Start with the vehicle you intend to drive. Check its rated and actual weights, passenger capacity, and cargo to identify the CDL class and endorsements. Choose a representative skills-test vehicle by its ratings and equipment. Pass each required knowledge test at 80 percent or better, complete applicable entry-level training, hold the CLP for at least 14 days, and pass inspection, basic control, and road driving in order.
What the CDL requirement covers
Federal standards require a commercial driver license to operate qualifying commercial motor vehicles, and FMCSA sets the testing and licensing standards that states must follow when they issue CDLs.
A commercial motor vehicle, or CMV, is a vehicle or combination used in commerce to transport passengers or property that meets one of three definitions: a heavy combination, a heavy single vehicle, or a smaller vehicle built for 16 or more people or used to haul hazardous materials. These definitions come from 49 CFR Part 383, the federal rulebook behind every state's CDL program.
FMCSA writes the standards, but it does not issue licenses. Your state driver licensing agency administers the knowledge and skills tests, prints the license, and may add its own procedures on top of the federal floor. That is why this guide teaches the federal rules first and treats state details, such as the New York example later, as things to verify where you live.
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026; How do I get a Commercial Driver's License? | FMCSA — Steps 1-3; reminder that states issue CDLs
How weight, passengers, and cargo determine your class
Use the greater of rated and actual weight when checking the CDL classification thresholds, then check passenger capacity and covered hazardous materials. The skills-test vehicle is assessed using its ratings.
Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the manufacturer’s rating for a single vehicle; gross combination weight rating (GCWR) describes the combination. Actual gross vehicle weight and gross combination weight describe what the vehicle or combination weighs. FMCSA’s classification guidance uses the greater of rating and actual weight: Class A covers a combination at 26,001 pounds or more with a towed unit above 10,000 pounds; Class B covers a single vehicle at 26,001 pounds or more, including one towing a unit that does not exceed 10,000 pounds. Class C meets neither A nor B but is designed for at least 16 people including the driver, or carries covered hazardous materials. That includes material requiring placards and the listed select agents or toxins specified in the federal definition.
Keep the licensing threshold separate from the test-vehicle rule. Section 383.133 requires a representative skills-test vehicle to qualify by GVWR or GCWR, rather than its actual load on test day. Adding cargo to an undersized test vehicle does not make it representative. The practice case below states ratings and assumes actual weights do not exceed them so the classification is unambiguous.
A Group A holder may operate Group B and C vehicles, and a Group B holder may operate Group C vehicles, subject to required endorsements and all license restrictions. A higher class alone does not authorize passenger, school-bus, tank, or hazardous-material work.
| Class | Weight or use trigger |
|---|---|
| A | Combination at least 26,001 lb; towed unit above 10,000 lb. Use the greater of rated and actual weights. |
| B | Single vehicle at least 26,001 lb; any towed unit no more than 10,000 lb. Use the greater of rated and actual weights. |
| C | Neither A nor B; designed for 16+ people including driver, or transports covered hazardous materials. |
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026
Endorsements: added tests for what you carry
Endorsements attach to cargo or passengers, not to your class: T, P, N, H, X, and S each require their own tests, and passenger and school bus endorsements add a skills test.
Endorsements add authorization for particular vehicles or work. T covers doubles and triples, P covers passenger vehicles, N covers tank vehicles, H covers hazardous materials, X combines the tank and hazardous-material qualifications, and S covers school buses. H and X applicants must also satisfy the federal hazardous-materials background-check requirements, including fingerprinting, alongside the relevant knowledge tests.
T, N, H, and X involve knowledge testing; P and S require knowledge and skills testing in the appropriate vehicle. X represents the tank and hazardous-material qualifications together, not a universal single combined exam. Only P, S, and N may appear as endorsements on a commercial learner permit. P and S permit holders may carry only the limited accompanying people allowed by the rule. An N permit holder may operate only an empty tank vehicle and may not operate one with unpurged hazardous-material residue.
List the class, endorsements, and restrictions your intended vehicle requires before booking tests. A tank vehicle carrying placarded chemicals calls for both tank and hazardous-material authorization. Section 383.123 requires school-bus applicants to qualify for the passenger endorsement as well as meet the school-bus knowledge and skills requirements. Plan P and S together with the applicable training and vehicle class.
| Code | Covers | Tests required |
|---|---|---|
| T | Double/triple trailers | Knowledge test |
| P | Passenger vehicles | Knowledge and skills tests |
| N | Tank vehicles | Knowledge test |
| H | Hazardous materials | Knowledge test, plus TSA background check |
| X | Tank plus hazardous materials | Tank and hazardous-material knowledge qualifications; hazmat security requirements also apply |
| S | School bus | Knowledge and skills tests |
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026; New York State Commercial Driver's Manual CDL-10 (2/26), Section 1: Introduction — Sections 1.1-1.8; eCFR :: 49 CFR 383.123 -- Requirements for a school bus endorsement. — https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-383/subpart-F/section-383.123
Restrictions: how your skills-test vehicle limits your license
Restrictions appear when your skills-test vehicle or knowledge result does not represent everything you might drive: E for automatic transmission, L or Z for brake systems, O for a non-fifth-wheel Class A connection, M or N for passenger endorsements earned in a lower-class vehicle, and V for a medical variance.
