How to Get a Commercial Driver’s License in Oregon

To get a commercial driver’s license in Oregon, you confirm you meet the age and residency rules, pass a DOT medical exam, complete federally required entry-level driver training, pass the written knowledge tests at a DMV office to receive a Commercial Learner Permit, hold that permit for at least 14 days while practicing, and then pass a three-part skills test. Expect to spend several weeks to a few months and roughly $400 to $550 in combined fees once you add the medical exam, testing, and license issuance.

Who Can Apply

You need a valid non-commercial Oregon driver’s license before you start. You must be at least 18 to drive commercially within Oregon, and 21 to cross state lines, haul hazardous materials, or carry passengers interstate. Drivers between 18 and 20 get a “K” restriction limiting them to intrastate work, and that restriction comes off at 21.¹

You also need proof of Oregon residency, U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency, and a Social Security Number. Temporary U.S. residents can receive a limited-term CDL valid for the length of their authorized stay or one year, whichever is shorter.²

Pass the DOT Medical Exam

Every CDL applicant has to pass a Department of Transportation physical conducted by a certified medical examiner listed on the FMCSA’s National Registry. The exam checks vision, hearing, blood pressure, and conditions like epilepsy, insulin-treated diabetes, and certain cardiovascular disorders against the federal standards in 49 CFR 391.41.³

If you pass, the examiner issues a Medical Examiner’s Certificate and uploads your information to the FMCSA National Registry, which transmits it electronically to the Oregon DMV.⁴ You don’t deliver the paperwork yourself, but confirm the DMV has it on file before you show up to test. The certificate is normally valid for 24 months; some conditions require recertification every 12.⁵

Clinics charge $75 to $150 for the exam. That’s on top of any DMV fees.

Choose Your Class and Endorsements

Oregon issues three CDL classes, and the class you pick controls what you can drive and which skills test you take:

Class A: Combination vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more when the towed unit exceeds 10,000 pounds. Tractor-trailers and most heavy-haul rigs.
Class B: A single vehicle rated at 26,001 pounds or more, or that vehicle towing a unit of 10,000 pounds or less. Dump trucks, large buses, straight trucks.
Class C: Vehicles built to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, or vehicles hauling placarded hazardous materials that don’t meet Class A or B weight thresholds.

Class A privileges include Class B and C; Class B includes Class C. If you want the broadest options for trucking work, test for Class A.

Certain cargo and vehicle types also require endorsements, and each endorsement adds a knowledge test:

H (Hazardous Materials): Required for placarded hazmat loads. Also requires a TSA security threat assessment, which costs $85.25 for new and renewing applicants, or $41 if you already hold a valid TWIC. TSA recommends applying at least 60 days ahead because processing can exceed 45 days in busy periods.⁶
N (Tank Vehicle): Liquid or gaseous cargo in permanently mounted tanks.
P (Passenger): Vehicles carrying 16 or more passengers.
S (School Bus): School bus operation.
T (Double/Triple Trailers): Pulling two or three trailers.
X (Combined): Hazmat and tank endorsements together.

Complete Entry-Level Driver Training

Federal rules effective February 7, 2022, require Entry-Level Driver Training before you can get a CDL or certain endorsements for the first time. This covers first-time Class A or Class B applicants, upgrades from Class B to Class A, and first-time P, S, or H endorsements.⁷

ELDT combines classroom theory with behind-the-wheel instruction and must be delivered by a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. The provider reports your completion electronically. The DMV won’t issue your CLP or schedule your skills test until that record shows up in the federal system. Drivers who already held a CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022, are not subject to ELDT retroactively.⁸

Take the Knowledge Tests and Get Your CLP

The Oregon Commercial Driver Manual, free on the DMV website, is the main study resource. Every applicant takes the General Knowledge test. Class A applicants also take the Combination Vehicles test. If you want to drive anything with air brakes, you’ll want to pass the Air Brakes test too; skipping it is allowed, but it puts an “L” restriction on your license that keeps you out of most commercial trucks.⁹ Endorsements each require their own knowledge test.

Tests are given at Oregon DMV offices. Bring your valid Oregon driver’s license and proof of residency. Each knowledge test costs $10.¹⁰

Once you pass, you can apply for a Commercial Learner Permit. The CLP lets you practice on public roads with a licensed CDL holder in the passenger seat. Federal rules cap the CLP at one year from initial issuance. A shorter CLP can be renewed, but the total time can’t extend past that one-year mark. You must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you can take the skills test.¹¹

Pass the Skills Test

The skills test has three parts, and all three must be passed. The only effective way to prepare is to practice in a commercial vehicle of the same class you’re testing for. Many applicants go through a professional training program for both instruction and vehicle access.

Pre-Trip Inspection

You walk around the vehicle and verbally demonstrate what you check and why: engine, brakes, tires, lights, coupling devices, and other safety components. A lot of first attempts fail here because applicants memorize the checklist without understanding the parts behind it.

