Georgia Commercial Driver’s License: Training, Testing, and Fees

To get a commercial driver’s license in Georgia, you need to be at least 18, hold a valid regular Georgia driver’s license, pass a DOT physical, finish federally approved Entry-Level Driver Training, and then pass the written knowledge exam and a three-part skills test at the Department of Driver Services (DDS). The Georgia commercial driver’s license requirements add up to about $127 in state fees for a first-time applicant who passes everything on the first try, plus the separate cost of a training program.¹

A CDL is required to operate any vehicle over 26,000 pounds, any vehicle designed to carry 16 or more passengers, or any vehicle hauling placarded hazardous materials.

Who Can Apply

You must be at least 18 years old. Drivers under 21 receive an intrastate-only restriction, meaning you can only drive commercially inside Georgia until you turn 21 and go to a DDS Customer Service Center to have the “Georgia Only” restriction removed. Hazmat hauling requires age 21 regardless of whether you ever cross a state line.²

You also need a valid non-commercial Georgia driver’s license already in hand. If you moved here with an out-of-state regular license, transfer it first. And you need to be medically qualified to operate a commercial vehicle, which is a separate process covered below.

Choose Your Class and Endorsements

Georgia issues three classes of CDL based on what you plan to drive:³

Class A covers combination vehicles with a gross combined weight rating over 26,000 pounds where the towed unit itself exceeds 10,000 pounds — tractor-trailers, flatbeds with heavy loads, most tanker rigs.
Class B covers single vehicles over 26,000 pounds, or such a vehicle towing a unit under 10,000 pounds. Straight trucks, large buses, and dump trucks fall here.
Class C covers smaller vehicles that still need a CDL because they carry 16 or more passengers or haul placarded hazmat.

Endorsements expand what your CDL lets you do, and each requires passing an additional knowledge test:

H (Hazmat) for any load requiring placards. Also requires a TSA background check.
N (Tanker) for bulk liquids or gases.
P (Passenger) for vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers.
S (School Bus), which sits on top of the Passenger endorsement.
T (Double/Triple Trailers) for pulling multiple trailers.
X, which combines Hazmat and Tanker.

Pay attention to the vehicle you test in. If you take the skills test in a truck with an automatic transmission, your CDL carries an automatic-only restriction. Test in a vehicle without air brakes and you cannot legally operate air-brake-equipped trucks.⁴ Removing a restriction later means retesting in the unrestricted vehicle type, so test in what you plan to drive.

Pass the DOT Physical and Self-Certify

Every applicant in a non-excepted category must pass a physical exam by a medical professional on the FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. If you qualify, you receive a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876), typically valid for up to two years, though the examiner can issue a shorter certificate when a condition needs monitoring.⁵

There is no master list of disqualifying medications. The examiner reviews everything you take — prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements — and decides whether it affects your ability to drive safely. One firm rule: any medication used to prevent seizures is disqualifying. Schedule I controlled substances and habit-forming drugs like narcotics and amphetamines generally disqualify you too, with a narrow exception if the prescribing doctor provides a written statement that you can safely drive while taking them.⁶

You also have to self-certify into one of four operating categories, which tells DDS whether you need to keep a medical certificate on file:⁷

Non-Excepted Interstate (NI): you drive across state lines. Medical certificate required.
Non-Excepted Intrastate (NA): Georgia only, but still subject to federal medical standards. Medical certificate required.
Excepted Interstate (EI): interstate operation that qualifies for an exception.
Excepted Intrastate (EA): Georgia-only driving in a city, county, state, or federal vehicle, exempt from federal medical rules.

If you are in the NI or NA category and let your medical certificate expire, DDS can downgrade or suspend your CDL even if the license itself is still valid.

Complete Entry-Level Driver Training

Federal rules require Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) before you can take the skills test. It applies to anyone getting a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading from Class B to Class A, or adding a Passenger, School Bus, or Hazmat endorsement. Military drivers, farmers, and firefighters who are already exempt from CDL requirements are also exempt from ELDT.⁸⁹

ELDT has two parts: theory and behind-the-wheel. There are no federally set minimum hours for either, but you must cover the entire curriculum and score at least 80 percent on the theory assessment.¹⁰ Behind-the-wheel training must take place in an actual commercial vehicle of the class you are testing for; simulators do not count. Your instructor has to document that you are proficient in every element before you can move on.

Your training provider must be listed on the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. Verify the school’s registration with the FMCSA’s search tool before you enroll.¹¹ Training completed with an unregistered provider does not count, and you would have to start over.

