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CDL learner’s permit · Indiana

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

As of October 26, 2026, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles fee chart, revised January 1, 2026, lists $17 for a commercial learner’s permit and $35 for a commercial driver’s license.

An Indiana commercial learner’s permit is valid for one year, and a passed knowledge exam also stays valid for one year.

Indiana BMV branch staff verify entry-level driver training before giving an applicant the hazardous materials knowledge exam at the branch (per in.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against in.govHow we check
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Indiana CDL permit at a glance

CLP fee
$17source, Oct 26, 2026
CDL fee
$35source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age, in-state driving
18source, Oct 26, 2026

The official Indiana CDL manual

Indiana’s Commercial Driver License manual can be read online at IN.gov/BMV or picked up at any Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch. Open it on in.gov source, Oct 26, 2026

Indiana CDL questions people ask

What does a commercial learner’s permit cost in Indiana?

On the BMV fee chart revised January 1, 2026, the commercial learner’s permit is $17 and the commercial driver’s license is $35. Adding or removing a CDL endorsement costs $19.

The skills test is paid to the third-party site, not the BMV. The BMV sets a ceiling of $200 for a first attempt, $150 for a second and $100 for any further attempt at the same site, truck rental not included, and lists the school bus skills test at $150.

Sources: Fee Chart (Indiana BMV, revised 1/1/26) · Indiana CDL Third-Party Skills Test Sites (updated August 14, 2026)

How long does an Indiana CLP last, and who has to ride along?

The permit stays valid for one year, and so does each knowledge exam you pass. After the skills test, you go back to a BMV branch to finish the CDL before the permit runs out.

You must hold the permit 14 days before the skills exam. Every practice drive needs a CDL holder in the vehicle whose class and endorsements cover the truck or bus you are driving.

Sources: Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Learner’s Permit · Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Driver's License · Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26)

Which knowledge exams does Indiana require for a CLP?

The general knowledge exam is required for everyone. On top of it come the exams that match your vehicle and cargo: air brakes, combination vehicles, passenger transport, school bus, tanker, hazardous materials or doubles/triples.

If you fail, you can try again on the next business day, and no more than one attempt a day is allowed. For a first hazmat exam, branch staff confirm your entry-level driver training before handing you the test.

Sources: Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Learner’s Permit · Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26) · Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Driver's License

Where is the Indiana CDL skills test given?

Indiana uses BMV-authorized third-party test sites. The BMV list updated August 14, 2026 includes sites in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Muncie, Kokomo and Jeffersonville, and appointments must be made with the site at least two days ahead.

The exam covers a pre-trip inspection, basic control skills and a road trip, and the site sends the results to the BMV electronically. A failed part or an unsafe action ends the test on the spot, you may test only once per business day, and each new attempt is paid again.

Sources: Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Driver's License · Indiana CDL Third-Party Skills Test Sites (updated August 14, 2026) · Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26)

Who qualifies for an Indiana CLP?

You need an unexpired Indiana license, proof that Indiana is your domicile and a Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file with the BMV. The minimum age is 18, rising to 21 for interstate commerce or a school bus.

First-time CDL applicants also complete entry-level driver training and watch a human trafficking awareness video. Non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs are open only to H-2A, H-2B and E-2 holders whose foreign passport is not Canadian or Mexican.

Sources: Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26) · Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Learner’s Permit · Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Obtaining a Commercial Driver's License · Frequently Asked Questions About 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 Indiana CDL rule we checked

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

Fees
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles fee chart, revised January 1, 2026, lists $17 for a commercial learner’s permit and $35 for a commercial driver’s license. source, Oct 26, 2026
Where to take the tests
Indiana BMV branch staff verify entry-level driver training before giving an applicant the hazardous materials knowledge exam at the branch. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Indiana BMV publishes a list of third-party CDL skills test sites with each site’s name, address, city, ZIP code and phone number. source, Oct 26, 2026
State CDL manual
Indiana’s Commercial Driver License manual can be read online at IN.gov/BMV or picked up at any Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since August 12, 2024, the vehicle inspection and vehicle control parts of the Indiana CDL skills test follow the Commercial Driver’s License Manual dated September 9, 2022. source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP rules in the state
An Indiana commercial learner’s permit is valid for one year, and a passed knowledge exam also stays valid for one year. source, Oct 26, 2026
An Indiana CLP holder may drive a commercial motor vehicle only with a valid CDL holder who has the class and endorsements that vehicle requires. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Indiana BMV requires an applicant to hold the commercial learner’s permit for 14 days before attempting the CDL skills exam. source, Oct 26, 2026
Knowledge test in the state
An Indiana applicant who fails a CDL knowledge test can retake it the next business day, but only one attempt per day is allowed. source, Oct 26, 2026
Indiana requires the general knowledge test of every CLP applicant, the passenger transport test of bus drivers and the air brakes test for vehicles with air brakes. source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test
The Indiana CDL skills exam is taken at a BMV-authorized site and has three parts: a pre-trip inspection, a basic control skills exam and a road exam. source, Oct 26, 2026
The Indiana BMV caps third-party skills test fees, before any vehicle rental, at $200 for the first attempt, $150 for the second and $100 for each later attempt per test site. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
Indiana issues a CLP at 18 for hauling property within the state and requires age 21 to drive a school bus. source, Oct 26, 2026
Indiana requires a Medical Examiner’s Certificate from every applicant for a first CDL or CLP in the state. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since July 1, 2023, every first-time Indiana CDL applicant must watch an instructional video on recognizing, preventing and reporting human trafficking. source, Oct 26, 2026
Indiana limits non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs to holders of a valid foreign passport, other than Canadian or Mexican, and an I-94 showing H-2A, H-2B or E-2 status. source, Oct 26, 2026

Practice for the CDL knowledge tests

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

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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 Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Indiana's CDL rules are free at in.gov.

Indiana CDL FAQ

Where can I get the Indiana CDL manual?

The BMV’s CDL Manual page links the Commercial Driver’s License Manual dated September 9, 2022 and an Indiana Specific CDL Manual. You can also get the manual at any BMV branch. Source: official pages "Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: CDL Manual" and "Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

What if my Indiana CDL lapsed more than three years ago?

You start again as a first-time applicant: valid medical forms on file, every required written test, a new CLP and the CDL skills exams. Source: official page "Driver's Licenses, Permits & IDs: Re-Testing or Re-Applying For a CDL", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

How long do I have to transfer an out-of-state CDL to Indiana?

30 days. You surrender the old CDL, pass the general knowledge test (and the hazmat test, if it applies) and keep a Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file with the BMV. Source: official page "Indiana Specific Commercial Driver’s License Applicant Information (SP 283, R-5 7/26)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is there a separate CDL practice test for Indiana?

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 Indiana and every other state; what changes in Indiana 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 Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles?

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

Where this information comes from

Every Indiana rule on this page comes from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Indiana 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.