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CDL learner’s permit · Florida

Florida CDL permit test: fees, testing and the state manual

As of October 26, 2026, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles charges $75 for an original or renewal commercial driver license and $48 for an original school board commercial driver license.

Section 322.07(3) of the Florida Statutes lets a temporary commercial instruction permit holder drive a commercial vehicle only with a valid Florida driver license and a licensed driver aged 21 or older riding along.

Florida’s CDL manual recommends an appointment for any driver license office service and sends applicants to flhsmv.gov/locations for scheduling and the office list (per flhsmv.gov and flsenate.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against flhsmv.gov and flsenate.govHow we check
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Florida CDL permit at a glance

CDL fee
$75source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age, in-state driving
18source, Oct 26, 2026

The official Florida CDL manual

FLHSMV posts the Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual as a PDF on flhsmv.gov, and the copy online is marked Version: July 2022. Open it on flhsmv.gov source, Oct 26, 2026

Florida CDL questions people ask

What does a Florida commercial driver license cost?

An original or renewed CDL costs $75 under the FLHSMV fee schedule. A school board CDL, for drivers trained to work for a public or private school system, costs $48.

Each endorsement adds $7. A failed test also has a price: $10 for every knowledge retest and $20 for every skills retest. Tax collector offices may add a $6.25 service fee, which veterans who show proof of status do not pay on the transactions marked with an asterisk.

The schedule has no line for the commercial learner’s permit itself, so ask the office what the permit visit will cost before you go.

Sources: Fees · Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022)

Who can get a CDL in Florida?

Florida residents who are 18 or older and already hold a Class E license. Until 21, the CDL is good only for intrastate driving, and the hazardous materials endorsement also waits until 21.

Residency for an original CDL or CLP is shown with one listed document: a Class E license or ID card held more than six consecutive months, a lease, mortgage or deed in your name older than six months, a Florida voter registration card, a statement of domicile or a homestead exemption filing.

Before the license is issued or renewed you self-certify one of four commerce types. Non-excepted interstate and non-excepted intrastate drivers must keep a current medical card on file, now sent electronically by the examiner.

Sources: Commercial Driver License · Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022) · CDL Medical Information

What can you do with a Florida commercial learner’s permit?

State law calls the CLP a temporary commercial instruction permit. Keep it on you, hold a valid Florida driver license, and drive only with a licensed driver aged 21 or older who is licensed for that vehicle class and sits in the seat closest to your right.

Passenger, school bus and tank vehicle are the only endorsements allowed at the permit stage. A permit with P or S bars passengers other than examiners, inspectors, other trainees and the accompanying CDL holder, and one with N limits you to an empty tank vehicle.

Sources: Chapter 322 Section 07 - 2026 Florida Statutes · Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022)

How is the Florida CDL skills test given?

Three stages, in order: vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control and an on-road drive, with each stage passed before the next begins. Test in the type of vehicle you want to be licensed for, and do not bring one with labeled or marked components.

Florida law lets FLHSMV or an entity it authorizes run the driving portion at a department-approved site, and the FLHSMV CDL page links to a list of third-party skill test sites. The test is in English, with no interpreters.

Sources: Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022) · Chapter 322 Section 12 - 2026 Florida Statutes · Commercial Driver License

Federal rules that apply here too

These come from the FMCSA and 49 CFR and are the same in every state. All federal CDL rules

Minimum age for a CLP
18source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age to drive interstate
21source, Oct 26, 2026
Days with a CLP before the skills test
14source, Oct 26, 2026
Passing score, each knowledge test
80%source, Oct 26, 2026

Every Florida CDL rule we checked

One line per rule, each from an official Florida page with the date we read it.

