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CDL learner’s permit · North Carolina

North Carolina CDL permit test: fees, testing and the state manual

As of October 26, 2026, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles lists a $25.50 fee for a commercial learner permit.

A North Carolina commercial learner permit lasts 180 days and may be renewed one time for another 180 days.

North Carolina applicants take the vision, traffic sign recognition and CDL knowledge tests at an NCDMV driver license office (per ncdot.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

Updated Oct 26, 2026Rules checked against ncdot.govHow we check
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North Carolina CDL permit at a glance

CLP fee
$25.50source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP valid for
180 dayssource, Oct 26, 2026
Passing score
80%source, Oct 26, 2026
Minimum age, in-state driving
18source, Oct 26, 2026

The official North Carolina CDL manual

NCDMV offers its Commercial Driver License Manual on the Driver Handbooks page and at every North Carolina driver license office. Open it on ncdot.gov source, Oct 26, 2026

North Carolina CDL questions people ask

How much does a North Carolina CDL cost?

Budget for three charges. The $51.50 application fee buys three tries at the knowledge tests, the commercial learner permit is $25.50, and the CDL itself is billed at $25.50 for each year it is issued, plus $5.00 per year for every endorsement.

Paying online through PayIt adds $3 per transaction and a 1.85 percent card processing fee; NCDMV says the state does not collect or benefit from that charge.

Sources: Commercial driver licenses / Permits and provisional licenses · NCDMV Commercial Driver License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System, July 2014)

How long is a North Carolina commercial learner permit valid?

You get 180 days, and NCDMV allows one renewal for another 180. Hold the permit at least 14 days before the road test.

Every practice drive needs a licensed CDL operator of your class or higher, carrying the same endorsements, in the front seat. If the permit runs out before you pass all three parts of the skills test, the parts you already passed have to be taken again.

Sources: Official NCDMV: Commercial Driver License · Commercial driver licenses / Permits and provisional licenses · NCDMV Commercial Driver License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System, July 2014)

What score do you need on the North Carolina CDL knowledge test?

80 percent on every test. You get one attempt per test per day, and once three tries at general knowledge are used up, another application fee opens three more.

The manual says knowledge tests need no appointment, while the online scheduler files them under Commercial Driver License for anyone who prefers to book. Scores remain valid in NCDMV’s files for 90 days from the test date.

Sources: NCDMV Commercial Driver License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System, July 2014) · Official NCDMV: Driver License Office Appointments

How do you schedule the North Carolina CDL road test?

Phone NCDMV Customer Service at 919-715-7000; road tests are not bookable online. Arrive in your own commercial vehicle that represents the class you want, with the manufacturer GVWR label and valid tags, and bring your driver license and the unexpired permit.

Driver license offices across the state give the test, and so do third-party testers certified and approved by NCDMV. One attempt per day is allowed, by appointment, and the manual asks for 24 hours of notice if you must cancel.

Sources: Official NCDMV: Driver License Office Appointments · Official NCDMV: Commercial Driver License · NCDMV Commercial Driver License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System, July 2014)

Who can apply for a CDL in North Carolina?

Drivers 18 or older who hold a valid Class A, B or C license. Interstate trips and the hazardous materials endorsement wait until 21.

At the office, show proof of age and identity, a Social Security number, residency (two documents for U.S. citizens) or legal presence (one federal document for non-citizens), and liability insurance from a company licensed in North Carolina. Entry-level driver training comes after the permit and before the road test.

Source: Official NCDMV: 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 North Carolina CDL rule we checked

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

Fees
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles lists a $25.50 fee for a commercial learner permit. source, Oct 26, 2026
NCDMV collects a $51.50 CDL application fee, and one payment covers three attempts at the knowledge tests. source, Oct 26, 2026
In North Carolina, a Class A, B or C commercial driver license is priced at $25.50 per year. source, Oct 26, 2026
Where to take the tests
North Carolina applicants take the vision, traffic sign recognition and CDL knowledge tests at an NCDMV driver license office. source, Oct 26, 2026
State CDL manual
NCDMV offers its Commercial Driver License Manual on the Driver Handbooks page and at every North Carolina driver license office. source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP rules in the state
A North Carolina commercial learner permit lasts 180 days and may be renewed one time for another 180 days. source, Oct 26, 2026
NCDMV makes a CLP holder keep the permit at least 14 days before the remaining CDL steps, which include the road skills test. source, Oct 26, 2026
Knowledge test in the state
North Carolina requires 80 percent correct answers on each CDL knowledge test and allows only one attempt per test each day. source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test
NCDMV books CDL road tests only by phone at 919-715-7000, because those appointments cannot be made online. source, Oct 26, 2026
North Carolina offers CDL skills tests at many driver license office locations and through certified third-party testers approved by the Division of Motor Vehicles. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
North Carolina sets the CDL minimum age at 18, or 21 for interstate commerce or a hazardous materials endorsement, and requires a valid Class A, B or C license that is not suspended, disqualified or revoked. source, Oct 26, 2026
For a commercial learner permit, NCDMV wants proof of age and identity, two residency documents from U.S. citizens or one federal legal-presence document from non-citizens, and proof of liability insurance coverage. source, Oct 26, 2026
After the permit, North Carolina requires entry-level driver training from a school on the federal Training Provider Registry, which NCDMV says usually takes about four weeks. source, Oct 26, 2026
Since June 28, 2025, North Carolina no longer accepts medical examiner certificates handed in by commercial drivers, because the medical examiner must submit them electronically. source, Oct 26, 2026

Practice for the CDL knowledge tests

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

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OneTryPass is not affiliated with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. North Carolina's CDL rules are free at ncdot.gov.

North Carolina CDL FAQ

Do I still hand my medical card to NCDMV?

No. Your medical examiner now files the certificate electronically through the FMCSA National Registry, and NCDMV stopped accepting the paper Form MCSA-5876. You still self-certify your type of commerce, using the CDL-Med-1 form to set or change it. Source: official page "Official NCDMV: Commercial Driver License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Where can I get the North Carolina CDL manual?

On NCDMV’s Driver Handbooks page or at any driver license office. NCDMV suggests reading it before the permit visit and points out that it is no substitute for a truck-driver training program. Source: official pages "Official NCDMV: Driver Handbooks" and "Official NCDMV: Commercial Driver License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

How soon does the permit or license arrive?

Within 20 business days, by NCDMV’s estimate. A Temporary Driving Certificate covers you until the card shows up, both after the permit visit and after a passed skills test. Source: official page "Official NCDMV: Commercial Driver License", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is there a separate CDL practice test for North Carolina?

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 North Carolina and every other state; what changes in North Carolina 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 North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles?

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

Where this information comes from

Every North Carolina rule on this page comes from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles or North Carolina 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.