Skip to content
OneTryPass
Free practice test

CDL learner’s permit · Pennsylvania

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

As of October 26, 2026, PennDOT does not post one flat price for a Pennsylvania CDL learner’s permit: the applicant pays a higher annual license fee and a photo fee, plus a separate permit fee for every class, endorsement and restriction removal requested.

Pennsylvania requires at least 15 days between the day a CDL learner’s permit is issued and the scheduled Class A, B or C skills test.

Once PennDOT processes a Pennsylvania CLP application, it issues a Knowledge Test Authorization (KTA) for each class, endorsement and restriction removal, and that KTA is what lets the applicant sit the knowledge tests at a Driver License Center (per pa.gov, checked on Oct 26, 2026).

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

Pennsylvania CDL permit at a glance

Minimum age, in-state driving
18source, Oct 26, 2026

The official Pennsylvania CDL manual

The Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s Manual is PennDOT publication PUB 223, and the English PDF on pa.gov carries the edition code 6-26. Open it on pa.gov source, Oct 26, 2026

Pennsylvania CDL questions people ask

How much does a Pennsylvania CDL learner’s permit cost?

There is no single sticker price. PennDOT adds up a higher annual license fee, a photo fee and one permit fee for each class, endorsement or restriction removal on your application, so the total grows with every privilege you request.

If you already hold a regular Pennsylvania license, the fee table shows the upgrade to commercial at $43.50 when your license expires in 7 to 12 months and up to $109.50 when it has 37 to 48 months left, one permit and the photo included. A four-year CDL renewal is $127.50.

Sources: Apply for a Pennsylvania Commercial Driver's License · Commercial Driver’s Licenses

How long must you hold a Pennsylvania CDL learner’s permit before the skills test?

Fifteen days, counted from the day the permit is issued to the day of the Class A, B or C skills test. You may call PennDOT to book the test as soon as you pass the knowledge test, as long as the date falls after that window.

The clock restarts when you change the permit: PennDOT’s manual says the 15-day wait is recalculated from the new issue date after any change or upgrade. While practicing, keep a licensed driver who is at least 21 in the seat beside you.

Sources: Commercial Driver License (CDL) Learner’s Permit FAQs · Pennsylvania Commercial Driver's Manual (PUB 223, 6-26)

How many questions are on the Pennsylvania CDL knowledge test?

It depends on the class: PennDOT lists 70 questions for Class A and 50 for Class B or C. Endorsements add their own tests, from 20 questions for passenger, doubles/triples or tank vehicles to 30 for hazardous materials.

Your Knowledge Test Authorization is good for one year and three tries, and you can test the same day it is issued if a Driver License Center has room.

Sources: Commercial Driver’s License FAQs · Commercial Driver License (CDL) Learner’s Permit FAQs

Who gives the Pennsylvania CDL skills test, and what is on it?

Both PennDOT Driver License Centers and authorized third-party testers give the same modernized test, which has three parts: a vehicle inspection, basic control maneuvers and an on-road drive. In the inspection you may be asked about up to 90 components, and a checklist is allowed as a memory aid.

Each permit gives you three tries at the skills test.

Sources: Modernized Commercial Driver License (CDL) Skills Testing · Apply to Become a Commercial Driver’s License Third-Party Tester · Commercial Driver License (CDL) Learner’s Permit FAQs

Who can apply for a commercial learner’s permit in Pennsylvania?

You need a current non-commercial driver’s license first; PennDOT says people who were never licensed cannot apply. You must be 18 for any class, and 21 to drive a commercial vehicle across state lines.

Bring proof of citizenship or legal presence, such as a U.S. birth certificate with a raised seal or a passport (non-U.S. birth certificates are refused), plus a residency document like a utility bill, lease or W-2. Entry-level driver training from a registered provider applies to a first Class A or B CDL and to a first P, S or H endorsement.

