MN CDL Manual: Classes, Endorsements, Permit, and Tests

The Minnesota CDL manual is the free study guide published by the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division, and it covers every topic tested on the written knowledge exams for a commercial driver’s license. You can download the PDF from the DVS website at drive.mn.gov or pick up a printed copy at any DVS exam station. The manual combines federal standards from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with Minnesota rules under Chapter 171 of the state statutes, so it works as both a test-prep book and a plain-language reference for commercial driving in the state.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code Chapter 171 – Drivers Licenses and Training Schools

Studying the manual is one piece of getting a CDL. You will also need a medical exam, entry-level driver training, a learner permit period, and a skills test behind the wheel. The manual is where most of your preparation starts, though, because every written question on test day comes from material inside it.

What’s Inside the Manual

The chapters mirror the federal knowledge-test topics, so the way the book is organized tells you exactly what you’ll be quizzed on.

General Knowledge

This is the longest section and the one every applicant must study. It walks through pre-trip vehicle inspections, explaining what to look for on tires, brakes, lights, coupling devices, and fluid levels. The inspection chapter matters more than most people expect, because a thorough vehicle inspection is also one of the three scored components of the skills test.

The general knowledge chapter also covers safe driving techniques: space management, speed adjustment for curves and hills, and how to handle emergencies like tire blowouts and brake failure. Cargo securement gets real attention, including weight distribution and tie-down rules. Weather driving rounds the chapter out.

Air Brakes

Most commercial vehicles use air brakes, and the manual gives them a full chapter. You’ll learn the parts of a dual air brake system, how to test for leaks during a pre-trip inspection, and what to do when air pressure drops below safe levels. Skip the air brake test or fail it, and your CDL will carry an “L” restriction barring you from any vehicle equipped with air brakes.2eCFR. 49 CFR Part 383 Subpart F – Vehicle Groups and Endorsements

Combination Vehicles

Class A applicants need the combination vehicles chapter, which focuses on coupling and uncoupling, rollover prevention, and the handling quirks of articulated vehicles. Jackknifing gets detailed treatment because it remains one of the most dangerous situations a combination driver can face.

Endorsement Chapters

Each endorsement has its own chapter. Hazardous materials covers labeling, placarding, loading rules, and emergency response. Passenger transport addresses loading zones, railroad crossings, and onboard emergencies. The tanker chapter explains surge effects and the high center of gravity that makes liquid loads tricky. School bus covers student loading, mirror use, and stop-arm rules. You study the chapters that match the endorsements you want, and each one has its own knowledge test at the exam station.

Pick Your Class Before You Start Reading

The class of CDL you need depends on the vehicle you plan to drive, and your class decides which chapters of the manual actually apply to you.

  • Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, where the towed unit weighs more than 10,000 pounds. Tractor-trailers, flatbeds hauling heavy equipment, and most tanker combinations.
  • Class B: Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more, or one towing a unit that does not exceed 10,000 pounds. Straight trucks, large buses, and dump trucks.
  • Class C: Any vehicle that doesn’t meet the Class A or B definitions but is designed to carry 16 or more passengers (including the driver) or hauls placarded hazardous materials.

Class A is the most versatile. Pass Class A testing and you can also operate Class B and Class C vehicles without retesting, as long as you hold the right endorsements.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Drivers A Class B holder can step down to Class C the same way, but moving up always requires new knowledge and skills tests.2eCFR. 49 CFR Part 383 Subpart F – Vehicle Groups and Endorsements

Endorsements and Restrictions on Your CDL

Endorsements expand what you can legally haul or who you can carry. Restrictions limit your driving privileges based on the vehicle you tested in. Both print on your license.

Endorsements

  • H (Hazardous Materials): Knowledge test only, plus a TSA security threat assessment with fingerprinting and a federal background check. TSA clearance must be renewed every five years.
  • N (Tank Vehicle): Required for hauling liquids or gases in bulk. Knowledge test only.
  • X (Tank/Hazmat): A combined endorsement for drivers who need both H and N.
  • P (Passenger): Required for vehicles carrying 16 or more passengers. Knowledge test and skills test.
  • S (School Bus): Knowledge test, skills test, and a Minnesota criminal background check.
  • T (Doubles/Triples): Available only with a Class A license. Knowledge test only.

Restrictions

Restrictions get added based on the vehicle you use on the skills test. Test in a truck with an automatic transmission and you receive an E restriction barring manual transmissions. Test in a vehicle without air brakes and you receive the L restriction. A Z restriction means you tested in a vehicle with air-over-hydraulic brakes and cannot operate one with full air brakes. The way to avoid all three is to take the skills test in a vehicle with a manual transmission and full air brakes.

What the Manual Won’t Cover

The manual prepares you for written tests. It won’t get you through the rest of the process on its own.

