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

Source review dated October 12, 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, pass the knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit ($16, valid 6 months), hold it 14 days while completing required ELDT, 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.

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: $16 for the permit and $55 for a 5-year CDL, with endorsements at $5 each. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition (estimated 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. 1

   Check eligibility, documents, and medical qualification

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

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 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

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

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

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 Mississippi-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.

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