CDL Coach Up Start Practice Test

Texas CDL Requirements

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

Overview

Commercial driver licensing in Texas is administered by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas 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.

Texas charges a CDL license fee of $97 (Class A/B/C, 8-yr validity; $61 with HAZMAT endorsement, 5-yr validity) and a Commercial Learner's Permit fee of $25 (source: official Texas fee schedule). The skills test fee is Not listed on DPS fee schedule; skills tests administered by authorized third-party/out-of-state providers, fee not state-set. There are additional charges for endorsement add-ons. Class A and Class B licenses are renewed every 6 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 Texas 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.

Texas CDL fees (2026)

The Texas 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: $25
  • CDL license fee: $97 (Class A/B/C, 8-yr validity; $61 with HAZMAT endorsement, 5-yr validity)
  • Skills test fee: Not listed on DPS fee schedule; skills tests administered by authorized third-party/out-of-state providers, fee not state-set
  • Per endorsement add-on: NOT PUBLISHED as a separate line-item fee. Texas DPS's fee schedule and Endorsements/Restrictions page do not list a distinct per-endorsement charge; endorsements appear bundled into the CDL fee. Exception: a CDL with a Hazmat endorsement carries a different term/price ($61 for 5 years vs. $97 for the standard 8-year CDL) due to the shorter validity tied to the mandatory TSA security threat assessment, not a state add-on fee. TSA's own federal background-check fee is referenced on DPS's Hazmat page (amount 'subject to change') but the commonly-cited ~$86.50 figure is not explicitly stated there. (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • License renewal: $97 (Standard CDL, ages 18-84, renewal — same as new/original fee, 8-year term). Hazmat-endorsed CDL renewal: $61 (5-year term). Ages 85+: $26 (2-year term, new or renewal). (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • ELDT providers: 1879 active, registered with FMCSA (search live registry)

Medical certificate filing

the Texas Department of Public Safety 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 Texas. 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 Texas Department of Public Safety. 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 Texas 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. Texas applies these federal rules in addition to any state-level penalties imposed on the driver's non-commercial driving record.

Endorsement add-ons in Texas

You can add any of the eight federally recognized endorsements to your Texas 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.