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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)

In Florida you first hold a regular Class E license, complete federal ELDT training, pass the knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit, hold it at least 14 days, then take your skills test — which Florida no longer gives at state offices, so you schedule it with an FLHSMV-contracted third-party tester. The state CDL fee is $75 and a standard CDL lasts 8 years.

Florida runs its CDL program through FLHSMV, but with two features that surprise newcomers: the skills test is handled entirely by contracted third-party testers (not state offices), and hazmat fingerprinting is done in-house rather than at a TSA enrollment center. Everything else follows the federal pattern — a Class E license first, ELDT training, knowledge tests for the permit, a 14-day hold, then the skills test.

Budget realistically. The state CDL fee is only $75, but the third-party skills test ($199–$800) is effectively mandatory and often the single biggest state-side line item. Add ELDT tuition, a DOT physical, and — if you want hazmat — a $91 background check. A standard Florida CDL then lasts a generous 8 years (dropping to 4 with a hazmat endorsement).

Eligibility and documents in Florida

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of identity and lawful presence (REAL ID standard): U.S. birth certificate or valid U.S. passport; immigration documents for non-citizens
• Proof of Social Security number
• Two proofs of Florida residential address (a Florida license held 6+ months can establish residency)
• A valid Florida Class E (regular) driver license
• Medical self-certification and, if required, a current DOT medical certificate on file (now transmitted electronically)

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); 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. Your training provider reports completion directly to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. FLHSMV and its testing sites check that federal record before you can take the CDL skills test or the hazmat knowledge test. Florida uses no separate state ELDT portal. The hazmat knowledge test requires ELDT theory training unless you held an H endorsement on a CDL 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 control, On-road driving test. You schedule directly with a site on FLHSMV's statewide list of contracted commercial skill-test sites (organized by city with phone numbers).
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 8 years). A standard Florida CDL is valid 8 years (6 years if you are 80 or older). A CDL carrying a hazmat (H or X) endorsement is valid only 4 years, tied to the TSA background-check cycle. Upgrading class or adding endorsements requires the applicable tests and the $7-per-endorsement fee.

Medical certification in Florida

Self-certify your category through the FLHSMV CDL Medical Self-Certification (MyDMV) portal at services.flhsmv.gov/cdlmedcert, or in person at a driver license or tax collector office. Since the June 23, 2025 federal rule, your certified medical examiner transmits your exam results to the state electronically — non-excepted drivers no longer hand in the paper card.

If your card lapses: If your medical certificate lapses and you are not in an excepted category, your CDL is downgraded to a regular license. Keep your self-certification current and renew your medical exam on time.

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

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

What a CDL costs in Florida

The big Florida variable is the third-party skills test ($199–$800), which is effectively required because state offices no longer administer it. Add ELDT tuition and a DOT physical (~$79–$150) on top of state fees. Hazmat adds a $91 background-check fee.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Florida Third-party testing allowed

Florida allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. FLHSMV publishes no official wait times; availability depends on the private site you pick. Bringing a compliant vehicle or using a school that bundles testing usually speeds scheduling.

Your test vehicle: The FLHSMV site list has an 'Is CMV Provided?' column — some testers supply a vehicle, others require you to bring your own. Listed testing prices run roughly $199–$800 depending on class and whether a vehicle is provided.

Endorsements available in Florida

Florida 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 — Florida is a TSA self-managed state: you are fingerprinted at an FLHSMV driver license (or tax collector) office during the same visit you pass the 30-question hazmat test — no separate IdentoGO trip. Florida charges a single $91 background-check fee, and a hazmat CDL renews every 4 years.
• NTanker
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank; the 4-year hazmat renewal cycle applies.
• PPassenger
• SSchool Bus — Requires the P endorsement first, plus S knowledge and skills tests and ELDT for first-timers.
• TDoubles/Triples

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Florida applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification rules through Florida Statutes Chapter 322 (§§ 322.61–322.64), including the lifetime disqualification for using a commercial vehicle in a controlled-substance or human-trafficking felony. No material state-only additions were found beyond the federal baseline.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Florida waives the CDL skills test for qualifying service members using FLHSMV Form 71054. You must be on active duty or within one year of separation, with at least two years of recent experience operating a vehicle that would require a civilian CDL. Knowledge tests are not waived.

Florida CDL FAQ