Texas CDL Requirements Guide

This page summarizes what Texas requires of Class A Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) and Commercial Driver's License (CDL) applicants, with links to the official government sources. Requirements come from Texas's licensing agencies and federal regulations; FLO LLC's own training standards appear separately below. Sources were checked on 2026-10-13. Where anything here differs from the agency, the agency controls.

• Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Driver License Division — issues the CLP and CDL and gives the knowledge and skills tests. All in-office services are by appointment only.
• DPS-certified Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) companies and educational institutions may also give CDL tests to their students or employees.

Official Texas CDL Manual

Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook DL-7C, Revised March 2026 (Texas DPS) — published by the state. FLO LLC links to the state's own document; it does not copy or host it.

READ TEXAS CDL MANUAL

Opens the official PDF in a new tab. If it does not open, use the state's manual page: Texas DPS Commercial Driver License page (handbook links). Spanish edition: Texas CMV Drivers Handbook — Spanish (DL-7CS).

Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP) requirements

• You must hold a valid Texas driver license. A CLP is not valid without your base Texas driver license and cannot be used for identification.
• A CLP lets you practice on public roads in a commercial motor vehicle with a qualified CDL holder, 21 or older, who holds the same class of CDL for the vehicle you are driving, sitting next to you.
• A CLP is valid for 180 days, or until your Texas driver license (or lawful presence) expires, whichever is earliest. It can be renewed one time, up to 30 days before expiration, without retaking the knowledge exams.
• A CLP is required when applying for a CDL for the first time, upgrading a CDL (Class C to B or A, or B to A), or adding a passenger or school bus endorsement.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026)

CDL eligibility and age requirements

• The DL-7C fee schedule lists Texas CDLs for applicants age 18 and older (“Age 18 to 84”, “Age 85 and older”).
• Federal rule: a driver must be at least 21 years old to drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce (49 CFR 391.11(b)(1)).
• All CDL holders must be proficient in English: read and speak English well enough to converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, and respond to official inquiries (49 CFR 391.11). Applicants unable to demonstrate sufficient English proficiency during testing or issuance are not eligible for a Texas CDL or CLP.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026) · 49 CFR 391.11 — General qualifications of drivers

Interstate versus intrastate driving

• You must self-certify your medical status on one of DPS forms CDL-4, CDL-5 or CDL-10.
• An applicant who certifies non-excepted intrastate or excepted intrastate status receives the K (Intrastate Only) restriction and may not operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce (DL-7C).
• Federal rule: a driver must be at least 21 years old to drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce (49 CFR 391.11(b)(1)).

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026) · 49 CFR 391.11 — General qualifications of drivers

Identification, residency and supporting documents

• To apply for a CLP: proof of identity, your Social Security Number (verified electronically; a CLP or CDL cannot be issued without one), self-certification of medical status, and a medical examiner's certificate when your self-certification requires one.
• New residents surrendering an out-of-state license must also show current Texas vehicle registration and proof of insurance for each vehicle they own (or sign a statement that they own none).
• For the CDL, DL-7C lists: the CDL-1 application, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, proof of Texas residency, proof of identity, current Texas vehicle registration, proof of insurance, and self-certification (CDL-4, CDL-5 or CDL-10).
• DPS verifies electronically: Social Security Number, Entry-Level Driver Training, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, the Commercial Driver's License Information System, and the National Registry (medical).

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas DPS — Identification Requirements · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026)

Lawful-presence requirements

• You must prove U.S. citizenship or, if you are not a U.S. citizen, lawful presence. The DPS lawful-presence page lists the accepted documents.
• Non-domiciled CDL/CLP issuance is governed by separate DPS rules (see the DPS Commercial Driver License page).

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas DPS — U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Presence Requirement · Texas DPS — Commercial Driver License

Medical certification and self-certification

• Self-certify to only one of DPS forms CDL-4, CDL-5 or CDL-10, and provide a medical examiner's certificate when the self-certification you choose requires it.
• Every CLP and CDL applicant must self-certify one of four types of commercial driving — non-excepted interstate, excepted interstate, non-excepted intrastate, or excepted intrastate — and non-excepted drivers must provide a current medical examiner's certificate (49 CFR 383.71(b)(1)).
• You must also pass a vision exam when you apply.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas DPS — CDL Medical Certification Requirement · 49 CFR 383.71 — Driver application and certification procedures