Restrictions are the mirror image of endorsements: they subtract privilege instead of adding it. Testing in an automatic-transmission vehicle produces an E restriction limiting you to CMVs without manual transmission. Skipping the air brake knowledge test, missing its components, or testing in a vehicle without full air brakes produces an air brake restriction; testing in an air-over-hydraulic vehicle produces the Z restriction instead.
Class A candidates should watch the coupling. Testing in a combination connected by a pintle hook or other non-fifth-wheel connection yields an O restriction that bars fifth-wheel tractor-trailer operation. A passenger or school bus endorsement earned in a lower-class vehicle than your license class produces the M or N restriction, limiting the passenger vehicles you may drive. A medical variance recorded with the state shows as a V restriction on the license and record.
Choose a test vehicle with the transmission, brake system, and coupling you intend to use. If you already have a restriction, ask your licensing agency for its removal process. Federal rules allow modified skills testing for specified restrictions; removing an air-brake restriction requires both the knowledge test and the air-brake inspection performance.
- E: no manual transmission CMV, earned by testing in an automatic
- L or Z: air brake limits, earned by the knowledge result or the test vehicle's brake system
- O: no fifth-wheel Class A operation, earned by testing with a non-fifth-wheel connection
- M or N: passenger endorsement limits, earned by testing in a lower-class passenger vehicle
- V: medical variance noted on the license and driving record
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026; Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL) | NY DMV — Steps 1-6
Knowledge tests and the 80 percent standard
Every CDL knowledge test requires at least 80 percent correct to pass, tests are built from an FMCSA-approved question pool with required coverage of each knowledge area, and a retake uses a different version.
The general knowledge test is taken by every applicant, and each endorsement adds its own test. The regulation sets the bar at 80 percent correct on each test. States draw from the FMCSA pre-approved question pool, keep difficulty within a set range, refresh a share of questions between versions, and must give you a different version when you retake a previously failed test.
Specific failures carry specific consequences. Scoring below 80 percent on the air brake portion of the knowledge test leads to an air brake restriction on any license issued. Scoring below 80 percent on the combination vehicle portion blocks issuance of a Group A license entirely, so Class A candidates treat that test as a gate, not an elective.
Format details vary by state. In the New York example, questions are multiple choice with three answer options, and you can retake a failed test with no fixed limit on attempts at the discretion of the office managing the test. Check your own state's manual for the local format before test day.
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; New York State Commercial Driver's Manual CDL-10 (2/26), Section 1: Introduction — Sections 1.1-1.8
From permit to skills test: training and the 14-day hold
Your path runs through a commercial learner permit, entry-level driver training where it applies, at least 14 days of CLP holding, and three skills segments taken in a fixed order in a representative vehicle.
Entry-level driver training (ELDT) applies if you are getting your first Class A or Class B CDL, upgrading from Class B to Class A, or adding a school bus, passenger, or hazardous materials endorsement for the first time. You must complete this training with a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry before your skills test, or before the hazardous materials knowledge test in the H case. Training is not retroactive: drivers issued the relevant CDL or endorsement before February 7, 2022, and certain CLP holders from that period, are exempt.
A commercial learner permit authorizes practice on public roads only with the qualified CDL holder required by the rule. Hold it for at least 14 days before taking the skills test. Passenger and tank permit restrictions still apply during practice, including the limited accompanying-person exceptions and the prohibition on unpurged hazardous-material residue.
The skills test has three segments: pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control, and on-road driving, and they must be taken and passed in that order. Failing a segment stops you from continuing to the next one, and violating traffic law, causing a crash, or committing any examiner-manual automatic-failure offense ends the test. Your vehicle must be representative of your group, judged by its GVWR or GCWR ratings rather than its actual load. Retake rules matter too: scores for passed segments are valid only during the initial CLP period, and if the permit is renewed all three segments must be retaken.
