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

Source review dated 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.

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

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 ($85.25). 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. 1

   Check eligibility, documents, and medical qualification

   Choose the CDL class and endorsements for your vehicle. Hold the required regular license and bring Michigan 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 Michigan 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 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

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.

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 $85.25 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

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

Michigan allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, with availability and fees set by the provider. 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 $85.25 (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. Some also apply in a personal vehicle; vehicle-specific conditions matter. 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.

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 Michigan-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.

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