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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Michigan Department of State / Secretary of State (SOS)

Michigan issues CDLs through the Secretary of State (SOS). You take the knowledge tests at an SOS office to get a Commercial Learner's Permit, hold it at least 14 days while completing federal ELDT, then take your three-part skills test — which the state does NOT administer, so you schedule it with a state-authorized third-party driver-testing business. State license fees are low (about $25), and a CDL is valid 4 years.

Michigan runs its CDL program through the Secretary of State, and its defining feature is testing structure: you take the knowledge tests at an SOS office to earn a Commercial Learner's Permit, but the driving-skills test is handled entirely by state-authorized third-party Driver Testing Businesses — the state itself does not administer it. Everything else follows the federal pattern, including ELDT and a 14-day permit hold.

State fees are among the lowest in the country — roughly $25 for the license and $5 per endorsement. The trade-off is that the third-party skills-test fee is unregulated and set by each business, so it's the main cost you'll shop around on. A Michigan CDL is valid 4 years.

Michigan is not a TSA self-managed hazmat state, so hazmat fingerprinting goes through the federal TSA program via IdentoGO ($86.50). Veterans get a notably generous deal: Michigan waives both the knowledge and skills tests for eligible service members, one of fewer than 20 states to do so.

Eligibility and documents in Michigan

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• A valid Michigan driver's license
• Proof of Social Security number (SS card, W-2, paycheck stub showing name and SSN, or military ID)
• Proof of legal presence in the U.S. (a limited document list applies under the federal non-domiciled rule effective 9/29/2025)
• Completed CDL Certification Form BFS-103 (medical self-certification)
• For hazmat: proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence, plus a completed federal TSA Security Threat Assessment
• Michigan must be your state of domicile

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: General Knowledge (Group A is 70 questions incl. a combination-vehicle portion; Groups B and C are 50 questions; 80% to pass); Air Brakes (if applicable, 25 questions); Any endorsement tests you need (T, P, S, N — 20 questions each; H — 30 questions).
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. Michigan relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR). You must complete ELDT with a registered provider before being scheduled for CDL knowledge or skills tests, and the completion record flows to Michigan automatically. There are no minimum training hours — ELDT is proficiency-based. ELDT has applied since February 7, 2022. The hazmat portion of ELDT must be completed before the hazmat knowledge test; N and T endorsements do not require ELDT.
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: Vehicle (pre-trip) inspection, Basic vehicle control skills, On-road driving test. The State of Michigan does NOT administer the CDL driving-skills test — it's given only by public or private Driver Testing Businesses authorized by the SOS under the Michigan Vehicle Code. Locate one via the SOS 'Locate a driver testing business' tool or 888-SOS-MICH. Schedule at least 2 days ahead, and no sooner than 14 days after your CLP is issued. (Knowledge tests are still taken at SOS offices.)
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 4 years). A Michigan CDL (operator or chauffeur) must be renewed every 4 years. Endorsements are $5 each ($10 for 'X'). Drivers 18–21 are restricted to intrastate operation and carry a 'K' restriction. Adding an endorsement later costs $18 for a new photo license ($33 if enhanced) plus $5 per endorsement. Michigan also offers a state-specific Seasonal Restricted CDL for agribusiness employees (Group B/C within 150 miles, no knowledge/skills test, with limited hazmat allowances).

Medical certification in Michigan

Self-certify one of the four categories on the CDL Certification Form BFS-103, and submit your medical card at a branch office or online. Michigan's SOS states that beginning June 14, 2025 it checks the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners for non-excepted interstate drivers and accepts Medical Examiner's Certificates only electronically from the National Registry — aligning with the federal National Registry II rule (federal compliance date June 23, 2025). Certified examiners must report exam results by midnight the next calendar day.

If your card lapses: If your medical certificate expires and no new one is submitted, the SOS downgrades or removes your CDL privileges. Changing between intrastate and interstate adds or removes the 'K' (intrastate-only) restriction and requires a new license and fee.

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 Michigan

State fees are unusually low — about $25 for the license plus $5 per endorsement. The big variable is the third-party skills-test fee, which the state deliberately leaves unregulated (set by each testing business). Hazmat adds the $86.50 federal TSA fee. Also budget ELDT tuition and a DOT physical.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Michigan Third-party testing allowed

Michigan allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. Skills-test fees are set by each business and are not regulated by the state, so availability and price vary by provider. Skills-test results are valid for 1 year.

Your test vehicle: You must supply an empty, representative-GVWR vehicle (with trailer if required) bearing a manufacturer's data plate, two permanently mounted seats with seat belts, valid registration, and proof of insurance. Testing without air brakes adds the 'L' restriction; an automatic transmission adds the 'E' restriction; a P-endorsement test needs a vehicle seating 16+.

Endorsements available in Michigan

Michigan 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 — Michigan is NOT a TSA self-managed state. You complete the hazmat ELDT and knowledge test (30 questions at an SOS office), and the fingerprinting/background check runs through TSA's Universal Enrollment Services via IdentoGO (preregister at the TSA enrollment site or 855-347-8371). The TSA background-check fee is $86.50 (federal; the SOS collects none of it). Apply 45–60 days ahead; TSA approval is valid 5 years, and the hazmat knowledge test must be retaken at every license renewal.
• NTanker — Tank; knowledge test only, no skills test, no ELDT.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank; appears in place of H and N when you hold both. The endorsement fee for X is $10 (vs $5).
• PPassenger — Passenger (16+ incl. driver); knowledge and skills tests, and ELDT for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; knowledge and skills tests, and ELDT for first-timers.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers; knowledge test only. Triple-trailer combinations are not permitted in Michigan.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Michigan applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification periods. State-specific eligibility rules to even apply for an original CDL: any suspension/revocation in the prior 36 months (with limited exceptions like failure-to-appear or financial-responsibility) disqualifies you, as does a conviction for any 6-point violation or operating a CMV while impaired in the prior 24 months. Michigan also imposes a 24-hour out-of-service order for a BAC of 0.015+ or refusing a preliminary breath test, and treats cheating/fraud on the application as a 60-day denial or suspension.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Michigan waives BOTH the knowledge and skills tests for eligible service members. A currently-licensed member or veteran employed within the past 12 months operating a CMV-equivalent military vehicle can convert to a Class A or B CDL at any SOS office using the Application for Military Waiver / Even Exchange. Michigan already waived the knowledge portion; a 2022 law added the skills-test waiver, making it one of fewer than 20 states waiving both.

Michigan CDL FAQ