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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a division of DelDOT

Delaware issues CDLs through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of DelDOT. You hold a valid Delaware Class D license, take walk-in knowledge tests, get a Commercial Learner Permit for $10, hold it at least 14 days while completing ELDT, then pass a three-part skills test (pre-trip, basic control, road) in a vehicle you supply, by appointment at a DMV lane or through a certified third-party tester. The CDL is $55 for an 8-year term (hazmat caps the term at 5 years).

Delaware handles CDLs through the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of DelDOT. The process is standard: hold a valid Delaware Class D license, take your knowledge tests (walk-in at any DMV facility), get a $10 Commercial Learner Permit, hold it at least 14 days while completing federally required ELDT, then pass a three-part skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic control, and an on-road drive.

State fees are low — roughly $65 for a new 8-year CDL ($10 CLP + $55 license), plus $10 per endorsement. The larger costs are ELDT tuition (surveyed at roughly $3,000–$8,000 for a private Class A program), a DOT physical, and, for hazmat, the $86.50 TSA fee. Note that adding a hazmat endorsement caps your CDL at a 5-year term instead of 8, because it tracks the TSA security-assessment cycle. Delaware's fee schedule was updated October 10, 2025.

Delaware allows certified third-party organizations to give the skills test under Regulation 2226, which many drivers use to avoid appointment waits at the state's handful of DMV lanes. Veterans with recent CMV-equivalent military experience can skip the skills test entirely through the 'Heroes on the Highway' Military Skills Test Waiver, though the written tests still apply.

Eligibility and documents in Delaware

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of identity (one document — e.g., certified U.S. birth certificate with raised seal, valid U.S. passport, or Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship)
• Proof of Social Security number (one document — Social Security card, W-2, pay stub with full SSN, or other SSA document showing the full number)
• Two proofs of Delaware residency from separate sources (physical address, no P.O. boxes, dated within 60 days)
• A valid Delaware Class D driver license (required to hold the CLP/CDL)
• For the skills/road test: a valid learner permit, a valid vehicle registration, and a valid insurance card for the test vehicle
• Medical self-certification of your operating category; a medical examiner's certificate if your category requires one

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 the test vehicle has air brakes); 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. ELDT is a federal FMCSA program and is not administered by the Delaware DMV or DelDOT. Delaware relies on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR) — you must train with a provider listed on the federal registry, and the DMV confirms your completion via the registry before administering a CDL skills test (and, for hazmat, before the H knowledge test). There is no separate Delaware state training portal. ELDT is not required just to get a CLP. Drivers who held a valid CDL, or the relevant S/P/H endorsement, or a CLP issued 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 (modernized checklist effective Feb 26, 2025), Basic control skills, On-road driving test. Delaware runs a Third-Party CDL Testing program under Delaware Administrative Code Regulation 2226: approved organizations may administer the CDL skills exam after submitting an application, examiner list, testing site, and an approved road-test route. You can also test at a DMV lane. DMV skills tests are by appointment only and are offered every weekday except Wednesday. Program contact: CDLThirdParty@delaware.gov.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 8 years). A standard Delaware CDL is valid 8 years from your last birthday. A CDL carrying a hazmat (H or X) endorsement is capped at a 5-year term because it is tied to the TSA security-threat-assessment cycle, not 8 years. Upgrading class or adding a passenger/school-bus endorsement requires a new Commercial Learner Permit held at least 14 days plus applicable ELDT. Endorsements are $10 each. Skills tests are by appointment (offered every weekday except Wednesday); knowledge tests are walk-in.

Medical certification in Delaware

Self-certify your operating category with the Delaware DMV per FMCSA guidelines. Delaware is on National Registry II: effective June 23, 2025, certified medical examiners are required to electronically transmit your DOT physical results to the state, rather than you hand-carrying the paper card. Keep your self-certification current so your CDL is not downgraded.

If your card lapses: If your medical certificate lapses, your CDL privilege is downgraded until a valid certification is on file. Confirm exact restoration steps and any grace period with Delaware DMV.

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

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (medical card required)
• EI — Excepted Interstate (no card)
• NA — Non-excepted Intrastate (card required)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate

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

What a CDL costs in Delaware

State fees are low. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition, the DOT physical, and — for hazmat — the $86.50 TSA fee paid to the Universal Enrollment (IdentoGO/IDEMIA) fingerprint vendor. A hazmat CDL is valid only 5 years instead of 8. Confirm current fees with Delaware DMV, as the fee schedule was updated October 10, 2025.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Delaware Third-party testing allowed

Delaware allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. Delaware is a small three-county state with a handful of DMV lanes (Wilmington/New Castle, Dover, Georgetown), so skills-test appointments can book out during peak periods — many drivers test through a third-party school that furnishes a truck and offers faster or dedicated slots (surveyed market data, not a DMV figure).

Your test vehicle: You must supply a representative commercial vehicle for the skills test, along with a valid registration and insurance card; the DMV does not provide a test vehicle.

Endorsements available in Delaware

Delaware 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 — Hazmat. Must be 21+, hold a CDL or CDL permit, and pass the HME knowledge test at a DMV office (proof of U.S. citizenship/lawful status required). Delaware is NOT a TSA self-managed state — fingerprinting and the TSA Security Threat Assessment are done through the federal Universal Enrollment Services program (IdentoGO/IDEMIA) at universalenroll.dhs.gov, with an $86.50 federal fee. The STA and endorsement renew on a 5-year cycle; requires ELDT for first-timers before the knowledge test.
• NTanker — Tank vehicle. Knowledge test only.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tank + hazmat. Requires the tank and hazmat knowledge tests plus the same 21+ age and TSA Universal Enrollment fingerprinting/STA as the H endorsement.
• PPassenger — Passenger. Knowledge and skills test required (plus air-brake knowledge if the vehicle has air brakes); ELDT for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus. Requires a CDL with the passenger endorsement, ELDT, a skills/road test in a school bus, DMV vision screening (or a federal medical waiver), and formal training coordinated with the Delaware Department of Education; minimum age 18 and a clean-record/criminal-history review apply.
• TDoubles/Triples — Doubles/triples. Knowledge test 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. Delaware applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework (major offenses, serious traffic violations, railroad-crossing, and out-of-service violations), implemented under Delaware Code Title 21, Chapter 26. School bus (S) applicants face additional Delaware limits: no more than 5 points on a 3-year record, no moving-violation suspensions/revocations in the prior 5 years, and a criminal-history review.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Delaware offers a Military Skills Test Waiver through its 'Heroes on the Highway' veterans program (form CDL-SK TST WVR). A service member currently licensed and employed within the past 12 months in a military role operating a CMV-equivalent vehicle may apply for a CDL without the skills test. The knowledge (written) tests cannot be waived. See the DMV Veterans Services page.

Delaware CDL FAQ