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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Nebraska issues CDLs through the Department of Motor Vehicles. You hold a regular Nebraska license, complete federal ELDT, pass the knowledge tests for a $15 Commercial Learner's Permit, hold it 14 days, then take a three-part skills test in a truck you supply — at a DMV appointment or through an authorized third-party tester. The 5-year CDL is $60.

Nebraska runs its CDL program through the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the process follows the federal pattern closely: a regular Nebraska license first, federal ELDT training, knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold, then a three-part skills test. Nebraska's CLP is valid a full year, and the state uses a straightforward flat fee structure.

State fees are low — $15 for the permit and $60 for a 5-year CDL, totaling $75 — with no separate per-test charge. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition (surveyed at roughly $3,000–$7,000 for a private Class A program, and lower or even free at Nebraska community colleges for eligible residents) and, for hazmat, the TSA background-check fee.

Skills testing is available by DMV appointment or through authorized third-party testers. Nebraska also issues a farm-related Restricted CDL for seasonal agricultural work and waives the skills test for qualifying recent veterans, though the knowledge tests still apply.

Eligibility and documents in Nebraska

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• One document proving identity and one proving U.S. citizenship or lawful status (e.g., certified birth certificate, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship, Permanent Resident Card, or I-94 for eligible visa holders)
• Two proofs of Nebraska residency from different sources showing a principal street address (no P.O. box)
• Social Security number (no exemptions)
• A valid medical examiner's certificate on the National Registry for non-excepted (Category A or C) drivers
• Proof of ELDT completion for new CDL applicants and new P, S, or H endorsements

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. The Nebraska DMV verifies your ELDT completion electronically through the FMCSA Training Provider Registry — the training is a federal program, not administered by the state. For a first-time hazmat knowledge test, you must additionally email proof of ELDT to DMV.HazTPRCheck@nebraska.gov before testing. Grandfathered: drivers with a valid CDL before February 7, 2022, a CLP issued before the compliance date, an in-class upgrade, or a comparable out-of-state CDL transfer are exempt.
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 control skills, On-road driving test. State skills tests are by appointment only — call (402) 471-7983, and the person taking the test must be the one who schedules it. Authorized third-party testers also conduct the skills exam for a fee and must give the DMV at least two business days' advance notice. After a failed written or skills test there is at least a one-day wait to retest.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 5 years). A standard Nebraska CDL is valid 5 years (it expires on your birthday in the fifth year); for holders under 21 it expires at their 21st birthday. Audio versions of the written tests are available at every licensing office except for the hazmat test. Upgrading class or adding endorsements requires the applicable tests and, for first-time A/B/S/P/H, ELDT.

Medical certification in Nebraska

Self-certify your category with the DMV. Since May 19, 2025, the Nebraska DMV receives medical examiner certificate (MEC) information electronically from the National Registry for Category A and C drivers — paper MEC copies are no longer supplied to the DMV. (This is Nebraska's stated compliance date for the federal National Registry II electronic-transmission rule; the broader federal date is June 23, 2025.)

If your card lapses: Drivers who fail to keep a valid MEC on file risk having their CDL or CLP downgraded by the DMV. Keep your self-certification current and renew your medical exam on time.

Every CDL holder must self-certify one operating category. The categories offered here:

• A — Interstate Non-Excepted (federal medical certificate required)
• B — Interstate Excepted (no medical documents)
• C — Intrastate Non-Excepted (federal medical certificate required)
• D — Intrastate Excepted (no medical documents)

New to the DOT physical? See our DOT physical guide and CDL medical card explainer.

What a CDL costs in Nebraska

State fees total $75 for a new 5-year CDL, with no separate per-test fee itemized beyond the permit and license. Third-party testers charge their own (unpublished) fee, and hazmat adds the separate TSA Security Threat Assessment fee. Budget for ELDT tuition and a DOT physical on top.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Nebraska Third-party testing allowed

Nebraska allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. The DMV does not publish official wait times; availability depends on the office or third-party tester you choose.

Your test vehicle: The skills test must be taken in a vehicle representative of the class of license you are applying for; in practice you supply your own representative vehicle (the DMV does not provide one).

Endorsements available in Nebraska

Nebraska 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 — Requires the hazmat knowledge test plus a TSA Security Threat Assessment. Nebraska is NOT a TSA self-managed state — you pre-enroll with TSA (1-855-347-8371) and complete fingerprinting through TSA's vendor (IdentoGO). A first-time hazmat test also requires emailing ELDT proof to DMV.HazTPRCheck@nebraska.gov.
• NTanker — Tank vehicles (over 119 gal individual / 1,000 gal aggregate).
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tank + hazmat.
• PPassenger — Passenger (16+ including the driver); ELDT required for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; must be accompanied by the Passenger (P) endorsement; ELDT required 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. Nebraska applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 framework: a first major offense brings a one-year disqualification (three years if transporting placarded hazmat) and a second brings lifetime disqualification. Major offenses include DUI, refusing an alcohol/drug test, or leaving the scene of an accident in any motor vehicle. No unusual Nebraska-only disqualification rule was identified beyond the federal standard.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Nebraska waives the skills test (not the written tests) for currently licensed service members who, within the past 12 months, held a military position operating a CMV-equivalent vehicle. Complete the Military Skills Test Waiver form and email a scan to dmv.cdlcompliance@nebraska.gov; the DMV responds within three business days and approved applicants finish in person with an examiner. School bus (S) and passenger (P) endorsements cannot be transferred through the waiver.

Nebraska CDL FAQ