CDL Requirements in Georgia
Verified against Georgia Department of Driver Services ·
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 →
Georgia DDS splits CDL costs into three separate charges rather than one bundled fee: a $35 non-refundable application/testing fee (the 'CAP', good for up to four test attempts), a $10 learner's permit fee, and a $32 eight-year license fee. Endorsements cost $5 each to add, except Hazmat, which is free when added at the same time as initial CDL issuance and only $5 if added later — and a Hazmat (or combined Tank/Hazmat) endorsement also shortens the license cycle from 8 to 5 years to track the endorsement's own expiration. Georgia runs its own testing at 9 DDS Customer Service Centers and additionally certifies 16 third-party sites, mostly Technical College System of Georgia campuses.
Georgia's CDL requirements — including a $10 commercial learner permit fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against Georgia Department of Driver Services (see Georgia DDS — CDL Program), current as of 2026-07-25.
Georgia CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Georgiaspecifically — 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.
| Commercial learner’s permit (CLP) | |
|---|---|
| CLP fee | $10 |
| Minimum holding period before skills test | 14 days |
| CLP validity | — |
| Age minimums | |
| Intrastate minimum age | 18 |
| Interstate minimum age | 21 (federal floor) |
| Fees | |
| Application fee | $35 |
| Initial CDL fee | $32 |
| Renewal fee | $32 |
| Renewal period | 8 years (5 years if the CDL carries a Hazmat (H) or combined Tank/Hazmat (X) endorsement) |
| Knowledge test fee | — |
| Skills test fee | $50 |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | Yes |
| Retest waiting period | 2 days |
The $10 CLP fee is due before the knowledge test is attempted; it is non-refundable on failure and must be paid again for every retest. Valid for 365 days from issuance (for CLPs issued on or after July 1, 2021) — not stated in round months, so no month-based validity figure is shown here. The 14-day minimum before the skills test matches, not exceeds, the federal floor. Passenger (P), School Bus (S), and Tanker (N) endorsements may be added directly to a CLP; Hazmat (H) and Doubles/Triples (T) may not — those require an existing CDL.
DDS issues Class A, B, and C CDLs starting at 18, but applies a 'Georgia Only' intrastate restriction until the holder turns 21, at which point it must be removed in person at a DDS service center.
DDS tests at 9 of its own Customer Service Centers and certifies 16 additional third-party sites (mostly Technical College System of Georgia campuses) for various class/endorsement combinations. Per the Georgia CDL Manual, the retest waiting period after any knowledge- or skills-test failure is two days, for the first failure and every subsequent one.
Georgia CDL Endorsements
| Endorsement | Available | Fee | Knowledge test | Skills test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous materials (H) | Yes | $5 | Yes | No |
| Tank vehicle (N) | Yes | $5 | Yes | No |
| Doubles/triples (T) | Yes | $5 | Yes | No |
| Passenger (P) | Yes | $5 | Yes | Yes |
| School bus (S) | Yes | $5 | Yes | Yes |
Hazardous materials: Not available on a CLP — an existing CDL is required first. Requires a TSA background check and fingerprinting for both first-time issuance and renewal. No endorsement fee applies if Hazmat is added at the same time as initial CDL issuance; a one-time $5 fee applies if added later.
Tank vehicle: May be added to a Class A or B CDL, and may be added directly to a CLP. Knowledge exam covers tank vehicles rated over 119 gallons individually or 1,000 gallons in aggregate; no skills test required.
Doubles/triples: Addable only to a Class A CDL. Not available on a CLP — an existing CDL is required first. Knowledge exam only; no skills test required.
Passenger: May be added directly to a CLP and tested alongside the initial CDL application. The skills test must be performed in an actual passenger bus.
School bus: May be added directly to a CLP and tested alongside the initial CDL application; requires the Passenger (P) endorsement as well. The skills test must be performed in an actual bus.
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 Georgia
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.
DLA Academy · Sponsored
Getting a Class A or B CDL in Georgia 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 Georgia
Georgia Department of Driver Services administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Non-Excepted Interstate
- Non-Excepted Intrastate
- Excepted Interstate
- Excepted Intrastate
Georgia DDS's CDL medical certification page defines all four FMCSA self-certification categories (labeled NI, NA, EI, EA) in the FMCSA's own category language.
Source Notes
Where a source is stale, conflicting, or required a judgment call, we document it here rather than presenting a single confident-sounding number. See our methodology for how these calls are made.
- Georgia DDS publishes two different Hazmat endorsement fee figures across its own official materials: its current online fee schedule states the Hazmat endorsement is free if added at initial CDL issuance or a one-time $5 if added later, while its Commercial Driver's Manual states a flat $20 fee tied to the Hazmat threat-assessment expiration. This page uses the online fee-schedule figures as the more current, itemized source — confirm the exact current amount directly with DDS before paying.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- Georgia DDS — CDL Program
- Georgia DDS — Fees and Terms (Commercial License and Permit Fees)
- Georgia DDS — How Do I Get a CDL License
- Georgia DDS — How Do I Get a CDL Permit
- Georgia DDS — How Do I Renew My CDL
- Georgia DDS — Adding CDL Endorsements
- Georgia DDS — CDL Medical Certification and Self-Certification
- Georgia DDS — CDL Licensing Information FAQs
- Georgia DDS — CDL Testing Sites (DDS Customer Service Centers and Third-Party Sites)
- Georgia DDS — Commercial Driver's Manual / Study Guide (PDF)
- Georgia DDS — For-Hire Endorsement Program
Data last verified: 2026-07-25 (verified by: agent) | Source: Georgia Department of Driver Services