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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) Driver License Division

North Dakota issues CDLs through the NDDOT Driver License Division. You hold a regular ND license, pass the knowledge test(s) ($5 per attempt) and buy a Commercial Learner Permit for $15, hold it at least 14 days while completing federal ELDT, then pass a three-part skills test in a commercial vehicle you supply. The CDL itself is $15 and is valid 4 years. State fees are among the lowest in the country.

North Dakota handles CDLs through the NDDOT Driver License Division. The process is standard: hold a regular ND license, pass the knowledge test(s), buy a $15 Commercial Learner Permit, hold it at least 14 days while completing the federally required Entry-Level Driver Training, then pass a three-part skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle controls, and an on-road drive — in a commercial vehicle you supply.

What stands out about North Dakota is how cheap the state fees are: $5 for the knowledge test, $15 for the CLP, $5 for the road test, and $15 for the 4-year CDL, with endorsements $3 each. The larger expenses are ELDT tuition and, for hazmat, the TSA background-check fee. North Dakota uses the standard federal hazmat process through TSA's IdentoGO vendor rather than running its own program.

Two recent changes matter: since April 21, 2025 medical examiners must upload your DOT medical certificate electronically rather than you handing it in, and starting December 1, 2025 the state began phasing in the FMCSA Modernized CDL Skills Test across its road-testing sites through 2026. Veterans with recent qualifying military driving experience can skip the skills test — and sometimes the knowledge test — using ND's military waiver (form SFN 60071).

Eligibility and documents in North Dakota

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Current driver license
• Proof of legal presence / lawful status in the U.S. (original or certified)
• Proof of North Dakota residence address (place of domicile)
• Social Security number (verified electronically)
• Medical self-certification, plus a federal Medical Examiner's Certificate (MCSA-5876) if your category requires one
• Proof of ELDT completion for first-time Class A/B, upgrades, and first-time H/P/S endorsements (verified via the FMCSA Training Provider Registry)

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 air brakes); Any endorsement knowledge tests you need (H, N, X, P, S, 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. NDDOT relies on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry (tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov). Your certified training provider reports your ELDT completion to the registry, and ND checks it before you can take the CDL road test (and before the hazmat knowledge test). North Dakota has no separate state training portal. ELDT is federally required for first-time applicants since February 7, 2022 and is completed before the road test, not to get the CLP. Drivers who held the applicable CDL or 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 skills, On-road driving test. North Dakota certifies third-party testing programs and third-party testers (an examiner who holds a third-party tester certificate issued by the director) to administer CDL skills tests, in addition to NDDOT road-testing sites. Once you've held the CLP at least 14 days, schedule the road test at any ND Driver License Site by calling toll-free (855) 633-6835 or using the NDDOT online Road Test Scheduler.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 4 years). A North Dakota CDL is valid 4 years and expires on the holder's birthday (per NDCC 39-06.2-09, which follows the operator's-license term in 39-06-19). Upgrading class or adding an H, P, or S endorsement for the first time requires the applicable ELDT plus passing the relevant knowledge/skills tests. Effective December 1, 2025, ND began phasing in the FMCSA Modernized CDL Skills Test across all road-testing sites through 2026 — confirm the current test format with NDDOT before scheduling.

Medical certification in North Dakota

Self-certify your operating category with the ND Driver License Division. Effective April 21, 2025, per federal regulation NDDOT no longer accepts a medical examiner's certificate handed in by the driver — nationally certified medical examiners must upload the certificate electronically (National Registry II). Non-excepted interstate drivers must have a current card on file this way.

If your card lapses: Keep a current Medical Examiner's Certificate on file if your self-cert category requires one. A lapsed medical card leads to a CDL downgrade under federal rules. Confirm ND's exact downgrade timeline and reinstatement steps with the NDDOT Driver License Division.

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

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (subject to 49 CFR part 391; a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate is required and is transmitted electronically by the examiner)
• EI — Excepted Interstate (operating only in operations excepted under 49 CFR 390.3(f), 391.2, 391.68, or 398.3; no medical card required except for school bus)
• NA — Non-excepted Intrastate (subject to North Dakota driver-qualification requirements)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate (confirm ND's exact intrastate self-cert options with NDDOT)

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

What a CDL costs in North Dakota

North Dakota's per-item state fees are unusually low. The real costs are ELDT tuition and, for hazmat, the TSA/IdentoGO threat-assessment fee (surveyed at about $86.50, not published by NDDOT). Confirm current fees with NDDOT before relying on them.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in North Dakota Third-party testing allowed

North Dakota allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. Wait times vary by site and season; ND uses appointment scheduling by phone or online. The state began phasing in the Modernized CDL Skills Test on December 1, 2025 with a hybrid rollout through 2026, which may affect availability — confirm current scheduling with NDDOT.

Your test vehicle: You must supply your own test vehicle — ND Driver License Sites do not provide one — and it must be the same class and type of commercial vehicle you plan to drive.

Endorsements available in North Dakota

North Dakota 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 — North Dakota is NOT a TSA self-managed hazmat state, so it uses the standard federal process: complete first-time hazmat ELDT via the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, pass the hazmat knowledge test at ND, and complete the TSA Security Threat Assessment (fingerprinting/background check) through the TSA's enrollment vendor (IDEMIA/IdentoGO) — surveyed at about $86.50, valid 5 years. Contact TSA at 1-855-347-8371. A farm vehicle operated by a farmer may transport hazardous material within 150 miles of the farm without an H endorsement.
• NTanker — Tank vehicles; requires the tank knowledge test.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank; requires both knowledge tests and the TSA background check (CDL only).
• PPassenger — Passenger; requires first-time ELDT, the passenger knowledge test, and a skills test in a representative vehicle.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; requires first-time ELDT, the school bus knowledge test, and a skills test. School bus (excepted-interstate) operators may still face medical monitoring.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers; knowledge test only (CDL only).

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. North Dakota applies the federal disqualification framework in 49 CFR 383.51, implemented through NDCC chapter 39-06.2. Standard major offenses (DUI in a CMV or personal vehicle while CDL-holder, leaving the scene, using a CMV in a felony, refusing testing) carry a minimum 1-year disqualification (3 years if hauling placarded hazmat), and a second major offense is a lifetime disqualification. Serious traffic violations and railroad-crossing/out-of-service-order violations carry their own escalating disqualifications. Applicants must also be able to read, write, and speak English.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

North Dakota offers a Military CDL Skills Test Waiver, and a combined Knowledge-and-Skills Test Waiver, on form SFN 60071 (signed by a commanding officer). It is available up to two years after discharge to service members with qualifying recent military driving experience. Waiver applicants still take the required written exam(s) unless the knowledge-and-skills version applies, and pay all applicable fees.

North Dakota CDL FAQ