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

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

Virginia issues CDLs through the DMV. You hold a regular license, complete federal ELDT, pass the knowledge tests for a Commercial Learner's Permit ($3), hold it 14 days, then pass a three-part skills test in a vehicle you supply. The base CDL fee is just $64 and the license lasts 8 years. Virginia is a TSA self-managed hazmat state, so hazmat fingerprinting is done in-house at an equipped DMV office rather than at an outside center.

Virginia handles CDLs through the DMV, and the process follows the federal pattern — a regular license first, ELDT training, knowledge tests for the Commercial Learner's Permit, a 14-day hold, then a three-part skills test in a vehicle you supply. What makes Virginia distinctive is hazmat: it is one of just eight TSA 'self-managed' states, so fingerprinting happens in-house at an equipped DMV office instead of an outside enrollment center.

Virginia's state fees are remarkably low — $3 for the permit and $64 for the 8-year CDL, with endorsements at $1 per year. Hazmat adds an $83 background check (or $41 with a TWIC card). The real spend is ELDT tuition, which ranges from roughly $1,800 at a resident community-college program to around $7,000 elsewhere, plus a DOT physical.

Virginia enforces a strict skills-testing regime: one attempt per business day, and after three failures you must complete an approved driver-training school before retesting. Veterans with recent qualifying experience can skip the road test — and sometimes the knowledge tests — through the state's 'Troops to Trucks' program.

Eligibility and documents in Virginia

• Age: at least 18 for intrastate driving; 21 to drive interstate or haul hazmat.
• Proof of identity
• Proof of legal presence
• Social Security number
• Two proofs of Virginia residency
• Federal eligibility documentation
• Applicants who already hold a Virginia credential can instead present their current license/ID plus one federally required document

How to get your CDL: step by step

1. Get your Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP). Pass the required knowledge tests: CDL 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. Training providers upload completion to the FMCSA Training Provider Registry within 48 hours. Virginia DMV — or an authorized third-party tester — retrieves the driver-training certification from the federal registry before administering the skills or knowledge test. Virginia uses no separate state ELDT portal. 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 vehicle control, On-road driving test. Virginia authorizes third-party CDL skills testers in addition to DMV testing. Contact your nearest CDL testing location for appointment availability. Third-party testers also pull ELDT records from the federal registry.
5. Get your CDL issued. Pay the license fee, submit your medical self-certification, and receive your license (valid 8 years). A Virginia CDL is valid 8 years and expires on your birthday. After three failed skills-test attempts you must complete an approved driver-training school and present the certificate before retesting. Only one skills-test attempt is allowed per business day, and no translators are permitted during testing. Upgrading class or adding endorsements requires the applicable tests, ELDT for first-time H/P/S, and the $1-per-year endorsement fee.

Medical certification in Virginia

Self-certify your category with Virginia DMV. Non-excepted drivers must hold a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate, verified electronically. As of May 5, 2025, Virginia no longer accepts medical certificates directly from drivers — your medical examiner must submit them electronically through FMCSA's National Registry II portal.

If your card lapses: Keep your self-certification current and renew your medical exam on time; a lapsed certificate for a non-excepted driver 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 (carries the 'K' restriction)
• EA — Excepted Intrastate (carries the 'K' restriction)

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

What a CDL costs in Virginia

Virginia's state fees are among the lowest anywhere — $3 for the permit and $64 for the 8-year CDL. Endorsements are $1 per year each. Hazmat adds an $83 background check (or $41 with a TWIC card). Budget separately for ELDT tuition and a DOT physical. Community-college programs may qualify for the FastForward credential grant.

See the full national breakdown on our CDL cost guide.

Skills testing in Virginia Third-party testing allowed

Virginia allows approved third-party testers to administer the CDL skills test, which can mean shorter waits than a state office. Virginia does not publish official statewide wait times. The road test runs about 90 minutes; only the applicant and examiner may be in the vehicle, and only one attempt is allowed per business day.

Your test vehicle: You must supply a properly registered vehicle of the class you wish to drive, with a valid safety-inspection sticker, plates/registration, and working brakes, seat belts, horn, lights, signals, mirrors, and speedometer.

Endorsements available in Virginia

Virginia 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 — Virginia is a TSA self-managed state. You are fingerprinted in-house at a DMV Customer Service Center equipped with fingerprinting equipment (not every office has it), and DMV forwards the check to TSA for the Security Threat Assessment. The fee is $83 with fingerprinting, or $41 on the TWIC comparability path. A hazmat endorsement cannot be transferred in from another state — you must complete Virginia's process. Background-check validity is up to 5 years; DMV mails a renewal notice about 90 days before expiration.
• NTanker — Tank vehicle.
• XHazmat + Tank — Combined tank + hazmat; subject to the same self-managed hazmat background check as H.
• PPassenger — Passenger vehicle; a road test in the class of vehicle to be operated is required.
• SSchool Bus — School bus; individuals on Virginia's Sex Offender Registry are ineligible. 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. Virginia applies the federal 49 CFR 383.51 disqualification framework. One notable state-specific rule: individuals on Virginia's Sex Offender Registry are ineligible for the school bus (S) endorsement. Virginia uses standard restriction codes (K for intrastate-only medical, L/Z for air-brake limits, E for no manual transmission, V for medical variance, and others).

Full federal detail: CDL disqualifications explained.

Military skills-test waiver

Virginia's 'Troops to Trucks' program waives the CDL road skills test, and qualified applicants may also waive the CDL knowledge tests through an 'Even Exchange' provision. You need at least 2 years of military heavy-truck or bus driving experience, must be active military (including Reserves/Guard) or released within the last 12 months, hold a military operator's permit for the same vehicle type, and have a safe driving record. Apply with Form DL 13 plus the DL 2P CDL application.

Virginia CDL FAQ