CDL Requirements in Michigan
Verified against Michigan Department of State, Secretary of State (SOS) ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetCDLLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Michigan has no separate DMV — CDLs are issued entirely through the Secretary of State (SOS), a statewide office rather than a motor-vehicle-specific agency. Knowledge tests and endorsement paperwork are handled at SOS branch offices, but CDL skills tests are administered exclusively by SOS-certified third-party testing organizations, never by SOS staff directly. Michigan also runs a flat 4-year CDL renewal cycle for every class and endorsement combination, including Hazmat, rather than shortening the cycle to match the federal 5-year TSA security threat assessment window the way some states do.
Michigan's CDL requirements — including a $25 CDL fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against Michigan Department of State, Secretary of State (SOS) (see Michigan Department of State — License and ID Costs and Fees), current as of 2026-07-25.
Michigan CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Michiganspecifically — 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 | — |
| 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 | — |
| Initial CDL fee | $25 |
| Renewal fee | $25 |
| Renewal period | 4 years |
| Knowledge test fee | — |
| Skills test fee | — |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | Yes |
| Retest waiting period | 1 day |
Other published fees
- Enhanced CDL, first-time or renewal: $25
- Standard CDL replace/correct: $18
- Enhanced CDL replace/correct: $33
- Adding a group designation or endorsement (standard CDL), each: $5
- X endorsement (combined Tank + Hazardous Materials): $10
The CDL skills test cannot be scheduled until 14 days after CLP issuance (Michigan CDL Manual, Section 1), matching (not exceeding) the federal floor. No standalone CLP fee or CLP validity period (in months) is published separately from the CDL group-designation/endorsement fees a driver eventually pays.
Confirmed directly in the Michigan CDL Manual (Section 1): drivers may operate a CMV intrastate at 18, but must be 21 or older for interstate operation and to transport hazardous materials in placardable quantities — matching the federal baseline exactly.
Knowledge tests and endorsement paperwork are completed at Secretary of State branch offices, but the CDL skills test (vehicle inspection, basic control, and on-road segments) is administered exclusively by SOS-certified third-party testing organizations — Michigan does not offer state-administered skills testing as an alternative. Skills-test fees are set independently by each third-party organization and are not published by SOS. Knowledge-test retries are limited to one attempt per testing category per day (Michigan CDL Manual, Section 1); a passing score is 80%.
Michigan 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: 30-question written knowledge test, retaken at every 4-year renewal (Michigan does not shorten the CDL cycle for Hazmat holders). Requires proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence, verified through SAVE, in addition to the standard CDL application documents.
Tank vehicle: 20-question written knowledge test; no skills test.
Doubles/triples: 20-question written knowledge test; no skills test. Michigan does not permit triple-trailer combinations, so this endorsement is issued for double trailers only.
Passenger: 20-question written knowledge test plus a skills test performed in a vehicle with a seating capacity of 16 or more passengers, including the driver.
School bus: 20-question written knowledge test plus a skills test that includes a student loading/unloading demonstration; requires a completed CDL Certification Form and additional documentation at an SOS office.
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 Michigan
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 Michigan
Michigan Department of State, Secretary of State (SOS) administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Non-Excepted Interstate
- Excepted Interstate
- Non-Excepted Intrastate
- Excepted Intrastate
Michigan's CDL Certification Form (BFS-103) requires applicants to certify to one of the four federally defined CMV operation types (Michigan CDL Manual, Section 1). As of November 18, 2024, the Secretary of State must also check the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before any CLP or CDL issuance, renewal, transfer, or upgrade, and will downgrade a CLP/CDL on notice of a violation.
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.
- Two official Michigan sources describe CDL pricing differently. The Secretary of State's dedicated fee page states a flat $25 for a first-time or renewal CDL (Standard or Enhanced). The CDL Manual's own fee table instead frames the cost as a base Operator's/Chauffeur's License fee plus a separate CDL group-designation fee, which would add up to more than $25. This record uses the dedicated fee page as the current, authoritative number — confirm your total at an SOS branch before budgeting for a specific amount.
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: Michigan Department of State, Secretary of State (SOS)