How to Get a CDL in Texas

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 Texas-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 Texas CDL learner's permit?

Once your ELDT completion is in the federal registry, take your documents to a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 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: $25 (Commercial Learner Permit, original or renewal; 180-day validity)
• Permit validity: 180 days, or until the Texas driver license expires, whichever is earliest; renewable once up to 30 days before expiration without retaking…

Find a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 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 Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio.

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

Texas runs CDL skills testing through examiners approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), 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: No state skills-test fee is published by TxDPS - the DPS Driver License Fees schedule contains no drive-test, skills-test or retest line item, so the CDL/CLP application fees are the only state charges. The CDL driving skills test itself is administered by DPS-certified Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) providers, who set their own charges; DPS publishes neither the provider fees nor any statutory cap, and applicants must contact providers directly for pricing.
• Third-party testing: yes - DPS-certified Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) providers administer knowledge and driver skills examinations and transmit scores electronically; DPS…

Schedule your TX 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 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 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 Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), 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: $97 (8-year, ages 18-84); $61 with hazmat (5-year); $26 (2-year, ages 85+); $121 non-domiciled CDL
• License term: 8 years