CDL requirements and how to get a CDL license
The federal CDL requirements are a minimum age of 18 for a commercial learner’s permit, a general knowledge test, medical certification by an examiner on FMCSA’s National Registry, entry-level driver training for most new drivers, at least 14 days with the permit and a three-part skills test. Federal driver qualification rules also list a minimum age of 21. Your state adds its own documents and fees.
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CDL license requirements at a glance
These are the federal CDL license requirements every state builds on. States can add their own; California, for example, requires a standard Class C license before you apply for a CLP.
- Age: 18 or older for a CLP; FMCSA’s driver qualification rule lists at least 21
- Driving record: your state checks the last 10 years in all 50 states and D.C.
- Medical: certified as physically qualified by a National Registry medical examiner
- English: able to read and speak English well enough to converse with the general public
- Knowledge: pass the general knowledge test and any tests for your class and endorsements
- Training: entry-level driver training where it applies
- Skills: hold the CLP 14 days, then pass the vehicle inspection, basic controls and road test
Source: FMCSA — How do I get a Commercial Driver’s License?. Checked 19 October 2026.
Age requirements: 18 and 21
The CLP rule sets 18 as the minimum age. FMCSA’s general driver qualification rule lists being at least 21 years old among its requirements. California’s DMV explains how this works in one state: a CDL at 18 lets you drive within California, while interstate driving and hazardous materials require you to be 21 or older. Check how your own state applies the two ages.
Source: eCFR — 49 CFR 391.11 General qualifications of drivers. Checked 19 October 2026.
CDL physical requirements
You must be medically certified as physically qualified, and the exam must be done by a medical examiner listed on FMCSA’s National Registry. The CDL physical requirements in 49 CFR 391.41 include, for example, distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye and a field of vision of at least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye, and either hearing a forced whispered voice in the better ear at 5 feet or an average hearing loss of no more than 40 decibels in the better ear at the tested frequencies.
The rule lists further conditions, and how corrective lenses, hearing aids and specific conditions count is set out in the full text of 49 CFR 391.41. A driver not examined and certified during the preceding 24 months needs a new exam.
Source: eCFR — 49 CFR 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. Checked 19 October 2026.
Medical certificate and self-certification
When you apply, you self-certify to your state which of four categories you drive in: interstate non-excepted, interstate excepted, intrastate non-excepted or intrastate excepted. Non-excepted interstate drivers must meet the federal medical card requirements.
CDL holders must give their state a copy of each medical examiner’s certificate. In California, applicants submit the Medical Examination Report form MCSA 5875. If you let the certificate lapse in the state record, your commercial driving privileges are downgraded.
Source: FMCSA — Commercial Driver’s License: Medical. Checked 19 October 2026.
How to get a CDL license, step by step
If you want to know how to obtain a CDL license, follow FMCSA’s three steps: CLP, training, CDL. Here is how to get a CDL license in practice, using California as the state example for the paperwork.
- Get your state’s CDL manual and decide which class and endorsements you need.
- Get a DOT medical exam from a National Registry examiner.
- Apply at your state licensing agency: identity and residency documents, application fee, medical form. In California the application and fee are valid for 12 months.
- Pass the knowledge tests and receive your CLP.
- Complete entry-level driver training with a provider on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry, if it applies to you.
- After at least 14 days, pass the three-part skills test and receive your CDL.
Source: California DMV — Commercial Driver’s Licenses (state example). Checked 19 October 2026.
How to get a Class A CDL
How to get a Class A CDL follows the same steps, with two additions. You take the knowledge tests for combination vehicles, and air brakes if your vehicle has them (California’s handbook lists both as required in those cases). And you complete entry-level driver training for Class A if you are a first-time or upgrading driver. The vehicle you use for the skills test affects your restrictions, such as E for an automatic transmission.
If you already have a Class B CDL, the upgrade to Class A is one of the cases that requires entry-level driver training before testing.
Source: FMCSA — How do I get a Commercial Driver’s License?. Checked 19 October 2026.
Extra requirements for the hazmat endorsement
The hazmat (H) endorsement adds a security check. In Florida, as one state example, your information goes to TSA, which decides eligibility; fingerprinting must be done at a driver license office that offers hazmat fingerprinting; and you must pass the hazmat endorsement written test. Other states run the same TSA check through their own process.
Source: Florida FLHSMV — Hazmat Information (state example). Checked 19 October 2026.
CDL requirements: questions people ask
What are the CDL requirements?
Age 18 or older for a CLP, a passed general knowledge test, medical certification, entry-level driver training where it applies, 14 days with the CLP and a passed skills test. States add documents and fees. Sources: FMCSA and 49 CFR 383.25, checked 19 October 2026.
How old do you have to be to get a CDL?
18 for a CLP. FMCSA’s driver qualification rule lists at least 21; California allows 18 for driving within the state and requires 21 for interstate and hazmat. Sources: 49 CFR 383.25, 391.11, California DMV, checked 19 October 2026.
Who can do the CDL physical?
A medical examiner listed on FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Source: 49 CFR 391.43, checked 19 October 2026.
What vision do I need for a CDL?
The federal rule lists distant visual acuity of at least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye and a horizontal field of vision of at least 70 degrees in each eye; see 49 CFR 391.41 for how corrective lenses count. Checked 19 October 2026.
How to get my CDL license if I already drive for work?
The same steps apply: medical exam, knowledge tests and CLP, entry-level training if it applies to you, then the skills test after at least 14 days.
Do I need a regular driver’s license first?
A CLP is carried with a valid driver’s license from the same state. California, for example, requires a standard Class C license before you apply. Sources: 49 CFR 383.5 and California DMV, checked 19 October 2026.