Knowledge examinations required — Texas test sequence

• Texas gives the knowledge exams in this order: 1. Texas Commercial Rules; 2. General Knowledge; 3. Combination Vehicles (Class A); 4. Air Brakes (when applicable); 5. Applicable endorsements.
• The handbook tells applicants to pay close attention to Section 14, “Special Requirements for Texas Commercial Motor Vehicles,” which contains Texas-specific information you will need to know.
• A score of 80% or higher is required to pass each section. Exams are multiple choice and matching.
• After an unsuccessful knowledge test, the application stays active for 90 days; if all tests are not passed within 90 days or after three failed attempts, whichever comes first, the application is void and you must reapply and pay again.
• ENGLISH ONLY: effective June 1, 2026, all Texas CDL and CLP knowledge examinations are administered in English only. Spanish versions are no longer offered and interpreters are prohibited.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas DPS — DPS Announces Changes to CDL Knowledge Testing (June 1, 2026) · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026)

Steps to obtain the CLP

• 1. Hold a valid Texas driver license.
• 2. Study the Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (link below), including Section 14.
• 3. Complete the CDL-1 application before your visit.
• 4. Make an appointment at your local driver license office (all in-office services are by appointment only).
• 5. At the office: provide your CDL-1, proof of citizenship or lawful presence, and identity; pay the application fee; give thumbprints; have your picture taken; pass the vision exam; and pass the knowledge tests in the Texas order — in English.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CDL-1 application · Texas DPS — Driver License Services Appointments

CLP holding period

• Texas: you must hold your CLP for at least 14 days before taking the skills exams. This applies to original applications, upgrades in class, and endorsements that require a skills test.
• Federal rule: a CLP holder may not take the CDL skills test during the first 14 days after the CLP is first issued (49 CFR 383.25(e)).

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026) · 49 CFR 383.25 — Commercial learner's permit

Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements

• Federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) applies to anyone obtaining a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading to Class A or B, or obtaining a first school bus, passenger or hazardous materials endorsement (49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F).
• ELDT has two parts — theory (classroom/online) and behind-the-wheel (range and public road) — and both must be completed with providers listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, which reports your completion electronically before you may take the skills test.
• Texas DPS: ELDT does not have to be completed before you obtain a CLP. DPS verifies your ELDT completion electronically on the Training Provider Registry during the issuance process.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026) · 49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F — Entry-Level Driver Training · FMCSA Training Provider Registry

Behind-the-wheel training requirements

• ELDT behind-the-wheel training must be taken from a behind-the-wheel provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, on a range and on public roads, in a vehicle of the class you are training for. The instructor decides when you are proficient; federal rules set no minimum number of hours (49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F, Appendix A).
• FLO LLC's online course is ELDT THEORY only. It does not provide behind-the-wheel training.
• While practicing with a CLP, a qualified CDL holder 21 or older with the same class of CDL must sit next to you (DPS).

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · 49 CFR Part 380, Subpart F — Entry-Level Driver Training · FMCSA Training Provider Registry

Skills examination procedures

• The CDL skills test has three sections — pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic control skills, and road test — and each must be passed before the next. All CDL skills tests are conducted in English.
• Before the skills test the examiner inspects your vehicle: you must present a Vehicle Inspection Report or Vehicle Inspection Certificate, and the vehicle's liability insurance, registration and safety equipment are checked. If the vehicle fails, the skills test is postponed.
• Basic control (Modernized test, DL-7C Section 12): Forward Stop, Straight-Line Backing, Forward Offset Tracking, and Reverse Offset Backing. The Del Rio and Wichita Falls locations use the separate Sections 11a and 12a of the handbook.
• Schedule: DPS driver license offices give Class A and B skills tests by appointment only, and not every office gives them — see the DPS CDL Skills Testing Locations list. Authorized third-party testers and out-of-state skills testing providers transmit scores electronically; confirm your scores were submitted before scheduling your DPS appointment.

Sources: Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026) · Texas DPS — CDL Skills Testing Locations (DL-95) · Texas DPS — CDL Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) · Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License?

Licensing office and scheduling resources

• Appointments for CLP/CDL services and DPS skills tests: Texas DPS scheduler.
• CDL skills test sites: DPS CDL Skills Testing Locations (DL-95).
• Driver license office locations: DPS office locator.
• Third-party skills testing: DPS CDL Third Party Skills Testing program.

Sources: Texas DPS driver license appointment scheduler · Texas DPS — CDL Skills Testing Locations (DL-95) · Texas DPS — Driver License Office Locations · Texas DPS — CDL Third Party Skills Testing (TPST)

Steps to receive your Class A CDL

• 1. Hold your Texas CLP for at least 14 days.
• 2. Complete ELDT theory and ELDT behind-the-wheel training with providers on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.
• 3. Schedule and pass the three-part skills test with DPS (by appointment) or an authorized third-party tester.
• 4. Present the CDL documents DL-7C lists (CDL-1, citizenship or lawful presence, Texas residency, identity, vehicle registration, insurance, self-certification); DPS verifies ELDT, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, CDLIS and the National Registry electronically, then issues your CDL.

Sources: Texas DPS — How do I apply for a Commercial Driver License? · Texas CMV Drivers Handbook DL-7C (Revised March 2026)