Fees
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles charges $75 for an original or renewal commercial driver license and $48 for an original school board commercial driver license. source, Oct 26, 2026
The FLHSMV fee schedule sets $7 per endorsement, $10 for each knowledge retest and $20 for each skills retest in Florida. source, Oct 26, 2026
Where to take the tests
Florida’s CDL manual recommends an appointment for any driver license office service and sends applicants to flhsmv.gov/locations for scheduling and the office list. source, Oct 26, 2026
State CDL manual
FLHSMV posts the Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual as a PDF on flhsmv.gov, and the copy online is marked Version: July 2022. source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP rules in the state
Section 322.07(3) of the Florida Statutes lets a temporary commercial instruction permit holder drive a commercial vehicle only with a valid Florida driver license and a licensed driver aged 21 or older riding along. source, Oct 26, 2026
Florida’s CDL manual allows only three endorsements on a commercial learner’s permit: passenger (P), school bus (S) and tank vehicle (N). source, Oct 26, 2026
Knowledge test in the state
A Class A applicant in Florida takes the General Knowledge and Combination Vehicles tests, the Air Brakes test when it applies, and the exam for each endorsement wanted. source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test
Florida conducts CDL skills tests only in English and does not permit interpreters during any CDL test. source, Oct 26, 2026
Under section 322.12(4)(b) of the Florida Statutes, the CDL driving demonstration is given by FLHSMV or by an entity it authorizes under section 322.56, at a location the department approves. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Florida CDL skills test has three segments, vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control and on-road driving, taken in that order, and each must be passed before the next one starts. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
Florida issues commercial driver licenses from age 18, restricts drivers under 21 to intrastate operation and requires every applicant to be a Florida resident. source, Oct 26, 2026
FLHSMV asks anyone applying for an original CDL or a commercial learner’s permit to present one document from its list to establish Florida residency. source, Oct 26, 2026
According to the Florida CDL manual, an applicant must hold a Florida Class E license and prove a Social Security number with the card itself or a W-2 form, since photocopies are not accepted. source, Oct 26, 2026
FLHSMV notes that medical examiners have had to transmit a Florida commercial driver’s DOT medical exam information electronically since June 23, 2025. source, Oct 26, 2026

Practice for the CDL knowledge tests

The knowledge tests follow the same federal standards in Florida and every other state, so the pack is the same everywhere. Try 30 questions free first.

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CDL practice pack

$24.951 year of access · no subscription

  • Every question for the general knowledge, air brakes and combination tests
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  • Practice tests scored at 80%, one part at a time, for a year

Refunds: Full refund within 7 days of purchase, no questions asked.

OneTryPass is not affiliated with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida's CDL rules are free at flhsmv.gov.

Florida CDL FAQ

Does Florida accept a CDL from another state?

Yes. FLHSMV reciprocates an out-of-state CDL, but a driver who carries a hazmat endorsement must apply for it again, which means a background check, the right tests and fees. Source: official page "Commercial Driver License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Can military drivers skip the Florida CDL skills test?

They can after passing every required knowledge and endorsement test and presenting the Certification for Waiver of Skill Test for Military Personnel, completed by a commanding officer or designee during active duty or within 90 days of separation. The CDL has to be issued within 120 days of separation. Source: official page "Commercial Driver License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

What should I study for the Florida CDL tests?

The Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022) on flhsmv.gov. It covers every knowledge test, notes that special railroad crossing procedures apply on the Florida road test, and reminds readers it does not replace a truck driver training program. Source: official page "Florida Commercial Driver’s License Manual (Version: July 2022)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is there a separate CDL practice test for Florida?

No. Every state builds its CDL knowledge tests for each vehicle group and endorsement from the same FMCSA pre-approved pool of test questions (49 CFR 383.133). One OneTryPass CDL pack covers Florida and every other state; what changes in Florida is on this page: fees, where you test and the state manual. Source: official page "49 CFR 383.133, Test methods (eCFR)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is OneTryPass affiliated with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site. Florida's CDL rules and manual are free on the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website, linked on this page.

Where this information comes from

Every Florida rule on this page comes from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles or Florida law, read on the official site. OneTryPass writes each rule in plain English and records the date. A rule that passes its re-check date leaves this page on its own until it is read again.

How often each kind of rule is read again: fees, 90 days; where to take the tests, 120 days; state CDL manual, 180 days; CLP rules in the state, 180 days; knowledge test in the state, 120 days; skills test, 180 days; who can apply, 180 days.

Something wrong on this page? Tell us at [email protected] and include the link to the official page that changed. See how we check.