CDL Requirements in Georgia
Verified against Georgia Department of Driver Services ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources 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.
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.
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