Basic Vehicle Control

Off-road maneuvers like straight-line backing, offset backing, and parallel parking or alley docking for tractor-trailers. Precision counts more than speed.

On-Road Driving

The examiner rides with you in traffic. You’ll handle lane changes, turns, merging, following distance, and general traffic law. Intersections and left turns catch a lot of new drivers because of the wider turning radius and larger blind spots in a commercial vehicle.

Where to Take It

You can test at the DMV directly or through an authorized third-party tester. Third-party testers set their own fees for the exam itself, and you’ll still owe DMV fees afterward. Schedule at least 48 hours in advance and bring your driver’s license and CLP. One rule to know: whoever trained you on any part of the skills test can’t be your examiner.¹²

On test day, bring a commercial vehicle of the correct class and a licensed CDL holder to accompany you. If you pass through a third-party examiner, wait one business day before going to a DMV office to pick up your CDL.¹²

What It Costs

Oregon DMV fees in effect since January 1, 2024:¹⁰

Knowledge test: $10 per test
Skills test administered by the DMV: $145
Certificate of test completion through a third-party examiner: $40, on top of what the examiner charges and the DMV issuance fee
Original CDL upgraded from an existing Oregon driver’s license: $160
Original CDL with no existing Oregon driver’s license: $224

Add the $75 to $150 medical exam and, if you need it, $85.25 for the hazmat security threat assessment. An Oregon CDL is valid for eight years for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.¹⁰

Restrictions You Can End Up With

The equipment you test in determines what you’re licensed to drive. Common Oregon CDL restrictions:¹

L (No air brakes): Applied if you didn’t pass the air brake knowledge test or tested in a vehicle without air brakes.
Z (No full air brake CMV): Applied if you tested in a vehicle with air-over-hydraulic brakes.
E (Automatic transmission only): Applied if you tested in an automatic. You can’t drive a manual-transmission CMV.
O (No tractor-trailer): Applied if you took the Class A skills test in a combination vehicle connected by a pintle hook rather than a fifth wheel.
K (Intrastate only): Applied to drivers between 18 and 20, or drivers who don’t meet interstate medical qualifications.

If you plan to drive tractor-trailers with manual transmissions and full air brakes, test in that exact setup. Otherwise you’ll be licensed for less than you intended.

Transferring an Out-of-State CDL

If you already hold a valid CDL from another U.S. state or the District of Columbia, Oregon waives all commercial knowledge tests except the hazmat endorsement test. You surrender your out-of-state license, complete a DOT medical exam with a National Registry examiner, and provide proof of legal name, citizenship or lawful permanent residency, identity, date of birth, residence address, and Social Security Number. You cannot have an active suspension or disqualification in any state.¹³

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

The FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a federal database that tracks drug and alcohol testing violations for CDL and CLP holders. Employers are required to query it before hiring a driver and once a year after that. Drivers don’t register, but the database directly affects their license.¹⁴

As of November 18, 2024, Oregon and every other state licensing agency must query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring a CDL. A “prohibited” status blocks the transaction and triggers a license downgrade.¹⁵ Prohibited status comes from failing a DOT drug test, refusing a required test, or violating controlled substance regulations while holding a CDL. To restore commercial driving privileges, you complete the return-to-duty process with a qualified Substance Abuse Professional, including evaluation, any recommended treatment, a return-to-duty drug test, and follow-up testing. Until the process is complete and logged, you can’t legally drive a commercial vehicle.

Convictions That Disqualify You

Some offenses committed while operating a commercial vehicle cause a mandatory federal disqualification regardless of which state issued the license.¹⁶

A first conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more, refusing an alcohol test under implied consent, leaving the scene of an accident, using the vehicle to commit a felony, causing a fatality through negligent operation, or driving a CMV with a revoked or suspended CDL triggers a one-year disqualification. A second conviction for any combination of those offenses in a separate incident is a lifetime disqualification.¹⁶

Serious traffic violations like excessive speeding (15 mph or more over the limit), reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, and driving without the proper CDL class carry no penalty alone, but two within three years while operating a CMV cause a 60-day disqualification, and three or more in three years cause 120 days.¹⁶

1
Cornell Law Institute. Oregon Administrative Code 735-063-0300
2
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Driver Information
3
eCFR. 49 CFR 391.41 – Physical Qualifications for Drivers
4
Oregon Department of Transportation. CDL/CLP Medical Examination and Physical Qualifications
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eCFR. 49 CFR 391.45 – Persons Who Must Be Medically Examined and Certified
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Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement
7
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. ELDT Applicability
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Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. CDL Endorsements and Restrictions
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Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Commercial Driver License Fees
11
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.25 – Commercial Learners Permit
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Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Third Party CDL Skills Testing
13
Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Get a CDL
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Welcome to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. CDL Downgrades FAQ
16
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers