In the Driver's Licenses guide
California commercial driver's license (CDL)
Reviewed by the DMVCA editorial team · updated June 29, 2026
A commercial driver’s license lets you drive the heavy and the specialized — and it’s the one California license whose rulebook is mostly federal. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the class definitions, the training standard, the endorsements, and the violations that cost you the license; California issues the CDL, runs the knowledge and skills tests, and keeps your medical record. This guide covers what a CDL is and how to get one — for where the skills test happens, see the CDL test-location map.
Two things trip people up most. The first is ELDT — the entry-level training you now have to finish before you’re allowed to test. The second is the medical certificate: let it lapse and the DMV downgrades your license. Both are below, with the disqualification rules that carry the highest stakes.
Classes
A / B / C
federal rule (FMCSA)
ELDT training
Required
since Feb 7, 2022
Medical card
Keep current
lapse downgrades the CDL
Minimum age
18 / 21
intrastate / interstate
Skills test
By appointment
limited sites
License fee
$100
Class A/B original
The three CDL classes — federal definitions, California-administered
What each class lets you drive, and what it takes. FMCSA sets the weight rules; California issues the license and gives the tests.
ClassWhat it lets you driveMin. ageWhat it takes
Class A A combination rated 26,001 lb or more when what's towed is over 10,000 lb — tractor-trailers and big rigs21 / 18ELDT, knowledge tests, and a skills test
Class B A single vehicle rated over 26,001 lb — large buses, box trucks, dump trucks (California also counts a 3-axle vehicle over 6,000 lb)21 / 18ELDT, knowledge tests, and a skills test
Class C A lighter vehicle (under 26,001 lb) that qualifies only because of what it carries — placarded hazardous materials, or passengers — driven with the matching endorsement21 / 18Knowledge test plus the endorsement's own requirements
Decision guide
Which class do you need?
If you… → you need…
You'll pull more than 10,000 lb behind a combination rated 26,001 lb or more (a tractor-trailer) Class A ›
You'll drive a single heavy vehicle over 26,001 lb — a bus, box truck, or dump truck Class B ›
Your vehicle is lighter but carries placarded hazmat or passengers Class C with an endorsement ›
You just need to know where the skills test is given CDL test locations ›
Federal law (FMCSA) defines these classes; California issues the license, gives the knowledge and skills tests, and records your medical certificate.
Endorsements, the medical card, and how a CDL is lost
The federal pieces California administers — what to add, what to keep current, and the violations that disqualify.
Endorsements and restrictions (federal codes)
- Endorsements extend a CDL to special vehicles or cargo: H hazardous materials, N tank, P passenger, S school bus, and T doubles/triples — the codes are federal (49 CFR §383.93)
- The hazmat (H) endorsement adds a federal TSA Security Threat Assessment — a fingerprint-based background check — on top of the knowledge test (49 CFR Part 1572)
- Restrictions run the other way and limit what you may drive — for example an L if you test in a vehicle without air brakes, or an E for no manual transmission
- In California the passenger (P) endorsement is required for a vehicle designed to carry more than 10 people including the driver — California's own threshold, lower than the federal 16-passenger baseline
ELDT — training you finish before the test (federal, since 2022)
- Since February 7, 2022, federal law requires Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) before you can take the skills test for a first Class A or B CDL, before upgrading a Class B to a Class A, and before a first H, P, or S endorsement
- The training must come from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, and it pairs classroom theory with behind-the-wheel time — the hazmat (H) endorsement is theory only
- ELDT is not retroactive: if you already held the CDL or the endorsement before February 7, 2022, you don't need it
The medical card and self-certification
- Every CDL driver self-certifies the kind of driving they do on form DL 694. Federal rules list four categories, but California issues only non-excepted CDLs — every California commercial driver is non-excepted interstate or non-excepted intrastate, never 'excepted'
- You must pass a DOT physical and give the DMV a current medical certificate. Interstate drivers must use an examiner on the federal National Registry; California lets intrastate-only drivers choose their own examiner
- Let the medical certificate lapse and the DMV downgrades the CDL to a regular non-commercial license until you bring it current — a federal rule (49 CFR §383.71 / §383.73) the DMV administers
What disqualifies a CDL (federal rules — then confirm your case)
- A major violation — a DUI in any vehicle (including your personal car), refusing a chemical test, leaving the scene, using a vehicle in a felony, or a negligent fatality — is a 1-year disqualification, or 3 years if it happened while driving a vehicle placarded for hazmat (49 CFR §383.51)
- A second major violation is a lifetime disqualification (a state may allow reinstatement after 10 years through an approved program); a drug-trafficking felony is a lifetime disqualification on the first offense
- Serious traffic violations — excessive speeding, reckless driving, tailgating, an unsafe lane change, or texting at the wheel of a commercial vehicle — disqualify you for 60 days on a second within three years and 120 days on a third within three years
- This is the headline; the complete federal disqualification tables list every category (including out-of-service and railroad-crossing violations) with exact periods
- These are federal rules with livelihood consequences and case-specific detail — confirm your own situation with the California DMV or FMCSA
What a CDL costs
Cluster-level summary.
