third-party testers. After the 14-day CLP hold and ELDT completion, you schedule directly with an approved school/tester, which records your result in CSTIMS.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 4 years). A Colorado CDL is valid 4 years. The CLP is valid 1 year and is not renewable, so all knowledge tests must be retaken if you change class or endorsement or let it lapse. Drivers aged 18–21 carry the 'K' intrastate-only restriction. Note: due to a new FMCSA rule, effective September 29, 2025 the Colorado DMV paused issuance and renewal of term-limited (non-domiciled) CDLs and CLPs until further notice — this affects only non-domiciled applicants, not standard Colorado residents. Confirm current status with the DMV.

Medical certification in Colorado

Fully electronic — no paper submission is accepted. The DMV states: 'All DOT medical information is submitted directly to FMCSA's National Registry by the medical provider. The State of Colorado will receive the information electronically from the registry. This is the only allowable method.' The provider submits within 24 business hours, and you can confirm it on myDMV after 24–48 hours. This aligns with National Registry II (effective June 23, 2025).

If your card lapses: Keep your self-certification and medical card current; if the medical certificate lapses, the CDL is downgraded to a regular license.

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 (triggers the K restriction)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate (triggers the K restriction)

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

What a CDL costs in Colorado

Only about $55 is mandatory state fees. The bigger variable is the third-party skills test (a surveyed ~$200–$300, effectively required since state offices don't administer it) plus ELDT tuition and a DOT physical. Hazmat adds the federal TSA background-check fee (set by TSA, ~$86 — confirm current amount at tsa.gov).

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Colorado Third-party testing allowed

Colorado allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. Third-party facilities set their own fees and scheduling; the DMV does not publish official wait times. A surveyed market figure is around $275 for the third-party skills test, which varies by provider.

Your test vehicle: The skills test must be taken in the same class and type of vehicle you intend to drive; the vehicle's equipment determines restrictions (for example, an automatic adds 'E', no air brakes adds 'L', a non-tractor Class A adds 'O').

Endorsements available in Colorado

Colorado 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 (English only), a valid TSA background check each time you purchase the CDL, and ELDT for first-timers. Colorado uses the standard TSA/IdentoGO process — it is not a self-managed state. Renewal requires a valid TSA clearance on file plus the hazmat written test, taken at an office by appointment.
• NTanker — Tanker (knowledge test) for bulk liquids/gases; cement mixers do not require N.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tanker + hazmat; same TSA background-check rule as H.
• PPassenger — Passenger. Requires ELDT plus a full skills test in a passenger vehicle.
• SSchool Bus — School bus. Requires ELDT plus a skills test in a school bus and cannot stand alone — the P endorsement is required.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers (knowledge test only; Class A only).

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Colorado applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualifications (mirrored in Colorado DMV Rule 7, 1 CCR 204-30). No unusual state-only disqualification offenses were found beyond the federal baseline. Colorado uses several restriction codes, including 'K' (intrastate only, required for ages 18–21), 'L'/'Z' (air brakes), 'E' (no manual transmission), and 'O' (no tractor-trailer).

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Colorado runs the 'Vets-2-Trucks' Military CDL Skills Test Waiver (Form DR 2742) for qualifying current or recently separated (within one year) service members with at least two years of experience operating a similar military CMV. It waives the skills test only — knowledge tests are not waived — and ELDT theory training may still be required.

Colorado CDL FAQ