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CDL learner’s permit · Georgia

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

As of October 26, 2026, the Georgia Department of Driver Services charges $10 for a Class AP or BP commercial learner’s permit, collects it before testing begins and gives no refund if any part of the test is failed.

A Georgia commercial learner’s permit issued on or after July 1, 2021 is valid for 365 days, and the Georgia Department of Driver Services requires holding it 14 days before applying for the full CDL.

The Georgia Department of Driver Services requires every CDL written knowledge exam to start at least 45 minutes before the Customer Service Center closes (per dds.georgia.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against dds.georgia.govHow we check
Free CDL practice testCDL pack · $24.95

Georgia CDL permit at a glance

CLP fee
$10source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP valid for
365 dayssource, Oct 26, 2026
CDL fee
$32source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test fee
$50source, Oct 26, 2026
Passing score
80%source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age, in-state driving
18source, Oct 26, 2026

The official Georgia CDL manual

The Georgia Department of Driver Services publishes its CDL manual under the title Commercial Driver’s Study Guide. Open it on dds.georgia.gov source, Oct 26, 2026

Georgia CDL questions people ask

What fees do you pay for a CDL in Georgia?

Georgia splits the cost into several pieces. The Commercial Application (CAP) costs $35 and stays good for four test attempts, unless 360 days pass between attempts. The learner’s permit is $10, paid before the knowledge tests; if you fail, DDS keeps it as a testing fee and you pay it again next time.

Each road skills test attempt is $50. The license itself, Class A, B or C, is $32 for eight years, and an endorsement added after first issuance is a one-time $5.

Veterans and public school bus drivers who present the required waiver do not pay the CAP fee.

Sources: Fees and Terms · CDL Permit

How long is a Georgia CDL learner’s permit good for?

A Class AP or BP permit issued on or after July 1, 2021 lasts 365 days. DDS asks you to hold it 14 days before applying for the full license, and the study guide says you cannot take the skills test during those first 14 days.

Whenever you drive on the permit, your companion must be licensed for that class, able to take control and seated next to you. In a passenger vehicle, the study guide lets the CDL holder sit directly behind you or in the first row behind you instead.

Sources: CDL Permit · Section 1: Introduction

How do the CDL written tests work in Georgia?

You take them at a DDS Customer Service Center, and a CDL test must start at least 45 minutes before closing. All of them are multiple choice, 80% passes, and the examiner will give you your score on each test if you ask.

A failed test means waiting at least two days before trying again. Because the CAP covers only four attempts, a fourth failure sends you back to a new application and another $35.

Sources: CDL Permit · Section 1: Introduction · Test and Exams Information

Where can you take the CDL road test in Georgia?

DDS road tests for CDLs are appointment-only at 11 centers: Albany, Between, Brunswick, Cumming (no Class A), Dalton, Douglasville, Forsyth, Gainesville, Milledgeville, Rome and Thomson.

Bring a vehicle that can pass a DDS safety inspection, paper copies of its registration and insurance card, and the CDL Vehicle Inspection Checklist. The $50 fee is paid in advance, and canceling or rescheduling with less than 72 hours’ notice forfeits it.

DDS-approved CDL training programs can also run the road skills test for their own students under the CDL Third-Party Testing Program.

Sources: Road Test · CDL Third Party Testing Program

Who can apply for a CDL in Georgia?

You need to be 18 and hold a valid regular Georgia driver’s license. Until 21, the CDL is marked Georgia-only; on or after your 21st birthday, any Customer Service Center can remove that restriction.

You must read and understand English, and first-time Class A or B applicants, upgrades and new school bus, passenger or hazmat endorsements fall under the federal Entry-Level Driver Training rules. Your self-certified driving category decides whether DDS needs a medical card.

Standard permits and licenses go to U.S. citizens and green-card holders. Under an FMCSA rule effective March 16, 2026, applicants from Canada or Mexico cannot receive non-domiciled CLPs or CDLs.

