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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Mississippi Department of Public Safety — Driver Service Bureau (DSB)

Mississippi issues CDLs through the Department of Public Safety's Driver Service Bureau. You hold a regular Mississippi license, complete federal ELDT, pass the knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit ($16, valid 6 months), hold it 14 days, then take a three-part skills test in a truck you supply — at a DPS office or an approved third-party tester. The 5-year CDL is $55.

Mississippi handles CDLs through the Department of Public Safety's Driver Service Bureau. The process is standard: a regular Mississippi license first, federal ELDT training, knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold, then a three-part skills test. A couple of state specifics stand out — the CLP is valid only six months (not the federal year), and you must bring your own truck to the skills test.

State fees are among the lowest in the country: $16 for the permit and $55 for a 5-year CDL, with endorsements at $5 each. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition (surveyed at roughly $3,000–$7,000 for a private Class A program) and, for hazmat, a $100 state fee plus the separate TSA fingerprinting fee.

You can take the skills test at a DPS office or through an approved third-party tester. Qualifying veterans with recent heavy-vehicle experience can skip the skills test through the federal military waiver, though the knowledge tests still apply.

Eligibility and documents in Mississippi

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Completed CDL application
• Original birth certificate or acceptable proof of identity and lawful status
• Social Security card (or a government document showing your SSN)
• Two proofs of Mississippi residency
• A valid Mississippi driver license
• A valid Medical Examiner's Certificate (medical card) if your self-certification category requires one
• Legal name-change documents, if applicable

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 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. ELDT must be completed with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before you take the CDL skills test or the hazmat knowledge test. Mississippi relies on the federal registry rather than a separate state ELDT portal; the DSB will let you schedule a road test before finishing ELDT, but the training must be complete before the test or it is cancelled. Drivers who held a valid CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022 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, On-road driving test. You can test at a DPS office or through an approved third-party tester (DSB publishes a list). Schedule your CDL road test by phone (the DSB CDL help desk is 601-487-7028); reschedule or cancel at least 48 hours ahead. DPS may cancel for weather or staffing.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 5 years). A Mississippi CDL is valid 5 years. Upgrading class or adding a passenger, school bus, or hazmat endorsement requires the applicable knowledge/skills tests, ELDT for first-timers, and the $5-per-endorsement fee (hazmat is $100). Testing appears bundled into the permit and license fees — the DSB schedule does not itemize a standalone knowledge-test or skills-test charge.

Medical certification in Mississippi

Self-certify your operating category with MDPS using the Mississippi CDL Medical Self-Certification Affidavit. Effective June 23, 2025, Mississippi no longer accepts paper or scanned medical certificates — your certified medical examiner transmits your exam results electronically to the FMCSA National Registry, and MDPS pulls the result onto your driver record. DL stations stopped accepting paper cards after June 20, 2025.

If your card lapses: Keep your self-certification and medical card current. If a required medical card lapses, your CDL is subject to downgrade under the federal rules.

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 Mississippi

State fees are low — about $71 for a new 5-year CDL, with endorsements at $5 each. Hazmat adds a $100 state fee plus the separate TSA/IdentoGO background-check fee (set by TSA, not published by DPS). Budget separately for ELDT tuition and a DOT physical.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Mississippi Third-party testing allowed

Mississippi allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. MDPS does not publish official wait times; availability varies by office and by third-party tester.

Your test vehicle: You must supply your own vehicle matching the class and type you intend to drive — testing in a lesser vehicle results in a license restriction. The vehicle must pass inspection; bring proof of insurance and registration and a licensed driver of the same or higher class.

Endorsements available in Mississippi

Mississippi 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 — Mississippi is NOT a TSA self-managed state: after passing the hazmat knowledge test you complete fingerprinting and the TSA Security Threat Assessment through TSA's vendor (IdentoGO), separate from the DPS office. The state hazmat endorsement fee is $100.
• NTanker — Tank vehicles.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank.
• PPassenger — Passenger; requires ELDT for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; requires ELDT for first-timers.
• TDoubles/Triples — Doubles/triples.

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Mississippi applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework, including the one-year disqualification for a first major offense (three years if transporting placarded hazmat) and lifetime disqualification for a second. No material Mississippi-only additions were confirmed on official pages beyond the federal baseline.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Mississippi participates in the FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver program: qualifying service members who recently operated an equivalent heavy vehicle can waive the skills test (knowledge tests are not waived). You generally must apply within about a year of separation with a clean record. Confirm the exact form and procedure with the Driver Service Bureau.

Mississippi CDL FAQ