CDL Requirements in Rhode Island
Verified against Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver's License Office ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources 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.
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.
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