Texas CDL Requirements: Classes, Fees, ELDT, and the DPS Process

Texas CDL Requirements: Classes, Fees, ELDT, and the DPS Process

Texas issues CDLs through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) — not a Department of Motor Vehicles. If you want to drive a commercial motor vehicle in Texas, that's your entry point, and the exam process looks a little different from states that run CDL testing through a DMV.

This guide covers every step from first application to endorsements, with current Texas-specific fees, forms, rules, and URLs you can verify.

Last verified: 2026-04-17 against Texas DPS CDL pages and 49 CFR Parts 383 and 380.¹²³

Key Takeaways

• Issuing agency: Texas DPS — dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license¹
• CDL classes offered: A, B, and C
• Core fees: $97 new CDL; $25 Commercial Learner Permit (CLP); $61 CDL with Hazmat endorsement²
• Age rule: 18 for intrastate; 21 for interstate (federal)
• CLP holding period: at least 14 days before you can take the skills test³
• ELDT required for first-time Class A/B, class upgrade, or first-time H/P/S endorsement at a provider listed in FMCSA's Training Provider Registry⁴
• Renewal cycle: 8 years

The CDL classes Texas issues

Texas follows federal class definitions under 49 CFR Part 383:³¹

Your class is determined by what you'll operate. A Class A credential lets you drive Class B and C vehicles as well; the inverse is not true.

Age, residency, and eligibility

• Minimum age: 18 for Texas intrastate CMV operation. You cannot cross a state line with a CMV until 21 — that's the federal interstate age floor under 49 CFR 391.11.
• Texas residency: you must hold (or apply for alongside) a valid Texas non-commercial driver license before a CDL is issued.
• Lawful presence: U.S. citizenship or documented lawful presence required.¹
• Medical fitness: you must self-certify into one of four commercial operation categories using forms CDL-4, CDL-5, or CDL-10 at DPS, and hold a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate if required for your category.¹

Self-certification categories

Like all states under 49 CFR 383.71, Texas requires one of:⁵

• Non-excepted interstate (NI) — interstate commerce, must meet federal DOT medical standards
• Excepted interstate (EI) — interstate but exempt from DOT medical (e.g., certain federal/tribal/agricultural operations)
• Non-excepted intrastate (NA) — in-state only, must meet Texas intrastate medical standards
• Excepted intrastate (EA) — in-state only, exempt from Texas medical standards

Choosing the right category matters — an NI driver who mis-self-certifies as EI to avoid the medical requirement will have their CDL downgraded when the mismatch is detected.

Endorsements available in Texas

Texas issues the standard federal endorsement set:

• H — Hazardous materials (requires TSA background check and fingerprinting)
• N — Tank vehicles
• P — Passenger
• S — School bus (requires P endorsement)
• T — Doubles / triples (Class A only)
• X — Combined H + N (hazmat-tanker)

Texas also still issues a motorcycle endorsement (M) that can be added to a CDL.²

Current fees at Texas DPS

All fees below are from the Texas DPS Driver License Fees page, current as of verification on 2026-04-17:²

In addition, Hazmat applicants pay a separate TSA background-check fee (not a DPS fee) administered through the federal Hazmat Endorsement Threat Assessment program.⁶

Verify the current fee the day of your application at dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/driver-license-fees² — fees occasionally change. Our editorial policy requires us to re-verify these figures at least every 180 days.

How to get a Texas CDL: step by step

This is a HowTo, written as a checklist.

Step 1 — Complete form CDL-1 and schedule a DPS appointment

The CDL-1 application form is available on the DPS website. Complete it before your first office visit. Schedule your appointment at a Texas DPS office online.¹

Step 2 — Gather required documents

Bring to your appointment:¹

• Valid Texas Class C non-commercial driver license (or apply for one alongside CDL)
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence (passport, certified birth certificate, I-551, etc.)
• Social Security card or SSN proof
• Proof of Texas residency (for new residents, current Texas vehicle registration)
• Self-certification form CDL-4, CDL-5, or CDL-10
• Valid Medical Examiner's Certificate (MCSA-5876) if required for your self-certification category — must be from a Certified Medical Examiner on the FMCSA National Registry⁷

Step 3 — Pass vision and CLP knowledge tests

At the DPS office, you'll take a vision screening and the CLP knowledge tests. Texas-required CLP knowledge test sections include Texas Commercial Rules, General Knowledge, plus any endorsement-specific test you're applying for (Air Brakes, Combination Vehicles for Class A, Hazmat, etc.).¹

Step 4 — Pay the CLP fee and receive your CLP

$25 for the CLP.² The CLP is valid for 180 days and can be renewed once without retaking knowledge tests.¹

Step 5 — Complete FMCSA Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)

For first-time Class A or Class B applicants, class upgrade applicants, or first-time H / P / S endorsement applicants, ELDT is federally required before taking the skills test. You must train at a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov.⁴ Completion is transmitted electronically to FMCSA and then to Texas DPS.

