CDL Requirements in Rhode Island
Verified against Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver's License Office ·
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 →
Rhode Island's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), part of the state Department of Revenue, processes every CDL and CLP transaction exclusively at its CDL Office inside DMV headquarters in Cranston — there is no third-party knowledge- or skills-testing program. Rhode Island uniquely requires an applicant to have held a regular Rhode Island operator's license for at least two years before applying for a CDL. Passenger and School Bus endorsement applicants must also separately obtain the state's own 'Chauffeur' (R) credential, a for-hire-driving credential distinct from the CDL itself.
Rhode Island's CDL requirements — including a $73.5 commercial learner permit fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver's License Office (see Rhode Island DMV — Commercial Driver License Manual), current as of 2026-07-25.
Rhode Island CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Rhode Islandspecifically — 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 | $73.50 |
| Minimum holding period before skills test | 14 days |
| CLP validity | 12 months |
| Age minimums | |
| Intrastate minimum age | 18 |
| Interstate minimum age | 21 (federal floor) |
| Fees | |
| Application fee | — |
| Initial CDL fee | — |
| Renewal fee | $103.50 |
| Renewal period | 5 years |
| Knowledge test fee | $23.50 |
| Skills test fee | — |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | No |
| Retest waiting period | 5 days |
Other published fees
- Additional knowledge test attempt (same visit): $10
- CDL/CLP Update or Duplicate: $23.50
- Transfer License (out of state): $59.50
- License Renewal, age 70+ (2 years): $49.50
- Add Motorcycle Endorsement to CDL: $38.50
- In-State Chauffeur (R) credential: $5.50
- Out-of-State Chauffeur (R) credential: $28.50
CLPs are valid for a maximum of one year and cannot be renewed; once a CLP expires, all knowledge tests must be retaken and all fees repaid. The 14-day minimum hold before the skills test matches (not exceeds) the federal floor. Only Passenger (P), School Bus (S), and Tank (N) endorsements may be added to a CLP. The $73.50 fee (DMV's 'Commercial Fees' schedule) already includes a $3.50 technology surcharge built into every listed fee.
The CDL Manual requires all applicants to be at least 18 and to have held a valid RI operator's license for at least two years; 21 is required for an Interstate CDL, with 18-20 year-olds instead receiving an Intrastate-Only CDL — matching the federal interstate floor.
The CDL Manual states knowledge and skills testing is by appointment only at the CDL Office in the Cranston DMV; no third-party testing program was found. A failed knowledge test requires a wait of five business days before it can be retaken; passing scores are banked and do not need to be retaken.
Rhode Island CDL Endorsements
| Endorsement | Available | Fee | Knowledge test | Skills test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous materials (H) | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| Tank vehicle (N) | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| Doubles/triples (T) | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| Passenger (P) | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| School bus (S) | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
Hazardous materials: 30-question knowledge test (24 correct required). Applicants must be 21 and a current CDL holder. No separate RI DMV endorsement fee beyond the standard knowledge-test fee is published.
Tank vehicle: 20-question knowledge test (16 correct required); no skills test. No separate RI DMV endorsement fee beyond the standard knowledge-test fee is published.
Doubles/triples: 20-question knowledge test (16 correct required), required for Class A operators hauling double/triple trailers; no skills test. No separate RI DMV endorsement fee beyond the standard knowledge-test fee is published.
Passenger: 20-question knowledge test (16 correct required) plus a skills test. A completed Chauffeur Application is required before the Passenger endorsement can be issued — Rhode Island's own for-hire-driving credential (R endorsement), separate from the CDL, priced at $5.50 in-state / $28.50 out-of-state on DMV's Commercial Fees schedule.
School bus: 20-question knowledge test (16 correct required) plus a skills test administered in an actual school bus. Operators must first obtain a Rhode Island School Bus Certificate through the DMV's School Bus Safety Office, and — like the Passenger endorsement — a completed Chauffeur Application.
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 Rhode Island
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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver's License Office administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Interstate Non-Excepted
- Interstate Excepted
- Intrastate Non-Excepted
- Intrastate Excepted
RI DMV's Self-Certification form and CDL-1 application both list the four FMCSA-defined operation categories; both Interstate categories explicitly require the applicant to be 21 or older.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- Rhode Island DMV — Commercial Driver License Manual
- Rhode Island DMV — Commercial Fees
- Rhode Island DMV — Commercial Driving License (CDL)
- Rhode Island DMV — Chauffeur
- Rhode Island DMV — Application for Commercial Driver's License (CDL-1)
- Rhode Island DMV — Self-Certification for a Commercial Driver's License
- Rhode Island DMV — Driver's License Fee Schedule
- Rhode Island DMV — Commercial License Forms
Data last verified: 2026-07-25 (verified by: agent) | Source: Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver's License Office