Documents to Bring to DDS

When you go to a DDS Customer Service Center to apply, bring:¹²

Proof of identity and U.S. citizenship or lawful presence (valid U.S. passport or certified birth certificate).
Your Social Security card or acceptable proof of your full Social Security number.
Proof of Georgia residency, such as utility bills or bank statements showing your name and physical address.
Your current, valid non-commercial Georgia driver’s license.
Your Medical Examiner’s Certificate, if your self-certification category requires it.

At the center, you fill out the Commercial Application (CAP) and a Self-Certification Affidavit. You must disclose your full driving history on the application.

Permit, Skills Test, and Fees

The licensing path has two stages: a Commercial Learner’s Permit and the skills test.

Commercial Learner’s Permit

To earn the CLP, you pass the knowledge exams at DDS. The tests cover general commercial driving, air brakes (unless you accept an air brake restriction), and any endorsement you are adding. Pay the $10 permit fee, and you must then hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you can take the road test. The CLP is valid for 365 days.²¹³ While holding the permit, you must have a licensed CDL holder in the passenger seat whenever you drive a commercial vehicle. The $10 fee is not refunded if you fail; you pay it again for each retake.

Skills Test

After the 14-day waiting period, you schedule the three-part skills test:

Pre-trip vehicle inspection: you walk the vehicle, identify components, and explain what you are checking.
Basic control maneuvers: straight-line backing, offset backing, alley docking, and parallel parking in a controlled area.
On-road driving: real traffic, demonstrating lane changes, turns, merging, speed management, and safe driving behavior.

The road skills test costs $50. Once you pass all three parts, you pay the $32 license fee and DDS issues the CDL.

Total State Fees

Commercial Application (CAP): $35 (waived for veterans and school bus drivers)
CLP: $10 per attempt
Road skills test: $50
CDL license: $32, valid for eight years

That is $127 total in state fees, assuming you pass on the first try. Training school tuition is separate and runs into the thousands for a full Class A program.¹³

Extra Steps for the Hazmat Endorsement

The Hazmat endorsement adds a federal security threat assessment through the Transportation Security Administration. You pre-enroll online or in person, book an appointment at an application center, provide identity documents, and submit fingerprints. The TSA fee is $85.25 for new and renewing applicants, or $41.00 if you already hold a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and your state accepts the TWIC assessment. TSA recommends enrolling at least 60 days before you need the endorsement; processing can take over 45 days.¹⁴

TSA notifies DDS directly once you are cleared, and DDS issues the CDL with the H or X endorsement. The endorsement renews every five years with new fingerprints, and a CDL carrying H or X is limited to a five-year term rather than the standard eight.¹³

Moving to Georgia With an Existing CDL

If you move here holding a CDL from another state, you must apply for a Georgia CDL within 30 days of becoming a resident. You can transfer a CDL that is unexpired or that expired less than two years ago.¹⁵ The transfer requires the same identity and residency documents as a new application, surrendering the old CDL, a vision exam, self-certification with medical documentation if required, and the Hazmat knowledge test if you are transferring an H or X endorsement. The under-21 intrastate-only restriction applies regardless of what your previous state allowed.

Keeping Your CDL After You Have It

CDL holders face stricter rules than regular drivers. The blood alcohol limit while operating a commercial vehicle is 0.04 percent, half the standard limit.¹⁶ A first major offense, which includes DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, or a felony involving a commercial vehicle, carries at least a one-year disqualification; a second major offense at any point in your lifetime triggers a lifetime disqualification.¹⁷ Refusing a chemical test when asked by law enforcement carries the same minimum one-year disqualification as a first DUI offense.¹⁸

One point surprises many new CDL holders: these disqualifications apply to offenses in any vehicle, not just commercial ones. A DUI in your personal car on a weekend costs you your CDL the same way a DUI in a truck would.

Beyond driving offenses, letting your medical certificate or self-certification lapse can downgrade your commercial privileges even if the physical license has not expired. The standard CDL renews every eight years; Hazmat-carrying CDLs renew every five.¹³

1
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Program
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. How Do I Apply for a Commercial (CDL) License (Class A, B, C)?
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Georgia Department of Public Safety. Georgia Commercial Driver’s Licenses
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. License Restriction Codes
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC), Form MCSA-5876
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Medications Disqualify a CMV Driver?
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. CDL Medical Certification and Self-Certification Process
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Applicability Guidance: Who Is Exempt From Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) Requirements?
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. ELDT Curricula Summary
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Selecting a Provider
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Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-150 – Definitions and General Requirements
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Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms
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Transportation Security Administration. Hazardous Materials Endorsement
15
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Transfer Out-of-State Commercial Driver’s License
16
Justia. Georgia Code 40-6-391 – Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Drugs, or Other Intoxicating Substances
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Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-151 – Disqualification From Driving
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Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-67.1 – Chemical Tests; Implied Consent