Step 6 — Wait the 14-day minimum CLP holding period

Federal rule: you must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before taking the skills test. Texas observes this minimum.³

Step 7 — Schedule your skills test

You'll need to bring or arrange for a commercial motor vehicle representative of the license class you're pursuing. The skills test has three parts:¹

• Vehicle inspection (pre-trip) — systematic pre-trip demonstration
• Basic vehicle control — straight-line backing, offset, alley dock, parallel, as applicable
• Road test — on-road driving with the examiner

Texas has adopted the AAMVA CDL Skills Test Modernization at most DPS offices (exceptions include Del Rio and Wichita Falls, which use the legacy skills test format per DPS guidance).¹

Step 8 — Pay the CDL fee and receive your credential

$97 for a non-hazmat CDL; $61 for a CDL with Hazmat.²

Hazmat endorsement — two gates

Adding the H (or X) endorsement in Texas requires:

1. FMCSA ELDT in hazmat (theory only — no behind-the-wheel requirement for hazmat)⁴
2. TSA hazmat background check and fingerprinting at a TSA-authorized enrollment center, applying through the TSA Hazmat Endorsement Threat Assessment Program.⁶
3. Hazmat knowledge test at Texas DPS

Only after all three is the endorsement added to your CDL. Budget for the TSA fee separately — it's not part of the DPS CDL fee.

Texas medical certification process

Texas DPS integrates your Medical Examiner's Certificate with your CDL record. Under the federal Medical Certification Integration rule, your CME transmits your MEC directly to FMCSA, and Texas receives it electronically.⁷ You do not need to walk a paper copy to DPS under normal circumstances — though you should carry the MEC (paper or electronic) while operating a CMV.

Medical certification must be current at all times during your CDL period. An expired MEC will trigger a CDL downgrade to a non-commercial class by DPS until a new certification is filed.

CDL renewal in Texas

Texas CDLs are valid for 8 years from the date of issue.¹ Renewals can be initiated before expiration; if your MEC self-certification remains current and no class or endorsement is changing, the renewal is primarily administrative.

Renewal fee: $97 for a non-hazmat CDL, $61 for a CDL with Hazmat.²

If you let your CDL lapse, re-applying may require retaking knowledge tests and, in some cases, the skills test. Stay ahead of the expiration.

Texas-specific details worth knowing

• DPS issues, not DMV. If your search results point to "Texas DMV" they may be non-authoritative. Use dps.texas.gov for the official source.¹
• CDL-1 is the canonical application form for CLP and CDL transactions.¹
• Knowledge tests are only administered in English at DPS offices, matching federal requirements for CDL knowledge tests.
• AAMVA Skills Test Modernization is live at most DPS offices. The test content is updated but remains three components; prep with the current Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook.¹
• Hazmat ELDT is theory-only — you don't need BTW for H, but you do need both the TSA background check and the Texas knowledge test.
• Renewal cycle of 8 years is one of the longer state CDL cycles — track your expiration date so you renew on time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a regular Texas license before a CDL? A: Yes. You need a valid Texas non-commercial Class C license before (or alongside) a CDL application. Out-of-state drivers establishing Texas residency must first obtain a Texas driver license.

Q: How long is my CLP valid? A: 180 days, renewable once without retaking knowledge tests.¹

Q: Can I test in English only? A: Yes — CDL knowledge tests at DPS are administered in English. Interpreters are not permitted.¹

Q: What if I fail the skills test? A: You can retake. Texas DPS doesn't publish a retest wait in regulation, but practically you'll reschedule at your DPS office's next available slot. Some drivers wait days, others weeks, depending on location.

Q: How much does a Texas CDL cost all-in? A: Base Texas DPS fees: $25 CLP + $97 CDL = $122 for a standard (non-hazmat) CDL.² Add the TSA Hazmat fee if getting H, ELDT tuition ($4,000–$10,000 range at typical private CDL schools — verify locally), DOT physical fee ($80–$150 typical), and transport to a skills testing vehicle.

Q: Is my Texas CDL valid out-of-state? A: Yes. CDLs are federally standardized under 49 CFR Part 383. Your Texas CDL is valid in every U.S. state; federal age minima still apply (21 for interstate).

Q: My out-of-state CDL — do I need to retest when moving to Texas? A: Generally no retesting of knowledge and skills if your record is clean and the transfer meets reciprocity criteria under AAMVA and 49 CFR 383.73. DPS will verify your medical self-certification. Visit a DPS office to transfer.¹

Q: Does Texas offer a CDL-under-21 program for interstate drivers? A: Interstate under-21 operation is federal, not state. The FMCSA Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program allows limited interstate CMV operation by 18–20-year-olds in the pilot's framework; Texas does not have its own program for cross-state operation below 21.⁸

Q: If I hold a military CDL, do I need to retest? A: Texas participates in the Military Skills Test Waiver (MSTW) program. Active or recently-separated military CMV drivers meeting FMCSA eligibility may waive the skills test component. Verify with DPS.⁹

Q: Can I take CDL skills tests at a third-party provider in Texas? A: Texas does not contract as broadly to third-party skills-test administrators as some states (e.g., Florida). Most Texas skills tests are administered at DPS offices. Confirm current policy when scheduling.¹

Q: My Texas CDL is downgraded because my MEC expired. How do I restore? A: Complete a new DOT physical with a CME on the National Registry, then submit the new MEC to DPS per their restoration process. The downgrade lifts once the medical is current and processed.⁷

Sources verified on 2026-04-17

This guide is educational and not legal advice. Fees and rules change; verify current figures at dps.texas.gov before applying. Report errors to [email protected]; corrections are logged publicly per our editorial policy.