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

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

Vermont issues CDLs through the DMV. You hold a regular Vermont license, complete federal ELDT with an FMCSA-approved provider, pass the General Knowledge test for a Commercial Learner's Permit ($18), hold it 14 days, then pass a three-part skills test in a vehicle you supply — administered by a DMV examiner by appointment. Vermont uniquely offers 2-year ($72) and 4-year ($108) CDL terms.

Vermont runs its CDL program through the DMV, following the federal pattern — a regular license first, ELDT with an FMCSA-approved provider, knowledge tests for the Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold, then a three-part skills test in a vehicle you supply. Skills testing is administered by DMV examiners by appointment; the state's pages don't mention third-party testers.

Vermont's fee structure has two quirks. First, you choose your license term: a CDL costs $72 for 2 years or $108 for 4 years. Second, testing fees stack — a $39 knowledge test, a $29 scheduling deposit, a $39 road test, and $17 per endorsement test — so a first-time Class A runs roughly $186–$215 in state fees before ELDT tuition (surveyed at about $4,000–$7,500).

A couple of Vermont-specific rules stand out: hazmat holders must re-take the hazmat knowledge test at every CDL renewal, and fail the skills test three times and you wait 6 months to retry. Veterans with recent qualifying experience can apply for a Military Test Waiver (Form VL-054).

Eligibility and documents in Vermont

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• All driver licenses and learner permits issued by any state
• Birth certificate
• Proof of Vermont residency
• Proof of lawful status (if applicable)
• Social Security number
• Proof of liability insurance and valid registration for the test vehicle (which must have a valid inspection sticker)
• For school bus applicants: the School Bus Endorsement Application with the recorded knowledge-test score

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: General Knowledge for the class applied for (all applicants); Combination Vehicles (Class A); Air Brakes (if applicable); Any applicable endorsement tests (P, S, 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. Vermont requires ELDT to be completed through an FMCSA-approved provider. Under the federal system, providers report completion to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry and the state checks that record before issuing the credential; Vermont's pages don't spell out the exact verification step, but the reliance on the federal registry follows the FMCSA framework. Drivers who held a valid CDL or the applicable 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 vehicle inspection, Basic control / backing, On-road driving test. Vermont's official pages describe skills testing by DMV Motor Vehicle Examiners only, with no mention of third-party testers — testing appears to be DMV-administered. Appointments are required (no walk-ins) and are booked at mydmv.vermont.gov or by phone; a $29 scheduling deposit must be paid before booking.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 4 years). Vermont offers both 2-year ($72) and 4-year ($108) CDL terms; an Enhanced CDL (border-crossing document) costs more. You must provide a class-appropriate, inspected, insured, registered vehicle for the skills test. A $29 scheduling deposit is required before booking and is forfeited on a no-show unless you give 48 hours' notice; if you fail the skills test three times you must wait 6 months to retake it. Upgrading class or adding endorsements requires the applicable tests and ELDT for first-time H/P/S. The application form is VL-031.

Medical certification in Vermont

Self-certify to the DMV your type of driving (interstate or intrastate) and whether you are subject to or exempt from the 49 CFR part 391 medical-exam requirements, using Form VL-033. A physical is required every 2 years by a National Registry-certified examiner. Under National Registry II (effective June 23, 2025), certified examiners transmit CMV exam results electronically, so CDL/CLP holders no longer hand-carry the paper card; updated certificates may also be submitted online via the DMV contact form.

If your card lapses: A new self-certification (and updated medical documentation if needed) is required whenever you apply, renew, upgrade, or replace a CDL, or whenever your medical or interstate/intrastate status changes. A lapsed certificate leads to a downgrade of the CDL.

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
• EA — Excepted Intrastate

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

What a CDL costs in Vermont

Vermont's testing fees stack up more than most states: a $39 knowledge test, a $29 scheduling deposit, a $39 road test, and $17 per endorsement test, on top of the license fee ($72 for 2 years or $108 for 4 years). For hazmat, the TSA Security Threat Assessment/fingerprint fee is a federal charge paid to TSA's contractor (not on the Vermont fee schedule — confirm with TSA). ELDT tuition is the largest cost.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Vermont State-administered testing

Vermont administers CDL skills tests through the state; approved public third-party testing is limited or unavailable. Vermont does not publish official wait times. If you appear and pass, the $29 deposit applies to your license fee; a no-show forfeits it unless you cancel at least 48 hours ahead. If you fail three times you must wait 6 months to retake the test.

Your test vehicle: You must provide a vehicle representing the license class, with operable safety belts (school buses exempt), an empty cargo area or tank, and a passing inspection at the time of the test. Testing without air brakes results in an air-brake restriction on your license.

Endorsements available in Vermont

Vermont 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 — Vermont is NOT a TSA self-managed state. Hazmat runs through the federal TSA Security Threat Assessment via TSA Universal Enrollment Services (universalenroll.dhs.gov / 855-347-8371); you must start the assessment online or by phone at least 2 weeks before your fingerprint appointment, and TSA sends the result directly to the Vermont DMV. Notably, Vermont requires you to re-take the hazmat knowledge test at each CDL renewal, and hazmat is prohibited on a CLP.
• NTanker — Tank; on a CLP a tank-endorsement holder may operate only empty or purged tanks.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tank + hazmat; subject to the same federal TSA Security Threat Assessment as H (standard federal endorsement; Vermont's pages don't call it out by letter — confirm with the DMV).
• PPassenger — Passenger; on a CLP the holder may not carry passengers except examiners, trainees, or an accompanying CDL holder. ELDT required for first-timers.
• SSchool Bus — School bus (Type II); requires attending a Vermont school-bus clinic plus knowledge, vision, and skills tests and a medical form. A school-bus endorsement cannot be added to an out-of-state CDL. ELDT required for first-timers.
• TDoubles/Triples — Doubles/triples (standard federal endorsement; Vermont's pages don't call it out by letter individually).

CDL disqualifications

Disqualifying offenses are set by federal law (49 CFR 383.51) and apply in every state — including offenses in your personal vehicle. Vermont applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework, codified at 23 V.S.A. sections 4103 and 4116 — covering major traffic violations, DUI, and out-of-service orders. No unusual Vermont-only disqualification beyond the federal scheme was found on the DMV pages reviewed; confirm any nuance against the Vermont CDL Manual (VN-111).

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Vermont offers a Military Test Waiver (Form VL-054). At the Commissioner's discretion, the knowledge and skills tests — and the passenger, tank, and hazmat endorsement tests — may be waived for a currently licensed applicant with recent (within the last 12 months) military CMV experience, substituting driving record and experience. You must have operated a representative CMV for the 2 years before discharge, hold no more than one non-military license, and have a clean record with no disqualifying offenses under 23 V.S.A. 4116(a).

Vermont CDL FAQ