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Fees set by California Department of Motor Vehicles: Original Class A or B CDL application $100; Original Class C CDL application $59; CDL renewal $59; Commercial driving or skills retest $46 each retake; Adding a passenger endorsement $100; Adding Tank, Doubles/Triples, or HazMat endorsement $59; Replacement CDL $44. Skills-test fees charged by third-party testers, ELDT training, and the DOT medical exam are extra and vary by provider.

California DMV gives the CDL skills test (vehicle inspection, basic control skills, and road test) at DMV offices, by appointment only; skills tests are not given without one. Book online at dmv.ca.gov or call 1-800-777-0133 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday). Some employers are authorized under the DMV Employer Testing Program to give the drive test to their own employees. Bring the vehicle for the class you want to drive.

DMV does not publish CDL appointment wait times; they vary by office, and fewer offices run commercial drive tests than knowledge tests, so check availability at several. Two timing rules to plan around: knowledge tests are not given within 30 minutes of closing, and if you fail any part of the skills test the remaining parts are postponed to a new appointment.

Hold the CLP for 14 days before the skills test; the same wait applies to class upgrades and endorsement or restriction changes that need a drive test. You have three attempts to pass each knowledge test; fail the same test three times and the application is void and you must reapply and pay again. You also get three tries at the skills test, and a retest fee is due each time. The application and fee are valid for 12 months; if the CDL is not earned in that time you start over. The CLP is valid 180 days and can be renewed once for another 180 days if that is within a year of the original application. A 10 Year History Record Check (DL 939) is required if you have held a license in any other state in the last 10 years. A CLP can only carry Tank, Passenger, and School Bus endorsements; HazMat is added to the CDL after the TSA check.

It depends on the vehicle weight rating, trailer weight, passenger use, school bus use, and whether hazardous materials are transported. The selector tool gives a starting point, and your state licensing agency makes the final determination.

ELDT generally applies when you are getting a Class A CDL, Class B CDL, Class B-to-Class A upgrade, or a Passenger, School Bus, or HazMat endorsement for the first time.

Yes. HazMat ELDT is theory training and must be completed before the hazardous materials knowledge test. The TSA security threat assessment is a separate requirement.

Yes. You can compare CDL classes, review endorsement topics, and use the selector tool first. California study material add organized practice material, PDFs, audio, and training access.