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

Requirements verified July 20, 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, ages 21-62).

Idaho licenses commercial drivers through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), but the counterwork happens at county DMV or sheriff's driver license offices. ITD sets the rules and fees; the counties process your permit and license and collect the state fees. The path is the standard federal one — a regular Idaho license first, then a $29 Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold, ELDT, and a three-part skills 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 (ages 21-62), with $5 per knowledge test and $20 per endorsement. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition (surveyed 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. 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 knowledge 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. ITD relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Your registered training provider reports your ELDT completion to the registry, and Idaho confirms it before you can take the CDL skills test (or the hazmat knowledge test). Idaho has no separate state training portal — find providers on the federal registry. ELDT has applied since February 7, 2022. It is not required just to get a CLP. Drivers who held the relevant CDL or endorsement before that date 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 inspection, Basic vehicle control skills (e.g., backing), On-road driving test. In Idaho the CDL skills test is given by ITD-authorized third-party CDL skills test examiners — county DMV offices do not administer the CDL road test. ITD publishes examiner lists by district; you contact an examiner directly to schedule. The county DMV still collects a $10 skills test fee and processes your license.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 4 years). A standard Idaho CDL is issued for 4 years ($40); ages 21-62 may choose an 8-year term for $60. Idaho residents must be over 18 with a valid Idaho license and at least one year of licensed driving experience; non-residents must be over 21 with a valid license and at least two years of experience. Under-21 applicants are limited to intrastate driving. Idaho also offers a 6-month Seasonal CDL (Class B and C only) for about $44. Fee brackets above are for age 21 and over — under-21 applicants should confirm the exact fee with ITD.

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 any county driver license office. Under the National Registry II changes effective June 23, 2025, certified medical examiners transmit your exam results electronically to the state, so most drivers no longer hand in a paper card. Non-excepted drivers whose card is not already on file can email a copy to dlmail@itd.idaho.gov, or fax/mail it, or have any county office scan it. You can update your category on the self-certification site at any time if it changes.

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

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 ~$86.50 TSA/IdentoGO Security Threat Assessment fee (confirm current amount with TSA/IdentoGO). Fee amounts confirmed against Idaho county driver-license fee schedules that mirror ITD's statewide fees.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Idaho Third-party testing allowed

Idaho allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. 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 $86.50. 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 — including offenses in your personal vehicle. 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.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

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