Commercial Driver License (CDL)
Current CDL Holders
Medical Certification– you can self-certify without visiting a Tax Collector’s Office. Simply upload your medical certification from your phone or computer at no cost. Access the self-certify website.
Learn more regarding medical card requirements: Medical Card Requirements.
CDL Applicants
Commercial Driver License (CDL) applicants are required to have an Operators License and pass the vision requirements. Applicants must be 18 years of age. If under 21, the applicant will be restricted to intrastate operation only.
***Effective February 7, 2022***- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Regulations will take effect. These regulations set the baseline for training requirements for entry level commercial drivers. The training requirements must be verified prior to taking a skills test with the exception of drivers taking the knowledge exam to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement for the first time, in which case the requirements must be verified prior to taking the exam.
Entry Level Driver Training Applies to those applying to:
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Obtain a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time;
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Upgrade an existing Class B CDL to a Class A CDL; or
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Obtain a School Bus (S), Passenger (P), or Hazardout Materials (H) endorsement for the first time.
If a driver holds a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) that was issued before February 7, 2022, the driver is not required to complete entry level driver training as long as the driver obtains a CDL before the CLP expires.
Florida will allow the applicants to be scheduled for a CDL Skills Test prior to the applicant completing the required ELTT training and the training information being being updated in the training provider registry (TPR). However, the ELDT requirements must be met before taking the test.
For more information visit FMCSA's ELDT Webpage.
Customers with CDL Licenses that have expired for one year or more, will be required to complete and pass all applicable CDL knowledge and skills exams to obtain a new "original" CDL.
Oral Exams
Oral exams may be given in English or Spanish with the exception of the skills test or Hazmat exams. Interpreters may not be used during the administration of the oral exams or during any portion of the CDL skill exams. Be sure to study the Florida Commercial Driver License Handbook. The handbook is also available in Spanish. (*Oral exams require an appointment. Appointments are only available in our Panama City office.) You can find a list of the third-party Commercial Skill Test Sites here.
Exam Requirements
Class A Exam Requirements – To operate trucks or truck combinations weighing 26,001 lbs or more, and towing a vehicle/unit over 10,000 lbs, then a Class A license is needed. The following tests are required:
General Knowledge test
Combinations vehicle test
Air Brakes
Pre-Trip
Basic Skills
CDL Road Test
Applicable exams for desired endorsements
Class B Exam Requirements – To operate straight trucks and buses 26,001 lbs or more, then a Class B license is needed. The following tests are required:
General Knowledge test
Air Brakes (if applicable)
Pre-Trip
Basic Skills
CDL Road Test
Applicable exams for desired endorsements
Class C Exam Requirements – To operate vehicles transporting placarded amounts of hazardous materials, or vehicles designed to transport more than 15 persons including the driver with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of less than 26,001 lbs, then a Class C license is needed. The following tests are required:
General Knowledge test
Air Brakes (if applicable)
Pre-Trip
Basic Skills
CDL Road Test
Applicable exams for desired endorsements
Already have an out of state CDL?
We will reciprocate an out of state or a Canadian commercial driver license. However, an out of state applicant with a hazmat endorsement will have to reapply for a hazmat endorsement, which will include background check, appropriate exams and fees.
Already have a Military CDL?
Military or prior military customers requesting to be issued a CDL due to qualifications of experience while serving on military duty must:
• Pass all required knowledge and endorsement exams for the CDL license class and endorsements they are applying to obtain,
• Present the Certification for Waiver of Skill Test for Military Personnel form completed by their commanding officer or designee while on active duty or within 90 days of separation from service.
Military are now only exempt from taking the skills exams. The process must be completed and the CDL issued within 120 days of separation from service. The Certification for Waiver of Skill Test form for Military Personnel can be provided to the customer.
Endorsements
“Endorsement” means a special authorization, which permits a driver to drive certain types of vehicles or to transport certain types of property or a certain number of passengers. The following endorsements can be placed on Class A, B, or C commercial driver licenses.
H. (Placarded Hazmat) – Issued to those who have passed the required written and skills tests and who will transport placarded hazardous materials.
N. (Tank Vehicles) – Issued to those who have passed the required written and skills tests and who will drive tank vehicles.
P. (Passengers) – Issued to those who have passed the required written and skills test and who will drive passenger vehicles.
S. (School Bus) Issued to those who have passed the required written and skills test and who will transport pre-primary, primary or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school-sponsored events. (Does not include a bus used as a common carrier.) The P endorsement is also required.
T. (Double/Triple Trailers) – Issued to those who have passed the required written and skills tests and who will drive double or triple tractor- trailer vehicles. Triple trailers are not allowed on Florida roads.
X. (Placarded Hazmat & Tank Vehicles) – Issued to those who qualify for the H and N endorsements.
*Written CDL testing can be done at any office location. However, the required fingerprinting and background check for the hazmat endorsement is only available by appointment in our Panama City office.