Sources: CDL Permit · Non-Domiciled CLPs and Non-Domiciled CDLs

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 Georgia CDL rule we checked

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

Fees
The Georgia Department of Driver Services charges $10 for a Class AP or BP commercial learner’s permit, collects it before testing begins and gives no refund if any part of the test is failed. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Class A, B or C commercial driver’s license from the Georgia Department of Driver Services costs $32 and is issued for an eight-year term. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Georgia Department of Driver Services fee table lists a $35 CDL application fee and a $50 fee for the CDL road skills test. source, Oct 26, 2026
In Georgia, the $35 Commercial Application (CAP) fee is good for four test attempts, and a new CAP with a new $35 fee is required after a fourth failure. source, Oct 26, 2026
Where to take the tests
The Georgia Department of Driver Services requires every CDL written knowledge exam to start at least 45 minutes before the Customer Service Center closes. source, Oct 26, 2026
State CDL manual
The Georgia Department of Driver Services publishes its CDL manual under the title Commercial Driver’s Study Guide. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Georgia Department of Driver Services Manuals page offers the Commercial Driver’s Study Guide as a 21.69 MB PDF download and as an online e-book. source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP rules in the state
A Georgia commercial learner’s permit issued on or after July 1, 2021 is valid for 365 days, and the Georgia Department of Driver Services requires holding it 14 days before applying for the full CDL. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Georgia permit holder must drive with a person licensed for that vehicle class who is able to take control and sits in the seat beside the driver. source, Oct 26, 2026
Knowledge test in the state
The Georgia Department of Driver Services study guide sets the passing score for all CDL knowledge tests at 80%. source, Oct 26, 2026
An applicant who fails a Georgia CDL knowledge or road skills test must wait at least two days before the next attempt. source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test
The Georgia Department of Driver Services gives CDL road tests by appointment only, with no walk-ins, at 11 Customer Service Centers, and its Cumming center does not test for Class A. source, Oct 26, 2026
Through its CDL Third-Party Testing Program, the Georgia Department of Driver Services lets specially licensed CDL training programs that it approves give road skills tests to their students. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
Georgia accepts CDL applicants from age 18, but drivers aged 18 to 21 receive a Georgia-only (intrastate) restriction. source, Oct 26, 2026
Every Georgia CDL permit applicant must already hold a valid regular Georgia driver’s license and be able to read and understand English. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Georgia Department of Driver Services issues non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs to non-U.S. citizens with an unexpired passport carrying an H-2A, H-2B or E-2 visa and a valid I-797A or I-94, and to eligible citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau. source, Oct 26, 2026

Practice for the CDL knowledge tests

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

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

OneTryPass is not affiliated with the Georgia Department of Driver Services. Georgia's CDL rules are free at dds.georgia.gov.

Georgia CDL FAQ

Do you still hand Georgia DDS a paper medical certificate?

No. Since June 18, 2025, certificates your medical examiner submits to FMCSA reach DDS electronically, and DDS stopped accepting them by mail, fax, email, online or at a Customer Service Center. Source: official pages "CDL Med Cert" and "CDL License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

What should you do online before visiting a Georgia Customer Service Center?

Submit the License/ID/Permit Form. DDS requires it for the visit and keeps your information on file for 60 days, after which you must send it again. For a CDL road test, schedule the appointment after submitting the form. Source: official pages "CDL Permit" and "CDL License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Can you transfer a CDL from another state to Georgia?

Yes. Endorsements recognized by FMCSA carry over except Hazmat, which requires passing the hazardous materials knowledge test, plus a TSA application and fingerprints if your previous state was not a TSA participating state. Source: official page "CDL Licensing Information FAQs", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is there a separate CDL practice test for Georgia?

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 Georgia and every other state; what changes in Georgia 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 Georgia Department of Driver Services?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site. Georgia's CDL rules and manual are free on the Georgia Department of Driver Services website, linked on this page.

Where this information comes from

Every Georgia rule on this page comes from the Georgia Department of Driver Services or Georgia 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.