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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)

Massachusetts issues CDLs through the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). You hold a regular Class D license first, complete federal ELDT, pass the knowledge tests for a $30 Commercial Learner's Permit, hold it 14 days, then take a road test that's conducted by the State Police (there are no third-party testers). The 5-year CDL is $75, and the road-test application adds $35.

Massachusetts handles CDLs through the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The process follows the federal template — a Class D license first, ELDT training, knowledge tests for a $30 Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold — but the road test is distinctive: it's conducted by the State Police, scheduled through a single phone line, with no third-party testers.

State fees add up to roughly $140 for a new Class A: $30 for the permit, $35 for the road-test/license application, and $75 for the 5-year CDL. Endorsements are cheap if you add them with the permit application ($10 each) and pricier later ($30). The larger costs are ELDT tuition and, for hazmat, the federal TSA background check via IdentoGO — Massachusetts is not a self-managed state.

Since June 23, 2025, interstate drivers' DOT medical certificates flow to the RMV electronically, so there's no paper card to hand in. School bus drivers should note that a CDL 'S' endorsement may need to be paired with a separate Massachusetts 7D or School Bus Certificate depending on the vehicle.

Eligibility and documents in Massachusetts

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• A valid Massachusetts Class D driver's license, valid for the full length of the CLP
• Proof of lawful presence (Canada/Mexico residents must prove permanent lawful presence)
• A valid Social Security number (verified with SSA)
• Proof of Massachusetts residency
• The completed CLP/CDL application and CDL self-certification form
• A current DOT medical certificate on file (now transmitted electronically for interstate drivers) 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 (50 questions, 40 to pass; 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. The RMV relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR): you must complete ELDT with a TPR-listed provider, and the RMV is required to verify completion before administering the permit test. Hazmat first-timers must finish ELDT before the knowledge test; P/S first-timers must finish it before the road test. ELDT has applied since February 7, 2022. Drivers grandfathered before that date do not need it.
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. Massachusetts commercial road tests are conducted by the State Police, not third-party testers. You schedule only by calling (857) 368-7381, a line monitored by the State Police. No more than six CDL skills tests are allowed in any 12-month period.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 5 years). A Massachusetts CDL is valid 5 years and expires on the holder's birthday. Drivers under 21 carry a 'K' (intrastate operation only) restriction. Upgrading class or adding an endorsement that needs a road test requires the applicable knowledge test(s), and — for a P or S first-timer — ELDT. Adding an endorsement later costs $30 (or $10 if done with the CLP application).

Medical certification in Massachusetts

Self-certify your category (required per 49 CFR 383.71) online or by mail to RMV Driver Licensing, PO Box 55889, Boston, MA 02205. Massachusetts has implemented the June 23, 2025 federal National Registry II rule: the RMV now obtains medical-certification data electronically from the FMCSA National Registry, and for interstate-qualified drivers a physical copy of the medical certificate can no longer be provided to the RMV. Intrastate-only drivers may still submit a paper certificate.

If your card lapses: If your medical certificate expires, the CDL is downgraded to Class D at midnight of the second day after expiration; the RMV sends 60- and 30-day reminders. Restore within one year with a new certificate or you must fully re-test; a $25 fee applies if the downgrade to Class D runs past a year.

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 Massachusetts

The three core state line items are the $30 CLP, the $35 road-test/license application, and the $75 CDL — about $140 total. Add ELDT tuition and a DOT physical. Hazmat adds a TSA background-check fee paid to TSA/IdentoGO (not published on mass.gov — confirm the current amount with TSA).

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Massachusetts State-administered testing

Massachusetts administers CDL skills tests through the state; approved public third-party testing is limited or unavailable. Tests are scheduled solely through the State Police phone line; the RMV publishes a list of Class A/B/C testing sites but no official wait times.

Your test vehicle: You must bring a vehicle representing the class you're applying for — valid registration, current inspection sticker, GVWR documentation, no hazmat/unstable loads (a P vehicle must seat 16+). A sponsor must accompany you: at least 21, holding a valid U.S. CDL with proper endorsements for at least a year, and a current DOT medical card if required.

Endorsements available in Massachusetts

Massachusetts 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 — Massachusetts is NOT a TSA self-managed state. The hazmat written exam requires a TSA Security Threat Assessment plus (for first-timers) hazmat ELDT; fingerprinting/background check is done through the federal TSA program via IdentoGO (call 855-347-8371 or visit a TSA enrollment center). Results can take 60+ days, and the endorsement isn't auto-renewed — you re-clear TSA and re-pass the exam at each renewal.
• NTanker — Tank; written exam only.
• XHazmat + Tank — Hazmat + tank; displayed automatically when you hold both N and H, with no separate test.
• PPassenger — Passenger; written exam plus a road test in a vehicle seating 16+.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; written exam plus a road test. Note Massachusetts also has separate state credentials — a 7D School Pupil Transport Certificate and a School Bus Certificate — with their own medical standards; depending on the vehicle you may need one of these in addition to the CDL 'S' endorsement.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers; written exam only, Class A only, and not required to obtain Class A.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Massachusetts applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification rules. The RMV also runs a state Lifetime Disqualification Waiver Program (a reinstatement path for certain lifetime-disqualified drivers) and administers 'An Act Relative to Commercial Drivers Licenses.' Detailed state-specific thresholds beyond the federal baseline are set out on the RMV's CDL suspensions page.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Massachusetts offers a Military CDL Skills Test Waiver. A currently-licensed service member or veteran employed within the past 12 months operating a CMV-equivalent military vehicle — typically with about two years of qualifying experience in the 90 days before discharge — can get a CDL without the road test. Knowledge tests are not waived, and School Bus (S) and Passenger (P) endorsements cannot be transferred through the waiver.

Massachusetts CDL FAQ