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

Requirements verified July 20, 2026 against Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Texas issues CDLs through the Department of Public Safety (DPS) — there's no separate DMV. You hold a regular Texas license, get a Commercial Learner Permit for $25, hold it 14 days while completing ELDT, then pass a three-part skills test in a truck you supply, at a DPS office or a certified third-party tester. The 8-year CDL is $97 (or $61 for 5 years with hazmat).

Texas handles CDLs through the Department of Public Safety — there's no DMV here. The process is standard (regular license first, a $25 Commercial Learner Permit, a 14-day hold, ELDT, then a three-part skills test), but Texas has some distinctive rules: you must bring your own truck to the skills test, knowledge tests went English-only on June 1, 2026, and paper medical cards are being phased out entirely by April 10, 2026.

State fees are low — about $122 for a new 8-year CDL — with no separate per-test charge. The real costs are ELDT tuition (surveyed at roughly $2,500–$8,000 for a private Class A program, less at community colleges) and, for hazmat, the TSA fingerprinting fee. A hazmat CDL is a few dollars cheaper but lasts only 5 years instead of 8.

Texas leans heavily on its certified third-party testing program, which is how many drivers avoid multi-week DPS office waits. Veterans with recent military driving experience can also skip the skills test — and sometimes the knowledge tests — through the state's 'Troops to Trucks' waivers.

Eligibility and documents in Texas

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
• Acceptable identity document(s)
• Social Security number — a CLP or CDL cannot be issued without it (verified electronically)
• A valid Texas driver license (the CLP is invalid without it)
• Medical self-certification on form CDL-4 (interstate), CDL-5 (intrastate), or CDL-10 (exemption), plus a medical certificate if your category requires one
• New residents: Texas vehicle registration and proof of insurance for each vehicle owned (or a statement that you own none)

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: Texas Commercial Rules (all applicants); General Knowledge (all applicants); Combination Vehicles (Class A); Air Brakes (if applicable); 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. DPS electronically queries the FMCSA Training Provider Registry to confirm your ELDT completion before administering a CDL skills test, and before the hazmat knowledge test. Texas has no separate state training portal — you find providers on the federal registry. ELDT is not required just to get a CLP. Drivers who held a valid CDL or S/P/H 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 control skills, On-road driving test. Texas runs a CDL Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) program certifying qualified schools and employers to administer skills tests for Classes A, B, and C. You can also test at a DPS office.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 8 years). A standard Texas CDL is valid 8 years (5 years with a hazmat endorsement; $26 for age 85+, valid 2 years). Upgrading class or adding a passenger or school-bus endorsement requires getting a new CLP and holding it 14 days, plus applicable ELDT. There is no separate per-knowledge-test or per-skills-test fee at DPS — testing is covered by the application fee.

Medical certification in Texas

Self-certify your category at the DL office using form CDL-4, CDL-5, or CDL-10. Texas is on National Registry II: since June 23, 2025, certified medical examiners transmit your exam results electronically to DPS — you don't submit the card yourself. Effective April 10, 2026, DPS no longer accepts paper medical certificates at all. Check your status on the DPS License Eligibility app.

If your card lapses: DPS sends a courtesy notice about 60 days before your medical card expires. A lapsed card triggers a downgrade to a non-commercial license. If you're downgraded only for the expired card, you can usually be restored without retesting if your record is otherwise eligible, wasn't expired more than 2 years, the downgrade was within 12 months, and a valid card is on file.

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

• NI — Non-excepted Interstate (form CDL-4; medical card required; age 21+)
• EI — Excepted Interstate (form CDL-10; no card)
• NA — Non-excepted Intrastate (form CDL-5; card required)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate (form CDL-5)

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

What a CDL costs in Texas

Texas charges no separate per-test fee — the $25 CLP covers knowledge testing and the $97 CDL covers the license. The bigger costs are ELDT tuition and, for hazmat, the TSA/IdentoGO fingerprint fee (not published by DPS — confirm with IdentoGO). A hazmat CDL costs less ($61) but lasts only 5 years.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Texas Third-party testing allowed

Texas allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. DPS slots in the big metros (DFW, Houston, San Antonio, Austin) commonly book 2–6 weeks out and longer in summer — a big reason Texas leans on third-party testers, which often offer faster or Saturday slots for a fee (surveyed at roughly $150–$400).

Your test vehicle: You must supply your own commercial vehicle representative of the CLP class you hold; DPS does not provide a test vehicle.

Endorsements available in Texas

Texas 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 — Texas is a TSA self-managed state. You complete the hazmat application at a DPS office first (forms CDL-1 and CDL-6, proof of citizenship/permanent residence, ELDT for first-timers, and the hazmat knowledge test); DPS issues a service code, then fingerprinting/TSA screening is done through DPS's contracted vendor IdentoGO (not a generic TSA center). The endorsement expires the earlier of your CDL expiration or 5 years from TSA approval.
• NTanker — Available on a CDL or CLP.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined hazmat + tank (CDL only).
• PPassenger — Available on a CDL or CLP.
• SSchool Bus — Requires ELDT and the passenger path; cannot be obtained via the military waiver. Adding it to an existing CDL needs a fresh 14-day CLP hold.
• TDoubles/Triples — Double/triple trailers (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. Texas applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 framework (mirrored in Texas Transportation Code §522.081). Two Texas-specific points: effective June 1, 2026, applicants who can't demonstrate sufficient English proficiency are not eligible for a Texas CDL/CLP, and Spanish-language knowledge tests were discontinued. The older Texas and federal vision-waiver programs have ended, replaced by the federal alternative vision standard.

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Texas offers both a Military Skills Test Waiver (form CDL-3A) and a combined Knowledge-and-Skills Waiver / 'Troops to Trucks' (form CDL-3B) for qualifying service members within 12 months of separation. It applies to an initial CDL only, and school bus (S) and passenger (P) endorsements cannot be transferred through the waiver.

Texas CDL FAQ