CDL Requirements in New York
Verified against New York State 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 →
New York DMV administers CDL knowledge and road tests only at its own offices — no third-party skills-testing program was found. New York layers Article 19-A, a state-specific bus-driver oversight regime (biennial road tests, medical exams, license-abstract checks, and mandatory drug/alcohol testing for any motor-carrier bus driver regardless of endorsement), on top of the standard federal CDL framework, and adds a Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD) surcharge to CDL fees for residents of New York City and several downstate counties.
New York's CDL requirements — including an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (see New York DMV — Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL)), current as of 2026-07-25.
New York CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for New Yorkspecifically — 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 | — |
| Renewal fee | $164.50 |
| Renewal period | — |
| Knowledge test fee | $10 |
| Skills test fee | $40 |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | No |
| Retest waiting period | — |
Other published fees
- CDL renewal (Enhanced): $194.50
- MCTD surcharge, 8-year license (NYC + certain downstate counties): $16
- Motorcycle Class M/MJ combined with CDL renewal, add-on: $8
- Additional knowledge test not taken at initial application: $5
A $10.00 fee (DMV's own fee schedule labels it an 'application fee') covers all written/knowledge tests taken in one visit, with $5.00 per additional test not taken initially. A road-test appointment cannot be scheduled within 14 days of CLP issuance, matching (not exceeding) the federal floor. CLP validity period in months is not stated on any fetched DMV page.
Ages 18–20 are permitted for intrastate-only CDL operation and cannot engage in interstate commerce, transport hazardous materials, or operate a school bus until 21 — matching the federal baseline exactly. New York's Class A Young Adult Training Program lets 18–20 year-olds earn a Class A CDL (ELDT completion plus supervised driving) within this intrastate floor.
DMV states plainly that 'CDL permit tests are only offered at DMV offices'; no third-party or employer-based skills-testing program (of the kind some other states run) was found. A CDL-102 based waiver of the skills test only (written tests and fees still apply) exists for qualifying military CMV operators. No day-based retest waiting period is published.
New York CDL Endorsements
| Endorsement | Available | Fee | Knowledge test | Skills test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous materials (H) | Yes | $5 | Yes | No |
| Tank vehicle (N) | Yes | — | — | — |
| Doubles/triples (T) | Yes | — | — | — |
| Passenger (P) | Yes | — | — | — |
| School bus (S) | Yes | — | Yes | No |
Hazardous materials: Requires a fingerprint-based background check via IdentoGo; must retest and recheck the background within 2 years before CDL expiry.
Tank vehicle: DMV's endorsements page confirms availability (code N — 'Tank Vehicles') but states nothing else: no fee, and no knowledge- or skills-test requirement is itemized.
Doubles/triples: DMV's endorsements page lists the doubles/triples (T) endorsement as available but does not itemize a fee or test requirements beyond that.
Passenger: Confirmed available and required as a prerequisite for the School Bus (S) endorsement; DMV's endorsements page does not itemize a separate fee or explicitly state knowledge/skills test requirements for P on its own.
School bus: 20-question knowledge exam, 16 correct required to pass (NY CDL Manual §10); must hold or simultaneously apply for the Passenger (P) endorsement; renewable without retesting. Layered with New York's Article 19-A bus-driver regime for motor-carrier bus drivers (biennial road/medical exams, fingerprint criminal-history review, drug/alcohol testing), additional to standard CDL renewal. A fee is required but its amount is not published on DMV's endorsements page.
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 New York
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 New York
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Non-Excepted Interstate
- Non-Excepted Intrastate
- Excepted Interstate
- Excepted Intrastate
New York DMV's CDL medical certification page lists all four FMCSA-defined self-certification categories.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- New York DMV — Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL)
- New York DMV — Renew Your CDL (fees, MCTD surcharge)
- New York DMV — Driver License and CDL Renewal Fee Table
- New York DMV — CDL Endorsements
- New York DMV — CDL Medical Certification
- New York DMV — CDL Restrictions
- New York DMV — Entry-Level Driver Training
- New York DMV — Article 19-A Information
- New York DMV — Learner Permit and Driver License Class Descriptions
- New York DMV — Military Skills Test Waiver
Data last verified: 2026-07-25 (verified by: agent) | Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles