To get a Class B CDL, you pass a DOT medical exam, complete Entry-Level Driver Training through a federally registered provider, obtain a Commercial Learner’s Permit and hold it for at least 14 days, then pass a three-part skills test at your state DMV. The full process usually takes several weeks to a few months, depending on your training schedule and appointment availability. Federal regulations set the rules, but your state DMV issues the license.
Confirm You’re Eligible First
You must be at least 21 to drive a commercial vehicle across state lines.1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Is the Age Requirement for Operating a CMV in Interstate Commerce Most states allow a CDL at 18 if you’ll only drive within your home state.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FMCSA Proposes New Under-21 Commercial Driver Pilot Program That intrastate-only limit matters more than it sounds: cross a state line even once and you’re in interstate commerce, which means you have to meet the age-21 rule.
You’ll also need a valid non-commercial driver’s license from your state of residence, and you can only hold a driver’s license in one state.3eCFR. 49 CFR 383.71 Your driving record will be checked. A first conviction for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, using a vehicle to commit a felony, or causing a fatality through negligent driving triggers a one-year disqualification from any CDL. A second major offense means lifetime disqualification.4eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51
Confirm the class fits your vehicle. A Class B CDL covers any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, and that vehicle can tow a trailer rated at 10,000 pounds GVWR or less.5eCFR. 49 CFR 383.91 Straight trucks, city transit buses, school buses, dump trucks, and concrete mixers all fall under Class B. If you’ll tow a trailer heavier than 10,000 pounds GVWR, you need a Class A instead.
Pass the DOT Medical Exam
Every applicant must pass a Department of Transportation physical performed by a medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry. The registry includes doctors of medicine and osteopathy, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and doctors of chiropractic.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. DOT Medical Exam and Commercial Motor Vehicle Certification The exam checks vision, hearing, blood pressure, and general physical condition.
If you pass, the examiner issues a Medical Examiner’s Certificate, usually valid for two years. Certain conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, or insulin-treated diabetes may limit the certificate to one year.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. For How Long Is My Medical Certificate Valid The exam typically costs $75 to $150.
You’ll also self-certify to your state DMV which type of driving you plan to do. The four categories are interstate non-excepted (requires a federal medical card), interstate excepted, intrastate non-excepted (requires meeting your state’s medical standards), and intrastate excepted.8Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Most commercial drivers fall into interstate non-excepted and must keep a current federal medical card on file with the state.
Complete Entry-Level Driver Training
This is the step first-time applicants most often miss. Since February 2022, anyone getting a Class B CDL for the first time must complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) through a provider registered on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry.9Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) The DMV checks the federal registry before scheduling your skills test. If your training isn’t recorded there, you’ll be turned away.
ELDT has two parts: theory instruction and behind-the-wheel training. Theory covers vehicle systems, safety regulations, hazard awareness, pre-trip inspections, and shifting, and you must score at least 80% on the theory assessment. Behind-the-wheel training happens on a range and on public roads. No simulator can substitute for actual driving time.10Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry. ELDT Entry-Level Driver Training Minimum Federal Curricula Requirements
Federal rules do not set a minimum number of hours; the instructor must cover every curriculum topic and document your proficiency. Most Class B programs run two to four weeks. Your provider has two business days after you finish to upload your certification to the Training Provider Registry, and you can verify the record was submitted using the “Check Your Record” feature before scheduling the skills test.11Training Provider Registry. Training Provider Registry
If you held a CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022, you’re exempt from ELDT for that credential.9Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
Get Your Commercial Learner’s Permit
Before the skills test, you need a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP). You’ll visit the DMV with proof of identity and citizenship or legal residency, proof of state residency, your Social Security number, your DOT medical card, and your current non-commercial license. Be ready to list every state that has issued you any driver’s license in the past ten years.3eCFR. 49 CFR 383.71
At the DMV you’ll take the written knowledge test for the Class B vehicle group. It covers general commercial driving principles, safe operating procedures, vehicle inspection, and the effects of alcohol and drugs on driving. If you want a passenger, school bus, or tanker endorsement, take those endorsement knowledge tests at this stage too.3eCFR. 49 CFR 383.71
Once you hold the CLP, you can practice on public roads with a qualified CDL holder in the passenger seat. Federal law requires you to hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you’re eligible for the skills test.12eCFR. 49 CFR 383.25 – Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) Many applicants use this window to finish their ELDT behind-the-wheel hours.