Commercial license (Class A/B, original) $100
Commercial license (Class A/B, renewal) $59
Commercial license (Class C, original or renewal) $59
How to
How to get a California CDL
The path is the same for every class; your class and endorsements decide the tests and training.
1
Get a commercial learner's permit
Pass the general knowledge test — plus any endorsement knowledge tests — for a commercial learner's permit (CLP). Federal law has you hold the CLP at least 14 days before the skills test.
2
Complete ELDT
For a first Class A or B, a Class B-to-A upgrade, or a first H, P, or S endorsement, finish Entry-Level Driver Training with a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before you're allowed to take the skills test.
3
Pass the DOT physical and self-certify
Get your medical certificate from a qualified examiner and file your self-certification (form DL 694) so the DMV has it on record.
4
Pass the skills test by appointment
The skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control, and the road test — is given at a limited set of sites by appointment. Find one on the CDL test-location map.
5
Pay and get your CDL
Pay the license fee, and the DMV issues your commercial license carrying the class and endorsements you qualified for.
Related sub-topics
Other clusters in the driver's licenses pillar.
The bigger picture
How these connect to the rest of the DMV system
A CDL is the one California license where most of the rulebook is federal: the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets the class definitions, the ELDT training standard, the endorsements, and the disqualifications, while California issues the license, runs the knowledge and skills tests, and holds your medical record. That split is why this guide owns the what and how and points you to the CDL test-location map for the where. To see how the commercial classes sit beside every other California license, the license-types comparison lines them up.
Frequently asked questions
Comparison and definitional — to help you pick the right type.
Do I need training before I can get a CDL?
Yes. Since February 7, 2022, federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) is required before you take the skills test for a first Class A or B CDL, before upgrading a Class B to a Class A, and before a first H, P, or S endorsement. It has to come from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, and it's theory plus behind-the-wheel — except the hazmat (H) endorsement, which is theory only. If you held the CDL or endorsement before that date, ELDT doesn't apply to you.
Does a DUI in my personal car affect my CDL?
Yes. A DUI conviction in any vehicle — including your personal car — disqualifies a CDL for 1 year (3 years if you were driving a vehicle placarded for hazardous materials). A second major violation is a lifetime disqualification. These are federal rules under 49 CFR §383.51 with case-specific details, so confirm your situation with the California DMV.
What happens if my DOT medical card expires?
The DMV downgrades your CDL to a regular non-commercial license until you file a current medical certificate. Keeping the card up to date with the DMV is what keeps the commercial privilege active — it's a federal requirement (49 CFR §383.71 / §383.73) that California administers.
What's the difference between Class A, B, and C?
Class A is for combinations rated 26,001 lb or more that tow over 10,000 lb (tractor-trailers); Class B is a single vehicle over 26,001 lb (large buses, box trucks); Class C is a lighter vehicle that qualifies only because it carries placarded hazmat or passengers, driven with the matching endorsement. The weight definitions are federal; California issues and tests for them.
Where do I take the CDL skills test?
Only a limited set of California locations administer the commercial road test, and all of them are by appointment — a mix of field offices and dedicated commercial drive-test centers. The CDL test-location map lists every site by county.
How much does a CDL cost?
An original Class A or B commercial license is $100; renewing a commercial license is $59. A Class C CDL is $59 too, original or renewal. Endorsement and test fees can apply on top. See the fee schedule for the current figures.
Up & cross
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Sources. California DMV — Commercial driver's licenses (CDL) · California DMV — CDL classes & certifications · California DMV — CDL medical eligibility & exams · FMCSA — Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) · 49 CFR §383.51 — Disqualification of drivers · 49 CFR §383.93 — Endorsements
Last verified June 29, 2026 · reviewed quarterly and after any policy change.