To get a non-commercial Class A license in Kansas, confirm your vehicle combination actually requires one, bring proof of identity and Kansas residency to a driver’s license examiner station, and pass three tests: a written knowledge exam, a pre-trip vehicle inspection, and an on-road driving test in a vehicle representative of the class.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Driving Handbook The process is more involved than a standard Class C license, mostly because you have to supply the test vehicle yourself and demonstrate you can handle it.
Do You Actually Need a Non-Commercial Class A
Two numbers decide it: 26,001 pounds and 10,000 pounds. If your truck-and-trailer combination has a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, and the trailer alone has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 10,000 pounds, Kansas requires a non-commercial Class A license to drive it.2Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-234b – Classes of Drivers Licenses The rating is what the manufacturer stamped on the vehicle, not what the rig happens to weigh loaded on a given day. An empty trailer still counts at its rated weight.
The most common triggers are large motorhomes towing a car, and heavy equipment trailers pulled by non-commercial trucks. A Class A motorhome rated over 26,000 pounds towing a vehicle rated above 10,000 pounds falls squarely into this category.3RVIA. States That Require a Special Drivers License to Drive or Tow Large Vehicles
Two boundaries worth knowing before you start the process. First, farm trucks are exempt: a combination that includes a truck registered as a farm truck under K.S.A. 8-143 is not treated as a non-commercial Class A vehicle, even at these weights.2Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-234b – Classes of Drivers Licenses Second, if you’re hauling for hire, transporting placarded hazardous materials, or carrying 16 or more passengers, you need a commercial Class A (CDL), not the non-commercial version. The weight thresholds are the same, but the commercial license brings federal requirements like DOT medical certification and entry-level driver training that don’t apply here.
Documents to Bring
Kansas splits the paperwork into identity and residency, and you can’t skip either.4Kansas Department of Revenue. Drivers License Proof of Identity
For identity, bring one document proving who you are and your U.S. citizenship or lawful status. A state-issued birth certificate from vital statistics works; a hospital birth registration does not. An unexpired U.S. passport or passport card, a certificate of naturalization, or a certificate of citizenship are also accepted.4Kansas Department of Revenue. Drivers License Proof of Identity
For residency, bring two documents showing a current Kansas street address. A P.O. Box will not satisfy the requirement. Accepted items include a utility bill no more than two months old, a bank statement, a lease agreement, a Kansas voter registration card, a current vehicle registration or title, and a W-2 or 1099, among others.4Kansas Department of Revenue. Drivers License Proof of Identity If the name on your identity document is not the name you use now, bring legal proof of the name change as well.
The Three Tests
Kansas requires you to pass a written knowledge test, a pre-trip vehicle inspection, and an on-road driving test.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Driving Handbook
Written Knowledge Test
The written exam covers Kansas traffic laws and road sign recognition. There are 25 questions, and you need at least 80% to pass. Fail it and you can come back the next business day and pay a $1.50 reexam fee. You get four attempts. After a fourth failure, Kansas imposes a six-month waiting period before you can start over.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Driving Handbook
Pre-Trip Vehicle Inspection
Before the road test, an examiner walks around the vehicle with you. You point to or touch specific components and explain what you’re checking and why. Kansas does not require you to open the hood or crawl underneath, but you need to know enough to show that tires, lights, mirrors, fluid levels, and braking components are in safe working order.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Driving Handbook This trips up people who rent a test vehicle at the last minute and haven’t spent time learning where everything sits on that specific rig.
Basic Control and Road Test
The skills portion tests your ability to maneuver a large combination vehicle through controlled exercises like straight-line backing, offset backing, and alley docking, followed by an on-road drive through traffic. You must bring the vehicle yourself, and it has to be representative of the class you’re applying for. A standard pickup will not qualify for a Class A test. Renting a qualifying vehicle typically runs several hundred dollars if you don’t already own one. The same four-attempt limit and six-month waiting period apply.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Kansas Driving Handbook
Endorsements and Restrictions
The vehicle you test in shapes what your license actually lets you drive.
Transmission is the first issue. If you take the skills test in a vehicle with an automatic transmission, your license will be restricted to automatics only. Removing the restriction later means passing another skills test in a manual-transmission vehicle. For most motorhome and heavy-trailer drivers, this rarely matters because those vehicles are almost always automatics.
Air brakes are the second. If your combination uses air brakes, you’ll need to demonstrate you know how the system builds pressure, how to check for leaks, and what happens when pressure drops below safe levels. Without the air brake endorsement, you’re limited to vehicles with hydraulic brakes. Plenty of large motorhomes and trailers use air brakes, so skipping this endorsement can lock you out of the vehicles you actually want to drive.
Fees
Kansas fees are modest, and the total depends on your age and whether testing is involved.
- New license with testing, ages 21–64: $35 ($24 issuance, $3 test, $8 photo)
- New license with testing, age 65 and older: $27 ($16 issuance, $3 test, $8 photo)
- Renewal, ages 21–64: $32 ($24 issuance, $8 photo)
- Renewal, age 65 and older: $24 ($16 issuance, $8 photo)
- Reexam fee: $1.50 per attempt within six months of the first test
The $3 test fee applies only the first time you take the exam. If you wait more than six months after a failed attempt, you’ll pay a $3 abandonment fee instead of the $1.50 reexam charge. Applicants who completed driver’s education are not charged the test fee.5Kansas Department of Revenue. Drivers License Fee Chart
How Long It Lasts and Renewal
Between ages 21 and 64, a non-commercial Class A license is valid for six years. At 65 and older, the cycle drops to four years. Licenses issued to drivers under 21 expire on the driver’s 21st birthday.6FindLaw. Kansas Code 8-247 – Expiration and Renewal of Drivers Licenses
At renewal you pay $32 (ages 21–64) or $24 (age 65+) and pass a vision screening.5Kansas Department of Revenue. Drivers License Fee Chart If the screening shows you need corrective lenses, your renewed license will carry a corrective-lenses restriction. You won’t retake the written or driving tests for a standard renewal, though Kansas may require full re-examination if the license has been expired for an extended period or was revoked.
One point worth clearing up: the medical examination and Medical Examiner’s Certificate provisions you may see referenced in Kansas statutes apply to commercial CDL holders, not to non-commercial Class A drivers. If you’re driving a personal motorhome or pulling a heavy trailer for non-commercial purposes, the vision screening at renewal is the only medical check Kansas requires.