CDL Requirements in California

Verified against California Department of Motor Vehicles · 2026-07-25

Compiled and verified against each state's own licensing agency and statutes by GetCDLLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →

California publishes its own Commercial Driver Handbook and issues only non-excepted CDLs — it does not issue the excepted-interstate or excepted-intrastate categories that most states offer. It also layers a state-specific behind-the-wheel training minimum on top of the federal ELDT curriculum, and its own DMV holds independent authority to issue a state medical certificate form alongside the federal Medical Examiner's Certificate.

California's CDL requirements — including a $100 CDL fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against California Department of Motor Vehicles (see California DMV — Commercial Driver's License Fees), current as of 2026-07-25.

California CDL Requirements at a Glance

This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Californiaspecifically — for the full step-by-step process see how to get a CDL, and for what Class A, B, and C each permit see CDL classes.

CLP, age, fee, renewal, and testing requirements for a commercial driver’s license in California
Commercial learner’s permit (CLP)
CLP fee	—
Minimum holding period before skills test	14 days
CLP validity	6 months
Age minimums
Intrastate minimum age	18
Interstate minimum age	21 (federal floor)
Fees
Application fee	—
Initial CDL fee	$100
Renewal fee	$59
Renewal period	—
Knowledge test fee	—
Skills test fee	—
Testing rules
Third-party testers allowed	Yes
Retest waiting period	—

Other published fees

Original application, Class C: $59
Skills retest fee (any class): $46
Replacement CDL/CLP: $44
Change of DL/ID information: $37
Remove air brake/automatic-transmission restriction (driving test required): $100
School Bus/SPAB/Youth Bus Driver certificate, original: $25
School Bus/SPAB/Youth Bus Driver certificate, renewal: $12

Valid 180 days from issuance; may be renewed once for an additional 180 days, not to exceed 12 months total from the original application date, matching (not exceeding) the federal 14-day minimum holding period. Endorsements addable to a CLP: Tank (N), Passenger (P), and School Bus (S) only.

California states its interstate/hazmat minimum age (21) matches the federal standard; intrastate minimum is 18.

California runs its own Employer Testing Program (ETP), allowing qualified commercial employers to administer the skills/driving test on DMV-approved routes; examiners must have held a CDL with the relevant class/endorsements for 3+ years, complete paid DMV training, and pass a background check. DMV re-validates a sample of ETP results within 30 days. Candidates get up to 3 attempts at the knowledge test(s) and 3 attempts total at the skills test; a retest fee applies to a subsequent skills-test attempt. The Commercial Driver Handbook states explicitly there is no waiting period to retake either the knowledge test or the basic control skills test.

California CDL Endorsements

Hazmat, tanker, doubles/triples, passenger, and school bus endorsement availability, fees, and testing in California
Endorsement	Available	Fee	Knowledge test	Skills test
Hazardous materials (H)	Yes	$59	Yes	—
Tank vehicle (N)	Yes	$59	Yes	—
Doubles/triples (T)	Yes	$59	Yes	—
Passenger (P)	Yes	$100	Yes	Yes
School bus (S)	Yes	—	Yes	Yes

Hazardous materials: Requires the federal TSA security threat assessment (fingerprint-based, via TSA enrollment services) in addition to the state knowledge test; applicant must be 21+ and already hold a CDL.

Tank vehicle: Grouped with Hazmat/Doubles-Triples at $59 on DMV's fee schedule.

Doubles/triples: Available for Class A/B only; grouped with Tank/Hazmat at $59 on DMV's fee schedule.

Passenger: $100 for Class A/B, $59 for Class C — notably higher than the Tank/Doubles/Hazmat group on DMV's fee schedule. The Commercial Driver Handbook confirms both tests directly: "Applicants applying for a 'P' endorsement are required to complete the skills test," in addition to a special knowledge examination on passenger-safety considerations.

School bus: The Commercial Driver Handbook states school-bus applicants "must pass a special knowledge examination on safety considerations when transporting passengers in a school bus and must pass skills tests in a school bus." DMV's fee schedule does not list a distinct CDL school-bus (S) endorsement fee. A separate $25 (original) / $12 (renewal) 'School Bus/SPAB/Youth Bus Driver' certificate exists, and the handbook confirms it is additional to, not a substitute for, the S endorsement: "A school bus driver must also have an 'S' endorsement on their CDL."

For what each endorsement permits, the federal knowledge/skills testing baseline behind it, and hazmat’s separate TSA security threat assessment, see CDL endorsements. Veterans and current service members with military driving experience may qualify for a skills-test waiver — see military & veteran CDL pathways.

Federal requirements that apply in California

These are set by federal regulators and are the same in every US jurisdiction. Full detail here.

Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). Since February 2022, first-time CDL applicants — and drivers upgrading to Class A or seeking a first-time school bus, passenger, or hazmat endorsement — must complete Entry-Level Driver Training with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before testing.
DOT medical certificate. Most CDL holders who operate in interstate commerce must hold a valid DOT medical examiner's certificate, issued by an examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.
Interstate minimum age. Federal rules set 21 as the minimum age to drive commercially across state lines; states set their own intrastate minimum, commonly 18.
Hazmat security threat assessment. A hazardous materials endorsement additionally requires a TSA security threat assessment, which is a federal process separate from the state endorsement.

California-specific: California requires Class A or B CDL applicants to complete 15 hours of behind-the-wheel (BTW) training, of which at least 10 hours must be on a public road, under California Vehicle Code §15250.1(b) — additional to the federal ELDT curriculum. Applicants submit form DL 1236 (California Commercial Driver Behind The Wheel Training Certification) to DMV as proof before CDL issuance.

DLA Academy · Sponsored

Getting a Class A or B CDL in California for the first time? The theory half of ELDT can be completed online with a registered provider; behind-the-wheel training must be done in person.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Before paying any provider, confirm it is listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry; only registered providers can submit your completion.

Self-certification in California

California Department of Motor Vehicles administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:

Non-Excepted Interstate
Non-Excepted Intrastate

California does not issue Excepted Interstate or Excepted Intrastate CDLs: DMV states outright that 'all drivers licensed by California to drive CMVs are non-excepted drivers.' Separately, California DMV is authorized under California Code of Regulations §28.19 to issue its own state Medical Certificate (form DL 51B); drivers must carry a signed copy of their federal Medical Examiner's Certificate for 15 days after issuance while operating a CMV. A state self-certification form (DL 694) exists but its exact wording could not be extracted from the PDF.

means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.

Sources

Data last verified: 2026-07-25 (verified by: agent) | Source: California Department of Motor Vehicles