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Alabama CDL Requirements

Alabama commercial driver licensing — what to expect at the counter, how much it costs, and which endorsements you can add.

Overview

Commercial driver licensing in Alabama is administered by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama follows the federal CDL standards established by 49 CFR Part 383 and Part 384, but applies state-specific fees, scheduling rules, and document requirements layered on top of the federal baseline. The page below summarizes those state-specific add-ons; for the federal core material, see our endorsement-by-endorsement study guides.

Alabama charges a CDL license fee of $66.25 (Class A) / $56.25 (Class B) / $36.25 (Class C) and a Commercial Learner's Permit fee of $36.25 (source: official Alabama fee schedule). The skills test fee is $20.00 skills test fee (listed on official ALEA fee schedule). There are additional charges for endorsement add-ons. Class A and Class B licenses are renewed every 4 years and require a current DOT medical examiner's certificate on file with the state at all times.

Drivers transferring an out-of-state CDL into Alabama generally do not have to retest if their existing license is unexpired and in good standing, but must surrender the old license and provide proof of residency, identity, and lawful presence consistent with REAL ID requirements. Endorsements typically transfer with the license, with the exception of the Hazardous Materials (H) endorsement, which always requires a new TSA threat-assessment background check when the licensing state changes.

Alabama CDL fees (2026)

The Alabama base fee structure for a Class A or Class B CDL applicant is summarized below. Endorsement add-ons are charged separately at issuance, and skills test fees are paid to whichever third-party tester you schedule with — or directly to the state if testing is handled in-house.

  • Commercial Learner's Permit fee: $36.25
  • CDL license fee: $66.25 (Class A) / $56.25 (Class B) / $36.25 (Class C)
  • Skills test fee: $20.00 skills test fee (listed on official ALEA fee schedule)
  • Per endorsement add-on: NOT PUBLISHED (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • License renewal: $66.25 (Class A renewal fee); $56.25 (Class B renewal fee); $36.25 (Classes C, D, and ID renewal fee) (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • ELDT providers: 461 active, registered with FMCSA (search live registry)

Medical certificate filing

the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency accepts the DOT medical examiner's certificate by self-certification, by examiner upload through the National Registry, or by direct submission at any full-service driver license office in Alabama. Drivers who allow their medical certificate to lapse have their CDL automatically downgraded to a non-commercial license — usually within ten business days of the expiration on file with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The downgrade is reversible, but it requires a new physical and a fresh certificate filed with the state before commercial driving privileges are restored.

Disqualifications

The federal disqualification framework applies in Alabama exactly as it does elsewhere: a first major offense (DUI, refusal of testing, leaving the scene, using a CMV in the commission of a felony) results in a one-year disqualification (three years if the vehicle was placarded for hazmat). A second major offense is a lifetime disqualification, with a possible reinstatement after ten years if the driver completes a state-approved rehabilitation program.

Serious traffic violations — speeding 15 mph or more above the limit, reckless driving, improper lane changes, following too closely, and others — disqualify a CDL holder for sixty days on the second conviction within three years and one hundred twenty days on the third. Alabama applies these federal rules in addition to any state-level penalties imposed on the driver's non-commercial driving record.

Endorsement add-ons in Alabama

You can add any of the eight federally recognized endorsements to your Alabama CDL. Each requires passing the corresponding written knowledge exam, plus — in the case of Hazardous Materials — a TSA background check, and — in the case of Passenger and School Bus — a skills test in a representative vehicle.