CDL Requirements in Vermont
Verified against Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles ·
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 →
Vermont DMV publishes a compact, fully itemized CDL fee schedule — a flat knowledge/skills test fee, a flat $17 endorsement-test fee, and a separate $29 skills-test scheduling deposit — rather than bundling everything into one class-based charge. Vermont offers both 2-year and 4-year CDL terms (2-year only for School Bus endorsement holders) plus an Enhanced CDL (EDL) option for border crossing, and runs a distinctive two-tier School Bus endorsement: a Type I skills test and endorsement carry a fee, while Type II carries none.
Vermont's CDL requirements — including a $18 commercial learner permit fee and an intrastate minimum age of 18 — are verified against Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles (see Vermont DMV — Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Fees), current as of 2026-07-25.
Vermont CDL Requirements at a Glance
This is the fee, age, and testing detail for Vermontspecifically — 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 | $18 |
| 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 | $72 |
| Renewal fee | $72 |
| Renewal period | 2 years (4-year term also available at $108; School Bus endorsement holders may not choose the 2-year term) |
| Knowledge test fee | $39 |
| Skills test fee | $39 |
| Testing rules | |
| Third-party testers allowed | — |
| Retest waiting period | — |
Other published fees
- Skills test scheduling deposit (due before an appointment can be booked): $29
- Endorsement knowledge test (each): $17
- CDL, 4-year term, new or renew: $108
- Enhanced CDL (ECDL), 2-year term, new or renew: $108
- Enhanced CDL (ECDL), 4-year term, new or renew: $144
- Motorcycle endorsement add-on (per year of CDL term): $4
- Replacement CDL, 2-year term: $18
- Replacement Enhanced CDL, 2-year term: $54
Valid one year from issuance with no renewals — a new CLP requires retaking the knowledge tests. Vermont's 14-day minimum holding period before the skills test matches (not exceeds) the federal floor. Only Passenger (P), School Bus (S), and Tank Vehicle (N) endorsements may be added to a CLP; a CLP with a Tank endorsement may only operate an empty, unpurged-of-hazmat-residue tank.
Vermont's CDL manual states the requirement directly: 18+ for a CLP and for intrastate CMV operation; 21+ to operate a CMV between Vermont and another state (interstate commerce).
All CDL knowledge and skills tests are scheduled through the state's mydmv.vermont.gov appointment system and administered at DMV offices or a fixed list of DMV skills-test locations; no third-party testing program is described anywhere in the CDL manual or on the CDL pages, but DMV does not explicitly state that third-party testing is disallowed either, so this site does not state whether third-party testing is allowed. There is no simple day-based retest wait for a first or second failed skills test (a new appointment may be booked, and a failed pre-trip inspection forfeits that day's fee but not the deposit); however, after a third failed skills test, the applicant must wait six months before testing again.
Vermont CDL Endorsements
| Endorsement | Available | Fee | Knowledge test | Skills test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazardous materials (H) | Yes | $17 | Yes | No |
| Tank vehicle (N) | Yes | $17 | Yes | No |
| Doubles/triples (T) | Yes | $17 | Yes | No |
| Passenger (P) | Yes | $17 | Yes | Yes |
| School bus (S) | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
Hazardous materials: Applicants must complete the TSA Federal Security Threat Assessment at universalenroll.dhs.gov at least 2 weeks before their Vermont endorsement exam appointment. A CDL transfer from another state requires a new Vermont hazmat knowledge test unless the applicant shows written proof of a passed test within the preceding 2 years, and the driver's current TSA background check and fingerprinting must still be verifiable.
Tank vehicle: Applies to any tank with an individual rated capacity over 119 gallons and an aggregate rated capacity of 1,000+ gallons, permanently or temporarily attached to the vehicle. Special knowledge examination only; a CLP holder with this endorsement may operate only an empty tank not previously carrying unpurged hazmat residue.
Doubles/triples: Addable only to Class A licenses; special knowledge examination on pulling double/triple trailers; cannot be added to a CLP.
Passenger: Required for any bus in any class (A, B, or C) with a design capacity of 16+ people including the driver. Skills test must be performed in a representative passenger vehicle; a $39 skills-test fee applies in addition to the $17 endorsement knowledge-test fee. Adding this endorsement (or upgrading class, or removing a restriction) requires holding a CLP for a minimum of 14 days before the skills test.
School bus: Vermont runs two school-bus endorsement tiers: a Type I endorsement and skills test carry a published fee, while a Type II endorsement and skills test carry none — a distinction not itemized as separate dollar amounts anywhere in the fee schedule. All applicants, regardless of tier or out-of-state CDL history, must attend and pass a Vermont school bus driver training clinic (8 hours classroom) within the 6 months before endorsement issuance; the clinic completion is valid for only 6 months. Cannot be transferred to another CDL holder under the military skills-test waiver program.
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 Vermont
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 Vermont 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 Vermont
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles administers self-certification for the following FMCSA operating categories:
- Non-Excepted Interstate
- Non-Excepted Intrastate
- Excepted Interstate
- Excepted Intrastate
Vermont's CDL manual defines all four FMCSA self-certification categories (NI, NA, EI, EA) and requires NI/NA certifiers to file a Medical Examiner's Certificate with DMV; municipal and government employees are exempt from the medical requirement while performing official duties.
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: Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles