Licensing
How to get a CDL in New Jersey
Each line is from a New Jersey licensing page opened . A line that says the page did not state a fee is not an estimate.
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- Minimum age
- The getting-a-CDL page says an applicant must be at least 18 and must hold a basic New Jersey Class D driver license. Applicants under 21 may operate only in intrastate commerce, must select commerce category 3 or 4 on the self-certification form, and may not receive a hazardous-materials or passenger endorsement. The license and permit fees page lists the commercial permit minimum age as 18.
- CLP fee
- The license and permit fees page lists a commercial permit at $125, valid for 180 days, for an applicant who completes the permit application and has a basic New Jersey auto license. The getting-a-CDL page calls that charge the $125 commercial examination test receipt and says it is non-refundable. A duplicate examination test receipt is $3. A duplicate commercial learner’s permit is $11. The MVC fee table also lists the commercial permit at $125.
- CDL fee
- The license and permit fees page lists a commercial license at $42 plus $2 for each CDL endorsement, for both the initial license and a renewal. A change or duplicate is $11. An upgrade is $24 plus $2 per CDL endorsement. The getting-a-CDL page says the four-year CDL is $42 and $2 for each endorsement, that a first CDL is prorated to expire with the current basic New Jersey driver license, and that renewal is $42 in person. The MVC fee table lists a commercial driver license at $47 under N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.18 and does not print a revision date. These official MVC sources disagree: two pages say $42 and the fee table says $47. They do not explain the difference, so this page does not treat either amount as the confirmed fee. Confirm the current CDL fee with the New Jersey MVC before you pay.
- Skills-test fee
- The pages checked do not print a separate skills-test dollar. The getting-a-CDL page says a skills-test appointment is required, and that unless the wait is waived the commercial learner’s permit must be held for a minimum of 14 days.
- ELDT
- Effective February 7, 2022, a hazardous-materials applicant must finish entry-level driver training with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before the knowledge test. Before the skills test for a CDL or any endorsement, the same page requires that training from a registry provider. It does not state an hour minimum.
- Medical card
- Every commercial learner’s permit or CDL driver must complete the CDL Holder Self-Certification document and, if applicable, have a valid medical examiner’s certificate on file with the National Registry. A medical or background-check result that disqualifies the applicant does not refund the commercial learner’s permit fee. Renewal, when applicable, also requires the self-certification form and a medical examiner’s certificate on file with the National Registry.
Sources
- New Jersey MVC: license and permit fees
- New Jersey MVC: getting a commercial driver license
- New Jersey MVC fee table
Questions drivers ask
What does a CDL cost in New Jersey?
Only the amounts printed on the official page checked October 29, 2026. If a permit, license, or skills-test line was missing, this page says so instead of borrowing a figure from another state.
Is the minimum age in New Jersey 21?
Use the age sentence on this page. It is the age the state page stated. Interstate work can still have a different federal age.
Does this page issue the license?
No. New Jersey MVC: license and permit fees is the licensing source. This page does not take an application.
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