Kentucky CDL Permit Test: Requirements, Documents, and Fees

To get a Kentucky CDL permit, you have to pass the Kentucky CDL permit test, which is a written knowledge exam given by the Kentucky State Police. At a minimum you need 80% (40 out of 50 questions) on the General Knowledge section. Depending on the class of vehicle you plan to drive and any endorsements you want, you may sit for additional written tests the same day. Passing the exam, together with your medical certificate and residency documents, is what qualifies you for a commercial learner permit (CLP) at a Transportation Cabinet regional office.

Which Written Tests You Have to Pass

The tests you take depend on the class of CDL you’re going after.

Class A covers combinations with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more where the towed unit is over 10,000 pounds (tractor-trailers, most flatbeds). Class A applicants take General Knowledge and the Combination Vehicles test.
Class B covers a single vehicle of 26,001 pounds GVWR or more, or one towing 10,000 pounds or less (straight trucks, dump trucks, large buses). Class B applicants take General Knowledge only.
Class C covers vehicles under 26,001 pounds that carry 16 or more passengers or haul placarded hazmat. Class C applicants take General Knowledge plus the relevant endorsement exam.¹

If your vehicle uses air brakes, add the Air Brakes test, which is 25 questions with the same 80% cutoff. You can skip it, but your CLP and later your CDL will carry an air brake restriction.

The General Knowledge exam itself is 50 multiple-choice questions covering vehicle inspections, safe driving practices, cargo handling, emergency procedures, and federal rules such as hours of service. Tests are given on computer terminals and scored immediately, so you know before you leave whether you passed.

Endorsement Tests You Can Take at the Permit Stage

Kentucky recognizes six endorsements, but federal rules only allow three of them on a CLP: P (passenger), S (school bus), and N (tank). Even then, the endorsement is restricted while you’re on a permit. A CLP with a P endorsement doesn’t let you carry actual passengers, and a tank endorsement on a CLP only lets you drive an empty tank. The H (hazmat), T (double/triple trailer), and X (tank + hazmat) endorsements cannot appear on a CLP at all.²

Who Can Apply

You must already hold a valid Kentucky operator’s license. Kentucky then checks your record nationwide through the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) to confirm you don’t have an active suspension, revocation, or a CDL issued in another state.³ Disqualifying offenses anywhere in the country will stop your application.

Age determines where you can drive. You must be 18 to drive commercially inside Kentucky only, and 21 to cross state lines. Since November 2024, the state also has to run your name through the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before issuing a CLP; an unresolved violation blocks the permit.⁴

The DOT Physical and Medical Certificate

Every applicant needs a Medical Examiner’s Certificate from a provider on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. The exam looks at vision, hearing, blood pressure, and other conditions that could affect safe control of a heavy vehicle. The certificate is valid for up to 24 months and must be uploaded to the Transportation Cabinet’s MyCDL portal. If it lapses, the state downgrades your commercial driving privileges until you fix it.¹

You also self-certify which type of commerce you’ll be doing: non-excepted interstate, excepted interstate, non-excepted intrastate, or excepted intrastate. The category you pick determines whether the state has to keep a current medical certificate on file for you. Most commercial drivers fall in the non-excepted categories and need the certificate at all times.

If you can’t pass the standard DOT physical but plan to drive only within Kentucky, the state offers an intrastate medical waiver. You’ll have to submit periodic medical updates, and the waiver is canceled if the state doesn’t receive them within 45 days.¹

Documents to Bring

You need proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency, proof of your Social Security number, and two documents showing you live in Kentucky. Acceptable residency documents include utility bills, bank statements, and mortgage documents dated within the past year.⁵ The Transportation Cabinet keeps a full list of accepted documents on its website.⁶

Where to Schedule and Take the Test

Two different agencies handle two different parts of the process, and knowing which is which saves a wasted trip. The Kentucky State Police are “exclusively responsible for conducting all testing of CDL permit and license applicants.”⁷ You schedule the written exam and vision screening through KSP’s online scheduling tool and take the test at a KSP location.

Once you’ve passed, you take your test results, documentation, and medical certificate to a Transportation Cabinet regional office. That office handles the paperwork and issues the actual CLP.⁸

Fees

Kentucky law caps the CLP application fee at $35, charged on top of the standard operator’s license fee. The rate set by regulation may be lower than the cap.⁹

The later skills test fee depends on how long you’ve had your operator’s license: $50 if you’ve held it 30 days or more, $150 if less. Applicants seeking only a school bus (S) endorsement and military applicants under KRS 281A.165 pay no skills testing fee.¹⁰

If you want an H endorsement, the TSA fingerprint-based background check adds $138.25, paid by certified check, cashier’s check, or money order to the Kentucky State Treasurer.⁷

If You Fail or Miss the Test

You can retake a failed knowledge test, but after three consecutive failures you have to wait three days before trying again. Each skills test retake costs $50.¹⁰

Missing a scheduled skills appointment is expensive. If you don’t give at least 48 hours’ notice or provide a written medical excuse, the no-show counts as a failure on every part of the skills test you were scheduled to take, and your fee is forfeited. Give proper notice and the fee carries to the rescheduled date.

What the CLP Lets You Do

A CLP lets you practice on public roads under direct supervision. A licensed CDL holder with the correct class and endorsements has to sit in the front passenger seat, or directly behind you in a bus, at all times. You cannot carry passengers, haul cargo for hire, or transport hazardous materials.²

The permit is valid for up to one year. If you don’t pass the skills test in that window, you’ll retake the knowledge exams and pay again.

You cannot take the CDL skills test until at least 14 days after your CLP is issued. Both Kentucky law and federal regulation require the wait.¹⁰

The Training Requirement Before Your Skills Test

Passing the written exam gets you a CLP, but there’s a federal step between the permit and the skills test that catches many first-time applicants. Anyone getting a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading from B to A, or adding a P, S, or H endorsement must complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) through a school listed on the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test.¹¹

ELDT has a theory portion (with an 80% assessment cutoff) and a behind-the-wheel portion split between a range and public roads. If your school isn’t on the registry, the training doesn’t count and you won’t be eligible for the skills test. You can search providers at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.¹² Tuition varies widely and is usually the largest expense in the process.

Violations That Block the Permit

Some records disqualify you before you ever get to the testing room. The blood alcohol limit for commercial drivers is 0.04%, half the standard limit. A first DUI in a commercial vehicle brings a one-year disqualification, or three years if you were hauling hazardous materials. A second offense is a lifetime disqualification, with reinstatement possible after ten years in some cases. Refusing a chemical test triggers disqualification as well.

The federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse check now runs on every CLP application. An unresolved substance abuse violation reported by a previous employer follows you into any state where you apply.⁴

1
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Commercial Driver’s License
2
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.25 – Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP)
3
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS)
4
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.73 – State Procedures
5
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. What Do I Need to Apply
6
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Kentucky Drivers Licenses, Permits, and Identification Cards
7
Kentucky State Police. Driver Testing
8
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Find an Office
9
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes 281A.150 – Applicants to Apply in Person, Fees
10
Justia Law. Kentucky Code 281A.160 – Testing of Knowledge and Skills
11
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
12
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Training Provider Registry