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Vermont CDL Requirements

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

Overview

Commercial driver licensing in Vermont is administered by the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. Vermont 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.

Vermont charges a CDL license fee of $72.00 (2-year) / $108.00 (4-year new CDL, no motorcycle) and a Commercial Learner's Permit fee of $18.00 (1-year CLP) (source: official Vermont fee schedule). The skills test fee is $39.00 (Vermont DMV administers and charges own CDL Road Test; separate $29.00 scheduling deposit also applies). 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 Vermont 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.

Vermont CDL fees (2026)

The Vermont 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: $18.00 (1-year CLP)
  • CDL license fee: $72.00 (2-year) / $108.00 (4-year new CDL, no motorcycle)
  • Skills test fee: $39.00 (Vermont DMV administers and charges own CDL Road Test; separate $29.00 scheduling deposit also applies)
  • Per endorsement add-on: NOT PUBLISHED as a distinct per-endorsement license fee. The official CDL Fees page lists a 'CDL, Endorsement Test' fee of $17 (a knowledge/skills test fee, not a licensing add-on) and a Motorcycle Endorsement additional fee of $4 per year added to the CDL fee. No separate flat fee is published for adding Hazmat, Tanker, Passenger, School Bus, or Doubles/Triples endorsements. (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • License renewal: Same as original CDL fee (Vermont uses one 'New/Renew' fee): $72.00 for 2 years or $108.00 for 4 years; with Motorcycle endorsement $80.00 (2 yr) or $124.00 (4 yr). Enhanced CDL (ECDL) renewal: $108.00 (2 yr) or $144.00 (4 yr), with motorcycle $116.00/$160.00. (source: official state fee schedule, as of 2026-07-11)
  • ELDT providers: 210 active, registered with FMCSA (search live registry)

Medical certificate filing

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

Endorsement add-ons in Vermont

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