- Confirm whether ELDT applies to your CDL or endorsement path
- Pass the required knowledge tests and obtain your CLP with the right endorsements
- Complete registered training before your skills test, or H knowledge test
- Hold the CLP at least 14 days and practice with a qualified CDL holder
- Take pre-trip inspection, basic control, and on-road driving in order, in a representative vehicle
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026; New York State Commercial Driver's Manual CDL-10 (2/26), Section 1: Introduction — Sections 1.1-1.8; Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) | FMCSA — About the ELDT Regulations; How do I get a Commercial Driver's License? | FMCSA — Steps 1-3; reminder that states issue CDLs
Practice: classify three vehicles before you book anything
Worked with explicit ratings, the classification rules give one right answer per vehicle, which is exactly the reasoning the group definitions and restriction codes reward.
Every premise you need is stated: all figures are manufacturer ratings, actual weights never exceed ratings, no vehicle carries hazardous materials unless stated, and the skills-test vehicle choices are as described.
Practice drill
Classify each vehicle under 49 CFR 383.91, name any endorsement its use requires, and identify the transmission restriction for Vehicle 3. Vehicle 1: a tractor rated at 32,000 lbs GVWR hauling a semi-trailer rated at 42,000 lbs GVWR, with a published GCWR of 74,000 lbs. Vehicle 2: a straight truck rated at 30,000 lbs GVWR towing a trailer rated at 8,000 lbs GVWR. Vehicle 3: a shuttle bus rated at 24,000 lbs GVWR seating 20 passengers plus the driver, tested in an automatic-transmission model.
Show answer
Vehicle 1 is Class A; Vehicle 2 is Class B; Vehicle 3 is Class C with a P endorsement required, and an E restriction from the automatic-transmission skills test.
Vehicle 1 is a combination with a GCWR of 74,000 lbs, above the 26,001-pound threshold, and its towed unit at 42,000 lbs GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds, so it meets the Group A definition. Vehicle 2 is a single vehicle at 30,000 lbs GVWR, above 26,001 pounds, and its trailer at 8,000 lbs is within the 10,000-pound towing allowance, so it is Group B, not Class A; the towed unit is too light to change groups. Vehicle 3 falls under both weight thresholds, so it is not A or B, but it is designed for 16 or more people including the driver, which places it in Group C; carrying passengers requires the P endorsement, whose skills test must be taken in a passenger vehicle. Because the skills test uses an automatic transmission, the E restriction limiting the driver to CMVs without manual transmission is placed on the license.
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026
Confirm the state process before booking
Use your own licensing agency for application documents, fees, test languages, appointments, and retest rules. New York is an example, not a nationwide procedure.
New York publishes its application process and a separate commercial driver’s manual. Candidates there should check both: the application page handles booking and permit steps, while the manual explains the tested knowledge and skills. Candidates elsewhere need their own state’s equivalents.
The federal 80 percent standard concerns knowledge tests. Do not apply it to practical driving scores: vehicle inspection, basic control, and road driving use the state’s approved examiner procedures and can include automatic failures. Confirm the inspection format and permitted memory aid before practicing.
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; New York State Commercial Driver's Manual CDL-10 (2/26), Section 1: Introduction — Sections 1.1-1.8; Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL) | NY DMV — Steps 1-6
Your next steps
Sequence your preparation from vehicle mapping through knowledge tests, training, and the skills test, and route every state-level question to your own licensing agency.
You now have the federal structure: class definitions, endorsement and restriction codes, the 80 percent knowledge standard, training requirements, and the skills test order. The remaining detail is administrative, and it lives in your state's documents rather than in any national guide.
- Write down your target vehicle's GVWR, GCWR, transmission, brake system, passengers, and cargo, then map it to class, endorsements, and expected restrictions
- Get your state's CDL manual and study the sections mapped to your class and endorsements
- Confirm on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry whether ELDT applies and find a registered provider
- Book the general and endorsement knowledge tests, aiming above the 80 percent bar on each
- Check scheduling rules and take the skills test only after holding your CLP for at least 14 days in a representative vehicle matching your intended work
- Verify your state's fees, documents, languages, and any extra codes with your state licensing agency
Official sources: eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties — §§ 383.5, 383.91, 383.93, 383.95, 383.110-383.135; Drivers | FMCSA — Classes of License and Commercial Learner's Permits; Endorsements and Restrictions; last updated February 4, 2026; Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL) | NY DMV — Steps 1-6; Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) | FMCSA — About the ELDT Regulations; How do I get a Commercial Driver's License? | FMCSA — Steps 1-3; reminder that states issue CDLs
Official sources
Facts checked against official documents:
- eCFR :: 49 CFR Part 383 -- Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties
- Drivers | FMCSA
- New York State Commercial Driver's Manual CDL-10 (2/26), Section 1: Introduction
- Get a Commercial Driver License (CDL) | NY DMV
- Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) | FMCSA
- How do I get a Commercial Driver's License? | FMCSA
- eCFR :: 49 CFR 383.123 -- Requirements for a school bus endorsement.