Sources: Documentation for CDL Drivers · Pennsylvania Commercial Driver's Manual (PUB 223, 6-26) · Commercial Driver License (CDL) Learner’s Permit FAQs

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 Pennsylvania CDL rule we checked

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

Fees
PennDOT does not post one flat price for a Pennsylvania CDL learner’s permit: the applicant pays a higher annual license fee and a photo fee, plus a separate permit fee for every class, endorsement and restriction removal requested. source, Oct 26, 2026
Upgrading a non-commercial Pennsylvania license to commercial costs $43.50 to $109.50 in PennDOT’s fee table, depending on how many months remain before the current license expires; that amount covers one permit and the photo fee. source, Oct 26, 2026
Where to take the tests
Once PennDOT processes a Pennsylvania CLP application, it issues a Knowledge Test Authorization (KTA) for each class, endorsement and restriction removal, and that KTA is what lets the applicant sit the knowledge tests at a Driver License Center. source, Oct 26, 2026
State CDL manual
The Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s Manual is PennDOT publication PUB 223, and the English PDF on pa.gov carries the edition code 6-26. source, Oct 26, 2026
Besides the English edition, PennDOT posts translations of the Pennsylvania Commercial Driver’s Manual in more than 30 languages, among them Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Russian, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. source, Oct 26, 2026
CLP rules in the state
Pennsylvania requires at least 15 days between the day a CDL learner’s permit is issued and the scheduled Class A, B or C skills test. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Pennsylvania learner driving a commercial vehicle must have a companion in the next seat who is at least 21 and licensed for the type of vehicle being driven. source, Oct 26, 2026
Under the Act 49 changes, a Pennsylvania CDL learner’s permit that has expired, or that was already renewed once and needs renewing again, sends the holder back to retake every knowledge test. source, Oct 26, 2026
Knowledge test in the state
PennDOT lists 70 knowledge questions for a Class A CDL, 50 for Class B or C, 20 for the passenger endorsement, 25 for school bus, 30 for hazmat and 25 to remove the air brake restriction. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Pennsylvania Knowledge Test Authorization stays valid for one year and allows three tries at the knowledge tests, and the applicant has that same year to pass every knowledge and skills test for the CDL. source, Oct 26, 2026
Skills test
Since August 28, 2023, Pennsylvania has used a modernized CDL skills test, given both at the PennDOT Driver License Centers that offer CDL testing and by every third-party CDL skills tester. source, Oct 26, 2026
Federal rule 49 CFR 383.75 lets PennDOT authorize third-party testers, such as motor carriers, private driver training facilities and local government agencies, to give the Pennsylvania CDL skills test. source, Oct 26, 2026
Who can apply
Pennsylvania issues Class A, B and C commercial licenses at 18, but PennDOT’s manual says a driver of any class must be 21 or older to operate a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce. source, Oct 26, 2026
A Pennsylvania CLP applicant files the Commercial Learner’s Permit Application (DL-31CD) and the Self-Certification Form (DL-11CD), and anyone who will drive in non-excepted transportation also needs a valid Medical Examiner’s Certificate. source, Oct 26, 2026

Practice for the CDL knowledge tests

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

One-time payment

CDL practice pack

$24.951 year of access · no subscription

  • Every question for the general knowledge, air brakes and combination tests
  • The hazmat, tank, doubles and triples, passenger and school bus endorsement tests
  • 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 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Pennsylvania's CDL rules are free at pa.gov.

Pennsylvania CDL FAQ

Does PennDOT still accept a paper medical card for a CDL?

No. Since June 23, 2025, PennDOT takes Medical Examiner’s Certificate information only electronically from the FMCSA National Registry and no longer accepts certificates in person or by email. If your status looks wrong, PennDOT asks you to contact your medical examiner. Source: official page "Commercial Drivers", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Can I bring any truck to the Pennsylvania CDL skills test?

The vehicle must be empty while you drive on a learner’s permit during the test, and the manual says test sites do not take trailers over 102 inches wide or combinations over 75 feet long. Call the Driver License Center first if your rig is larger. Source: official page "Pennsylvania Commercial Driver's Manual (PUB 223, 6-26)", checked on Oct 26, 2026.

Is there a separate CDL practice test for Pennsylvania?

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 Pennsylvania and every other state; what changes in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)?

No. OneTryPass is an independent practice site. Pennsylvania's CDL rules and manual are free on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) website, linked on this page.

Where this information comes from

Every Pennsylvania rule on this page comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) or Pennsylvania 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.