Licenses & endorsements

CDL requirements

CDLP editorial · 8 min read
Published Oct 29, 2026 · Updated Oct 29, 2026

What are the federal CDL requirements?

FMCSA does not issue the license. Its December 8, 2025 page says you get a commercial learner’s permit, complete entry-level training when it applies, hold the permit 14 days, and pass the three-part skills test. 49 CFR 383.25(a)(4) says a permit holder must be 18 or older. 49 CFR 391.11(b)(1) says a driver covered by that part must be at least 21, except as subpart G provides. A state’s own issuance age is on that state’s page when an official source was opened.

What the federal page says you do

FMCSA’s page, last updated December 8, 2025, says getting a commercial driver’s license includes medical requirements and residency requirements besides knowledge and skills. It tells you to start with your state’s CDL manual, then choose the vehicle and the kind of driving. There are three classes, and endorsements cover specialized work. Some applicants must finish entry-level driver training before the skills test, or before the hazardous-materials knowledge test.

The same page then lists three steps:

Get the commercial learner’s permit. It authorizes practice on public roads with a qualified CDL holder beside you. The state checks the driving record for the last 10 years in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You bring the proof of medical qualification the state accepts. Most commercial driving requires a DOT medical card. The state may also require documents for your name and residency. There are fees. The page does not print a national fee.
Complete entry-level driver training when it applies. A driver applying for a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, whose permit is issued on or after February 7, 2022, must complete that training with a registered provider before testing. The page says there is no federal requirement to finish the theory training before applying for the permit. The drivers page, last updated February 4, 2026, also names an upgrade from Class B to Class A and a first school bus, passenger, or hazardous-materials endorsement. Read the ELDT guide for the training split.
Get the CDL. You must hold the permit for 14 days and finish applicable entry-level training before the skills test. You must pass the vehicle inspection, the basic controls test, and the road test. Passing the test is not guaranteed. Some states hand you the card the same day. Others mail it. FMCSA does not issue the license.

Checked October 29, 2026: FMCSA, how do I get a commercial driver’s license. The skills test guide and the class comparison cover the test parts and the vehicle groups.

Age, language, one license, and the medical rule

49 CFR 383.25(a)(4), opened October 29, 2026, says the commercial learner’s permit holder must be 18 years of age or older. That is a condition for the permit to count as a valid CDL for behind-the-wheel training on public roads. The same section also requires a qualified CDL holder in the front seat, or in the first row behind the driver of a passenger vehicle, a license from the same jurisdiction, a passed general knowledge test, and a 14-day wait before the skills test. The age clauses are collected on CDL age requirement.

49 CFR 391.11(b)(1), opened the same day, says a person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle under that part if the person is at least 21 years old, except as subpart G provides. That is a motor-carrier qualification rule. It is not a sentence that every state issues every CDL at 21. The section also requires the person to read and speak English well enough to converse with the public, understand highway signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. The person must hold a currently valid commercial license issued by only one state or jurisdiction, be physically qualified under subpart E, and not be disqualified under 49 CFR 391.15. This page does not restate the 391.15 offenses.

The medical card is the part most applicants meet with a DOT physical. The DOT physical guide covers that exam. The eligibility check compares answers with the federal rules in the browser. It does not store the answers and it does not issue a license.

A wage estimate is not a license requirement. Houston’s metro wage page prints BLS employment and pay for truck-driver occupations. It does not issue a CDL and it does not list a job.

Where a state prints its own age and fees

A state page on this site is published only after an official licensing page was opened. The age and the fees on that page are the ones that source printed. They are not copied here.

States without an opened fee page stay on the state index. Their fees are not estimated. The step-by-step route is how to get a CDL.

Questions drivers ask

Does FMCSA issue a CDL?

No. The FMCSA page updated December 8, 2025 says state governments issue commercial driver’s licenses. FMCSA sets the standards the state applies.

Is 21 the CDL age in every state?

49 CFR 391.11(b)(1) says a driver covered by that part must be at least 21, except as subpart G provides. 49 CFR 383.25(a)(4) says a commercial learner’s permit holder must be 18 or older. A state’s own issuance age is printed on that state’s page only when an official source was opened. This page does not copy one state’s age onto another.

Do I finish entry-level training before I apply for the permit?

FMCSA’s December 8, 2025 page says there is no federal requirement to complete entry-level theory training before applying for a commercial learner’s permit. A first Class A or Class B applicant whose permit is issued on or after February 7, 2022 must finish that training with a registered provider before the skills test.

How long do I hold the permit before the skills test?

49 CFR 383.25(e) says the permit holder is not eligible for the CDL skills test in the first 14 days after the permit is first issued. FMCSA also says you must pass the vehicle inspection, the basic controls test, and the road test.

Sources and scope

Sources checked Oct 29, 2026. Federal baselines and named state examples are distinguished in the article. Your licensing agency and written program terms govern your case.

Prepared by CDLP editorial from the sources above. No independent instructor, legal or financial review is claimed.

Find CDL schools

What the federal page says you do

Age, language, one license, and the medical rule

Where a state prints its own age and fees

Questions drivers ask

Sources and scope

Keep planning your next step.

How to get a CDL, step by step

Class A vs Class B CDL: which license do you need?

What does CDL training really cost?