Entry-Level Driver Training

Since February 2022, federal rules require entry-level driver training (ELDT) before you can take the CDL skills test. ELDT applies to anyone seeking a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading from Class B to Class A, or adding an H, P, or S endorsement for the first time.4eCFR. 49 CFR Part 380 Subpart F – Entry-Level Driver Training Requirements

Training has two components: theory instruction and behind-the-wheel training on a range and on public roads. Federal rules do not set an hour minimum, but your provider must cover all required curriculum topics before certifying you. You must use a provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry; the provider reports completion to the registry, and DVS verifies it before letting you schedule the skills test.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) If you already held a CDL or the relevant endorsement before February 7, 2022, ELDT doesn’t apply to you.

Medical Exam and Self-Certification

Every CDL applicant must complete a medical exam documented on Form MCSA-5875, performed by a medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Medical Examination Report (MER) Form, MCSA-5875 If you pass, the examiner issues a Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876), valid for up to two years. You will need the examiner’s national registry number and the certificate’s expiration date for your application.

You also complete Minnesota’s CDL Medical Self-Certification Form, declaring one of four operating categories. Categories 1 and 3 (non-exempt interstate and intrastate) require you to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate. Categories 2 and 4 (exempt interstate and intrastate) apply to drivers who qualify for exemptions, such as certain farm vehicle operators.7Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Commercial Drivers License Medical Self-Certification Form Choosing the wrong category or letting your medical certificate lapse can downgrade your commercial driving privileges.

Identity, Residency, and Social Security

Minnesota Rules 7410.0400 require you to prove your full legal name, date of birth, and identity with a primary document (such as a birth certificate or U.S. passport) plus a secondary document, unless you present a current or recently expired Minnesota license or ID.8Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rules 7410.0400 – Documenting Proof of Name, Date of Birth, Identity You’ll also need to provide your Social Security number, verifiable through your original Social Security card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing the full SSN. For residency, bring two different documents from the accepted list, such as a utility bill from the last 90 days, a bank statement, a current lease, a property tax statement, an insurance policy, or a recent pay stub.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Rules 7410.0410 – Documenting Proof of Residency

From Written Test to CDL

Once you’ve studied, the process moves through three stages: written tests, supervised practice on a Commercial Learner Permit, and the skills test.

Written Tests

You take the written tests in person at a DVS exam station: the general knowledge test, plus any endorsement tests you need. Each test draws straight from the matching section of the manual. Pass them all and DVS issues your Commercial Learner Permit. Fees vary by class and by whether you want a REAL ID-compliant or enhanced license, with a technology surcharge and separate agent filing fees added on top.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 171.06 – Amounts of Fees

Commercial Learner Permit

Your CLP lets you practice driving a commercial vehicle, but only with a fully licensed CDL holder in the passenger seat. Federal rules prohibit you from taking the skills test during the first 14 days after your CLP is issued.11eCFR. 49 CFR 383.25 – Commercial Learner Permit Most people spend considerably longer than two weeks preparing, especially while completing ELDT. Your training must be recorded in the FMCSA registry before DVS will schedule your skills test.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

Skills Test

The skills test has three parts, and you must pass each one before moving to the next.12Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Get a Commercial Drivers License

  • Vehicle inspection test: You walk around the vehicle and explain each safety-critical component to the examiner. This is where the pre-trip material in the manual pays off.
  • Basic controls test: Straight-line backing, offset backing, and forward stops in a controlled area. The examiner scores pull-ups, encroachments, and final positioning.
  • Road test: On public roads, the examiner evaluates turns, lane changes, stopping distance, mirror use, and traffic awareness. You must pass basic controls first.

Disqualifications Worth Reading Before You Drive

The disqualification rules are the part of commercial driving that catches people off guard. The manual covers them, but many applicants skim past them while focusing on the technical material. Don’t.

A first conviction for any of the following while operating a commercial vehicle results in a one-year disqualification. Hauling placarded hazmat at the time pushes it to three years:

  • DUI or controlled substance use, which in a commercial vehicle means operating at or above 0.04 percent blood alcohol concentration — half the standard legal limit.
  • Refusing a chemical test, which carries the same disqualification as a DUI conviction.
  • Leaving the scene of an accident.
  • Using a commercial vehicle to commit a felony.
  • Causing a fatality through negligent operation of a commercial vehicle.
  • Driving on a revoked or suspended CDL.

A second conviction for any combination of these results in a lifetime disqualification. Using a commercial vehicle to commit a drug trafficking felony triggers an automatic lifetime disqualification with no eligibility for reinstatement.13eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers

Serious traffic violations are a separate category with escalating suspensions. Speeding 15 or more miles per hour over the limit, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, and driving without the correct CDL class all count. Two serious violations within three years cost you 60 days. A third within three years costs you 120 days. These count whether you were driving a commercial vehicle or your personal car.13eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers A single bad decision on a Friday night in your personal vehicle can end your commercial driving career for a year, or permanently.