How to Get a CDL in Florida

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 Florida-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 Florida CDL learner's permit?

Once your ELDT completion is in the federal registry, take your documents to a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) 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: Not published as a separate fee - neither the FLHSMV fee schedule nor s. 322.21, Fla. Stat., lists any commercial learner's permit charge; the only commercial line items are $75.00 original/renewal Commercial Driver License and $48.00 original/renewal School Board Commercial Driver License

Find a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) 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 Jacksonville, Miami, or Tampa.

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

Florida runs CDL skills testing through examiners approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), 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: Not published as a state fee - CDL skills tests are given by statewide contracted third-party skill test sites; the state fee schedule lists only a $20.00 skill retest fee
• Third-party testing: yes - FLHSMV administers a Third Party Administrator / Third Party Tester program and publishes statewide contracted commercial motor vehicle skill test sites

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 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) 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 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), 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: $75.00 original or renewal Commercial Driver License (includes the driver education fee); $48.00 original or renewal School Board CDL. Term not stated on the fee page.
• License term: 8 years