Pass the Three-Part Skills Test
The skills test is conducted in a vehicle that qualifies as a Class B commercial motor vehicle, and you (or your training school) must supply it. The test has three parts:13eCFR. 49 CFR 383.113
- Pre-trip inspection. You walk around the vehicle and identify safety components out loud, explaining what you’re checking and why. This covers the engine compartment, steering, suspension, brakes, wheels, and the sides and rear. If the vehicle has air brakes, you’ll demonstrate the air brake inspection.
- Basic vehicle control. You perform starts, stops, straight-line backing, backing along a curved path, and tight turns in a controlled area.
- On-road driving. You drive in real traffic while the examiner evaluates lane changes, speed adjustment for road and weather conditions, signaling, intersections, and highway merges.
If you fail a section, most states allow a retest after a waiting period, often about a week. Pass all three and you’ll receive your Class B CDL.
Register With the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
The FMCSA maintains a federal database, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, that tracks drug and alcohol violations by CDL holders. Before an employer can put you behind the wheel, they must query the database for violations on your record, and they must run that query annually for every driver they employ.14Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
Register at the Clearinghouse website with a Login.gov account and enter your CDL or CLP information.15Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Before You Register When an employer sends a query, you’ll log in and consent to the full records check. Set this up before you start job hunting so onboarding doesn’t stall.
Choose Endorsements and Avoid the Air Brake Restriction
Endorsements expand what you can drive. Each requires an additional knowledge test, and some require a skills test in the appropriate vehicle.3eCFR. 49 CFR 383.71
- Passenger (P). Required for any vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people including the driver. Knowledge test, skills test in a passenger vehicle, and ELDT if it’s your first P.
- School Bus (S). Needed for any school bus. Knowledge test, skills test, and typically the P endorsement as well. ELDT applies for a first-time S.
- Tank Vehicle (N). Required to haul liquid or gaseous materials in a permanently mounted tank. Knowledge test only.
- Hazardous Materials (H). Required to transport hazardous materials. In addition to the knowledge test, you must pass a TSA security threat assessment that includes fingerprinting and a background check covering criminal history and immigration status. The TSA process usually takes 30 to 60 days, so start early. ELDT is required for a first-time H.16Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 5103a
- Combination (X). Hazmat plus Tank. You must meet both sets of requirements.
The Doubles/Triples (T) endorsement applies only to Class A holders and isn’t available on a Class B.
One item people confuse with an endorsement is the air brake restriction. It isn’t something you add; it’s something you want to keep off the license. If you fail the air brake portion of the knowledge test or take your skills test in a vehicle without air brakes, your CDL will carry a restriction barring you from driving any vehicle with air brakes.17eCFR. 49 CFR 383.95 Most Class B vehicles use air brakes, so the restriction narrows your job options sharply. Study the air brake material and take your skills test in an air-brake-equipped vehicle.
What It Costs
Budget for several categories. The DOT physical usually runs $75 to $150. State fees for the CDL application and license generally fall between $50 and $100, and skills test fees run $30 to $100 depending on the state. The largest expense is ELDT itself: Class B programs commonly cost between $1,500 and $5,000, with wide variation by school and region. A Hazardous Materials endorsement adds roughly $86 for the TSA background check.
Some employers, particularly transit agencies and trucking companies that hire entry-level drivers, will sponsor training or reimburse it after you’re hired. Ask before paying out of pocket, especially if you already know which type of Class B driving you want to do.