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

Source review dated October 12, 2026 against Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Division of Motor Vehicles

Idaho issues CDLs through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), but you transact at a county DMV/sheriff's driver license office. You need a regular Idaho Class D license first, then a $29 Commercial Learner's Permit (you pay $5 per knowledge test), hold it 14 days while completing ELDT, and pass a three-part skills test given by a third-party CDL examiner in a truck you supply. A 4-year CDL is $40 ($60 for the 8-year option, age 21 and over).

This guide combines federal rules with dated state research. Read the review notes before paying fees or booking a test.

The most distinctive Idaho feature is the skills test: county offices don't administer it. Instead, ITD-authorized third-party examiners give the CDL road test, and you contact them directly to schedule. You pay a $10 skills-test fee to the county plus up to $190 to the examiner, and you must bring your own commercial vehicle. Examiner availability is tight, so schedule well ahead.

State fees themselves are modest — about $40 for a 4-year CDL or $60 for the 8-year option (age 21 and over), with $5 per knowledge test and $20 per endorsement. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition (estimated at roughly $3,500–$7,000 for a private Class A program in Idaho) and, for hazmat, the TSA/IdentoGO Security Threat Assessment. Veterans with recent heavy-vehicle experience can skip the skills test — and sometimes the knowledge tests — through ITD's military waivers.

Eligibility and documents in Idaho

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
• Acceptable identity document(s)
• Proof of Social Security number
• A valid Idaho Class D driver license (required to hold the CLP)
• Proof of Idaho residency / physical address
• Medical self-certification of your driving category, plus a DOT medical examiner's certificate if your category requires one

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. 1

   Check eligibility, documents, and medical qualification

   Choose the CDL class and endorsements for your vehicle. Hold the required regular license and bring Idaho identity, residency, and Social Security documents. Self-certify your operating category and complete a DOT physical before the permit if that category requires medical certification.

2. 2

   Pass the knowledge tests and obtain your CLP

   Take general knowledge and the vehicle/endorsement tests that apply. ELDT theory may be taken earlier, but federal rules do not require it before the CLP. A first-time hazmat applicant must complete hazmat theory before the hazmat knowledge test; hazmat is not issued on a CLP.

3. 3

   Complete required training and practice during the permit hold

   Hold the CLP for at least 14 days before the skills test. Use a qualified supervising driver for public-road practice. First-time Class A/B, B-to-A upgrades, and first-time P/S endorsements require applicable theory and behind-the-wheel ELDT from registered providers. The appropriate CLP is needed for public-road training. State training requirements may add to the federal baseline.

4. 4

   Pass the skills test in the right vehicle

   Confirm ELDT completion is recorded, arrange the test and a representative vehicle, then complete vehicle inspection, basic control, and road driving. The vehicle and transmission you test in can restrict your license.

5. 5

   Complete issuance and maintain your qualifications

   Pay the applicable Idaho issuance fees and confirm the correct class, endorsements, restrictions, and expiration. Keep your medical status current when required and follow the agency’s renewal instructions.

Medical certification in Idaho

Declare your driving category through ITD's online CDL Self-Certification site (dmvapps.itd.idaho.gov/cdlselfcertification) or in person at a county driver license office; you can update your category at any time. ITD's CDL page states that after June 23, 2025 all medical certificates must be provided electronically by the medical provider (National Registry II), so drivers no longer submit the paper card themselves. If your card does not appear on file, contact ITD at [email protected] or (208) 584-4343.

If your card lapses: If a required medical card lapses or is not on file, ITD downgrades the CDL to a non-commercial license. Keep a valid card current and re-certify promptly after any category change.

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

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (DOT 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 Idaho

These are separate transaction types, not charges that every applicant pays. Renewal, replacement, endorsement, and retest fees are alternatives or extras. Amounts are from the dated research; check current official fees before paying.

The largest single testing cost is the third-party examiner fee (up to $190). Add ELDT tuition and a DOT physical. For hazmat, budget the ~$85.25 TSA/IdentoGO Security Threat Assessment fee (confirm current amount with TSA/IdentoGO). State/county fee amounts were read from ITD's CDL page on 2026-10-12. The TSA hazmat fee ($85.25 standard, $41.00 with TWIC) was read from tsa.gov on 2026-10-12.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Idaho

Testing access: State / approved third parties. Official testing instructions.

Idaho allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, with availability and fees set by the provider. Examiner availability is limited and demand is high, so schedule well in advance. The examiner sets and collects their own fee (up to $190) on top of the $10 county fee.

Your test vehicle: You must supply your own commercial vehicle representative of the class of CDL you're seeking, in safe operating condition. If you're borrowing the vehicle and the owner won't be present, bring the owner's written permission.

Endorsements available in Idaho

Idaho 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. Idaho is NOT a TSA self-managed state, so you use the standard federal process: pass the hazmat knowledge test and complete the TSA Security Threat Assessment (fingerprinting/background check) through TSA's Universal Enrollment vendor (IdentoGO/IDEMIA), currently about $85.25. Requires ELDT for first-time applicants and proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence.
• NTanker — Tank vehicles. Knowledge test.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank.
• PPassenger — Passenger. Requires ELDT for first-timers plus knowledge and skills testing.
• SSchool Bus — School bus. Requires ELDT for first-timers plus the passenger and school bus knowledge/skills testing.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers. Knowledge test only.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state. Some also apply in a personal vehicle; vehicle-specific conditions matter. Idaho applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework — major offenses (DUI, refusal, leaving the scene, using a CMV to commit a felony) carry a 1-year first-offense disqualification (3 years if transporting hazmat), and a lifetime disqualification for a second major offense; serious traffic and out-of-service violations carry escalating disqualifications. Applicants must have no active suspension or revocation in any state, and Idaho reviews the 10-year driving record across all 50 states and DC.

The offenses that trigger a disqualification, the length of each, and the federal exceptions are listed once in our CDL disqualifications guide instead of repeating the table here. Check the review notes for any Idaho-specific additions we could not confirm.

Military skills-test waiver

Check the temporary July 30–October 29, 2026 federal eligibility extension and ask the state whether it participates.

ITD offers two military CDL waivers for current or recently separated service members with verifiable heavy-vehicle experience: a Military CDL Skills Test Waiver (form ITD 3141) that skips the skills test but still requires the knowledge tests, and an Even Exchange Military Knowledge and Skills Test Waiver (form ITD 3143). Apply during active service or within one year of separation; qualifying driving experience must be within two years of application. Documentation includes a DD-2 or DD-214, a military driver license showing authorized vehicle types, and the Verification of Military Experience and Training (VMET).

Idaho CDL FAQ