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

Source review dated October 12, 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.

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

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. 1

   Check eligibility, documents, and medical qualification

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

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.

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 (estimated at about $85.25, 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

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

North Dakota allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, with availability and fees set by the provider. 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) — estimated at about $85.25, 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. Some also apply in a personal vehicle; vehicle-specific conditions matter. 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.

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 North Dakota-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.

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