CDL Requirements in Nevada
Verified against Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetCDLLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Nevada DMV runs a genuine third-party CDL testing program — both private companies/driving schools and other government entities can become certified skills-test examiners through the CSTIMS system — alongside DMV-administered testing at only four of its offices statewide. Its fee schedule splits original/renewal CDL costs by whether a skills test is required and by an 8-year standard cycle that shortens to 4 years for applicants 65 or older. In late 2025 Nevada suspended issuance, renewal, and duplication of Limited Term (non-domiciled) CDLs and CLPs following new federal domicile-verification rules, a change the DMV says remains under review.
Nevada's CDL requirements — including a $57.5 commercial learner permit fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (see Nevada DMV — CDL Offices and Fees), current as of 2026-07-25.
Nevada CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Nevadaspecifically — 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 | $57.50 |
| 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 | $141.50 |
| Renewal fee | $111.50 |
| Renewal period | 8 years (4 years for applicants age 65 or older, expiring on their birthdate) |
| Knowledge test fee | — |
| Skills test fee | — |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | Yes |
| Retest waiting period | — |
Other published fees
- Original or transfer requiring knowledge test only (no skills test): $111.50
- Renewal requiring knowledge and skills tests (8-year cycle): $141.50
- Renewal requiring knowledge tests only or no tests (4-year cycle, age 65+): $57.50
- Renewal requiring knowledge and skills tests (4-year cycle, age 65+): $87.50
- CDL duplicate: $22.50
- Add CDL endorsement (per endorsement, plus $3.50 photo fee): $14
- Driving skills test to add/remove a restriction or endorsement (plus $3.50 photo fee): $30
- Change of address only: $3.50
- Change of information (other than address): $12.50
Valid 180 days from issuance. Skills tests cannot be 'banked' on CLP renewal — any previously passed portions (including a passed pre-trip inspection) are voided and must be retaken. If a CLP has been expired 30 days or more, all written knowledge tests must be retaken; on a second CLP renewal, all knowledge tests must be retaken regardless of expiration status.
Nevada additionally requires drivers to be 25 years old to operate an over-length combination vehicle (70 feet). Applicants 18-20 are limited to intrastate CDL operation and may not transport placarded hazardous materials or passengers for hire.
Nevada certifies both private companies/driving schools (Form CDL-040) and other government entities (Form CDL-062) as third-party CDL skills-test examiners through the CSTIMS system, in addition to DMV-administered testing at its four CDL-equipped offices (Elko, North Las Vegas, Reno, Winnemucca). Private third-party firms must maintain a surety bond scaled to testing volume ($35,000-$175,000/year); government-entity certifiers are exempt from the bond requirement. No fixed day-based knowledge/skills retest waiting period is published.
Nevada CDL Endorsements
| Endorsement | Available | Fee | Knowledge test | Skills test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous materials (H) | Yes | $17.50 | Yes | No |
| Tank vehicle (N) | Yes | $17.50 | Yes | No |
| Doubles/triples (T) | Yes | $17.50 | Yes | No |
| Passenger (P) | Yes | $17.50 | Yes | Yes |
| School bus (S) | Yes | $17.50 | Yes | Yes |
Hazardous materials: Requires a TSA fingerprint-based background check via IdentoGo (about 30 days to process) before the Hazmat knowledge test can be taken. The TSA background-check fee is $86.50, paid directly to TSA and separate from the DMV's $17.50 ($14 + $3.50 photo) endorsement fee.
Tank vehicle: Endorsement code N; knowledge test only, no separate skills test beyond the general CDL skills test.
Doubles/triples: Endorsement code T; knowledge test only.
Passenger: Endorsement code P; skills test performed in a passenger-configured vehicle; is a prerequisite for adding the School Bus (S) endorsement.
School bus: Endorsement code S; skills test performed in a school bus; requires the Passenger (P) endorsement first.
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 Nevada
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.
Nevada-specific: Nevada requires ELDT training providers to also hold a Nevada DMV business license, verified through the state's Business License Verification tool, in addition to being listed on the federal FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Training completed at a TPR-listed school lacking the state business license may not be accepted by the DMV.
Self-certification in Nevada
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Non-Excepted Interstate
- Non-Excepted Intrastate
- Excepted Interstate
- Excepted Intrastate
Nevada DMV's CDL Self-Certification page frames the choice as two binary questions — interstate vs. intrastate, and non-excepted (medical exam required) vs. excepted (no medical exam) — yielding the same four FMCSA categories.
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.
- Nevada suspended issuance, renewal, and duplication of Limited Term (non-domiciled) CDLs and CLPs in late 2025, following new federal domicile-verification rules; the DMV states this is under review and may change. This affects non-U.S. citizens, including asylum seekers, refugees, and DACA recipients.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- Nevada DMV — CDL Offices and Fees
- Nevada DMV — Commercial Driver Licensing
- Nevada DMV — Commercial Driver License Handbook (DMV 702)
- Nevada DMV — CDL Self Certification and License Classes
- Nevada DMV — Hazardous Materials Endorsements
- Nevada DMV — CDL Medical Exams
- Nevada DMV — CDL Transfers, Renewals and Upgrades
- Nevada DMV — Commercial Driver License Information (CDL-051)
- Nevada DMV — Third-Party Certification General Information (CDL-040)
Data last verified: 2026-07-25 (verified by: agent) | Source: Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles