How to Get a Class B CDL in Georgia: Requirements, Tests, and Costs

To get a Class B commercial driver’s license in Georgia, you must be at least 18, already hold a Georgia Class C driver’s license, pass a DOT medical exam, complete Entry-Level Driver Training with a registered provider, pass a written knowledge test to earn a Commercial Learner’s Permit, hold that permit for at least 14 days, and then pass a three-part skills test in a Class B vehicle. Expect to pay about $127 in state fees if you pass everything on the first try, plus the cost of the medical exam and training. A Class B license covers a single vehicle weighing 26,001 pounds or more, or one towing a trailer weighing up to 10,000 pounds.¹ Straight trucks, large buses, box trucks, and dump trucks pulling small trailers all fall under it.

Who Can Apply

You can apply at 18, but drivers between 18 and 20 are restricted to intrastate driving only. Once you turn 21, you can visit any Customer Service Center to have the Georgia-only restriction lifted.² Hauling hazardous materials or carrying passengers across state lines also requires you to be at least 21.

Before you apply, you need a valid Georgia Class C (non-commercial) driver’s license and documents showing your identity, Social Security number, and Georgia residency.²

Pass the DOT Medical Exam

Every CDL applicant must pass a physical exam given by a medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.³ The exam covers vision, hearing, blood pressure, and general fitness for commercial driving. You’ll receive a Medical Examiner’s Certificate, commonly called a medical card, once you pass.

As of June 23, 2025, under the National Registry II rule, medical examiners send exam results electronically to your state licensing agency, so CDL holders and CLP applicants no longer need to hand-deliver a paper certificate to Georgia DDS.⁴ FMCSA issued a temporary waiver letting drivers keep using paper certificates as proof of certification for up to 60 days after issuance, running through April 10, 2026, while states finish switching over.⁵ Keep a copy of your medical card with you when driving in case of a roadside inspection.

Self-Certification

Along with the exam, you must tell DDS which category of commercial driving you plan to do. Georgia uses four:⁶

Non-excepted Interstate (NI): you drive across state lines and must keep a federal medical certificate.
Non-excepted Intrastate (NA): you drive only within Georgia but must still meet FMCSA medical rules.
Excepted Interstate (EI): you drive across state lines but qualify for a medical certification exemption, typically certain government and military drivers.
Excepted Intrastate (EA): you drive only within Georgia in a city, county, state, or federal vehicle and are exempt from FMCSA medical requirements.

Most drivers fall into NI or NA and must keep a current medical certificate on file at all times.

Complete Entry-Level Driver Training

Since February 7, 2022, anyone earning a Class B CDL for the first time must complete Entry-Level Driver Training through a provider registered on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.⁷ You cannot take the skills test without it. Georgia DDS checks the registry before letting you schedule a road test.

ELDT has a theory portion covering basic operation, safe operating procedures, advanced practices, vehicle systems, and non-driving activities, with no set minimum classroom hours but an 80% passing score on the theory assessment. The behind-the-wheel portion is hands-on driving with an instructor in the type of vehicle matching your CDL class.

Find a registered provider at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. After you finish, the provider must submit your training certification to FMCSA by midnight of the second business day after completion.⁸ Use the “Check Your Record” tool on the same site to confirm it was submitted; if your record isn’t there, contact your provider before trying to book the skills test.

ELDT does not apply if you held a CDL before February 7, 2022, or if you obtained a CLP before that date and converted it to a full CDL before the CLP expired.⁹

Pass the Written Knowledge Test and Get Your CLP

The main study resource is the Georgia Commercial Driver’s Manual, free on the DDS website or at any Customer Service Center. For a Class B, work through the general knowledge sections and the air brakes section if your vehicle uses them. Skipping the air brakes test puts an air brake restriction on your CDL, limiting you to vehicles without them. Practice tests, from the DDS website or third parties, are worth the time because they show you where you’re weak before it costs you $10 to find out on test day.

You can take the knowledge test at any Georgia DDS Customer Service Center. Arrive at least 45 minutes before closing. Bring your valid Georgia driver’s license, proof of identity, proof of residency, and your medical certificate. The test is multiple-choice on a computer, and a $10 permit fee is due before you start. If you pass every required section, that fee covers your Commercial Learner’s Permit; if you fail any part, DDS keeps the $10 as a testing fee and you pay again on your next try.¹⁰ After a first failure you can retest the next day; after a second, you wait seven days.¹¹

Your CLP is good for 365 days.¹² It lets you practice in a Class B vehicle only with a CDL holder in the passenger seat. You must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you’re eligible to take the skills test.¹⁰

Pass the Skills Test

The skills test has three segments:

Pre-trip inspection: you walk around the vehicle, name components, explain what you’re checking, and flag any problems.
Basic vehicle control: you perform maneuvers such as straight-line backing, offset backing, and alley docking in a controlled area. Hitting cones or repeatedly pulling up costs points.
On-road driving: you drive in traffic while the examiner scores your turns, lane changes, merging, railroad crossings, and general safe-driving habits.

