How to Get a CDL in Missouri

Step 1 · How do I complete ELDT theory training?

Since February 7, 2022, the FMCSA requires Entry-Level Driver Training before you can take the CDL knowledge test. Take the theory course from a provider on the federal Training Provider Registry, and your completion is reported electronically to the registry — usually within a day.

This step is not Missouri-specific. The theory curriculum is standardized nationally under 49 CFR Part 380, so a $150 course and a $20 course put the identical record in the same federal registry. Paying more buys marketing, not a better certificate.

Need endorsements too? The All-Access bundle covers all 7 courses for $49.

Step 2 · How do I get a Missouri CDL learner's permit?

Once your ELDT completion is in the federal registry, take your documents to a Missouri Department of Revenue driver exam station and pass the general knowledge test plus any endorsement tests. The agency issues your commercial learner's permit (CLP), and you must hold it at least 14 days before the skills test.

• Permit fee: $44.00 total - "Fee includes a $25 written examination test fee, $10.00 permit transaction fee and $9.00 office processing fee"
• Permit validity: 360 days; the CLP cannot be renewed - all required knowledge testing must be completed again to obtain a new permit

Find a Missouri Department of Revenue location →

Step 3 · Do I need behind-the-wheel training?

Yes. ELDT has two halves: the theory course you finished in step 1, and behind-the-wheel (BTW) training on a range and on public roads. BTW must be done in person with a registered provider, has no minimum hour requirement, and ends when an instructor judges you proficient.

Your CLP lets you drive a commercial vehicle only with a qualified CDL holder in the passenger seat. Most drivers do BTW through a local school or a carrier-sponsored program — look near Kansas City, St. Louis, or Springfield.

Step 4 · How do I schedule the Missouri skills test?

Missouri runs CDL skills testing through examiners approved by the Missouri Department of Revenue, and you schedule once your 14-day CLP hold is up. The test has three parts — pre-trip inspection, basic control skills, and an on-road drive — and you must supply a vehicle representing the class you're testing for.

• Skills test fee: $25 skills test fee when tested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol (included in the approximately $83 first-time CDL total); fees charged by a certified Missouri Third Party Tester vary by provider
• Third-party testing: yes - CDL skills tests are administered by Missouri State Highway Patrol examiners at designated CDL test sites (by appointment only) or by a certified…

Schedule your MO skills test →

Step 5 · Do I need a DOT medical card?

Almost certainly. Most CDL drivers must pass a DOT physical with an examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry and file the certificate with the state. A standard card is good for up to 24 months; conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes can shorten that to 12 months or less.

Get this done before your Missouri Department of Revenue visit — you'll need the certificate on file to be issued the CLP, so it isn't really step 5 in practice.

Step 6 · When do I actually get the CDL?

After you pass the skills test, you take the examiner's results and your CLP to the Missouri Department of Revenue, pay the license fee, and are issued a temporary CDL on the spot. The permanent card arrives by mail, and your driving record shows the class and endorsements immediately.

Endorsements you skipped now can be added later — each one is a knowledge test, and Hazmat adds a TSA background check.

• License fee: Approximately $83 for most first-time applicants holding a valid CLP - "fee includes $25 skills test fee, $40 3-6 year term license transaction fee and $18 office processing fee"
• License term: 6 years
• Missouri uses a central issuance system for driver licenses (implemented December 2012), so the permanent CDL card is produced centrally and mailed rather than issued over the…