Practice in the same type of vehicle you’ll use on test day. A loaded box truck handles nothing like a passenger car, and muscle memory matters when you’re backing to a dock under pressure. The Georgia Commercial Driver’s Manual lists what the examiner scores on each segment.

Skills tests are by appointment only, scheduled through the DDS online system, at specific examination stations across Georgia including Albany, Dalton, Douglasville, Forsyth, and Gainesville, among others.¹³ Walk-ins are not accepted. Bring your valid CLP, your Georgia driver’s license, and your medical certificate. The vehicle you bring must match the class you’re testing for, be fully operational with valid registration and insurance, and pass a safety inspection before the test begins. A CDL holder must ride with you to the site since you’re still on a permit.

The skills test fee is $50, paid in advance by credit card online or cash at a Customer Service Center, non-transferable, and charged per attempt.¹³ Retest waits mirror the written test: one day after a first failure, seven days after a second. If the failure involved an accident or a traffic violation during the test, the wait jumps to 30 days.¹¹

What It Costs

Georgia charges separate fees at each stage:¹²

CDL application fee: $35
CLP knowledge test fee: $10 per attempt
Skills test fee: $50 per attempt
CDL license issuance: $32, covering an 8-year license

That’s $127 minimum if you pass everything on the first try. Customers who complete eligible transactions through DDS Online Services may receive a $5 discount. None of these figures include the DOT medical exam, which the examiner’s office prices on its own, or ELDT tuition, which can run several thousand dollars depending on the provider.

Endorsements You Can Add

A base Class B covers a wide range of vehicles, but certain cargo and passenger jobs need endorsements. Each involves at least one added knowledge test, and some require a separate skills test:¹⁴

P (Passenger): required for vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers. Knowledge test and skills test in the appropriate vehicle. Adding this endorsement also triggers ELDT.
S (School Bus): requires the Passenger knowledge tests plus a school bus knowledge exam and a skills test in a school bus.¹⁵
N (Tanker): for vehicles hauling liquid or gaseous materials in a tank. Knowledge test only.
H (Hazardous Materials): knowledge test plus a TSA background check.
X (Tanker and Hazmat combined): knowledge test only.

Each endorsement costs $5 on top of any test fees.¹⁵ You can take endorsement knowledge exams at the same visit as your CLP test to save a trip.

Keeping Your CDL Current

Your medical certificate must stay valid for as long as you hold a CDL. If it lapses, DDS will downgrade your driving privileges. Under NRII, your examiner transmits results electronically, so you no longer need to deliver paper copies to DDS.⁵

If you plan to drive for an employer, register with the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Employers must run a pre-employment query on any CDL driver they hire and must query current CDL employees annually.¹⁶ Register at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov through Login.gov and verify your CDL information.¹⁷ Owner-operators with their own USDOT number must register as both driver and employer. Skipping registration can delay your response to employer queries and hold up a job offer.

A Georgia CDL is valid for eight years.¹² Eligible drivers can renew online through the DDS website without visiting a Customer Service Center.¹⁸ Keep your address current with DDS so the renewed card reaches you, and make sure your medical certification and self-certification category still match the driving you actually do.

One thing worth knowing before you start: a CDL carries stricter driving rules than a regular license, including a 0.04% blood alcohol limit and disqualifications that can be triggered by convictions in your personal vehicle, not just a commercial one.¹⁹ Once you hold the license, the standard you’re held to follows you off the clock.

1
Justia. Georgia Code 40-5-150 – Contents of License; Classifications; Endorsements and Restrictions
2
Georgia Department of Driver Services. How Do I Apply for a Commercial (CDL) License (Class A, B, C)?
3
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical
4
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. National Registry II Fact Sheet for Drivers
5
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. NRII Learning Center
6
Georgia Department of Driver Services. CDL Med Cert
7
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
8
Training Provider Registry. Training Provider Registry
9
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
10
Georgia Department of Driver Services. How Do I Apply for a Commercial Permit
11
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Test and Exams Information
12
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Fees and Terms
13
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Road Test
14
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Adding CDL Endorsements
15
Georgia Department of Driver Services. School Bus Endorsement
16
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. When Must Current and Prospective Employers Conduct a Query
17
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. Before You Register
18
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Online CDL Renewals
19
Georgia Department of Driver Services. Section 1.3 CDL Disqualifications