Requirements:
Persons 18 to 21 may obtain a commercial driver’s license, but will be restricted to drive in Georgia only. On or after the 21st birthday, the driver must go to the examination station and the Georgia Only restriction will be lifted.
Application Process:
Application and manuals for a commercial drivers license (CDL) may be obtained at the Customer Service Centers. Complete the application. Fees are waived for veterans and school bus drivers who present the proper documentation. To apply, submit the completed application and required fees to any Customer Service Center (except Jackson) and take the required written knowledge exams.
Knowledge Tests:
Examination stations/Customer Service Centers are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. All Customer Service Centers offer the written knowledge exams; testing must begin by 5:15pm. The Albany, Between, Brunswick, Dalton, Gainesville, Jackson, Milledgeville and Thomson examination stations are the only centers that give CDL road tests and tests are given by appointment only. To schedule an appointment call: (678) 413-8500.
You will have to take one or more knowledge tests, depending on what class of license and what endorsements you need. The CDL knowledge tests include:
- The general knowledge test, taken by all applicants.
- The passenger transport test, taken by all bus driver applicants.
- The air brakes test, which you must take if your vehicle has air brakes, including air over hydraulic brakes.
- The combination vehicles test, which is required if you want to drive combination vehicles.
- The hazardous materials test, required if you want to haul hazardous materials or waste in amounts that require placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR 73. In order to obtain this endorsement you are also required to pass a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) background check.
- The tanker test, required if you want to haul a liquid or liquid gas in a permanently mounted cargo tank rated at 119 gallons or more or a portable tank rated at 1,000 gallons or more.
- The doubles/triples test, required if you want to pull double or triple trailers.
- The School Bust test, required if you want to drive a school bus.
The passing score for all knowledge tests is 80%.
With the exception of adding the Passenger (P) endorsement or the School Bus (S) endorsement, a driver who already has the required license class may add the endorsement(s) after passing written tests requisite to the endorsement(s) being applied for. To obtain a Passenger (P) or School Bus (S) endorsement, the driver must pass both CDL knowledge and skills tests.
If you do not have the license class required for an endorsement but are seeking that class while also seeking the endorsement, the endorsement is only granted if the knowledge test for the endorsement is passed and all other requirements for the license class also are met.
If you fail an endorsement test, but have otherwise passed the knowledge tests for the license class, you can still take the applicable skills tests. If you pass the skills tests, you should be given the appropriate license, but without the endorsement. You can then retake the endorsement test later without further skills testing except for obtaining a
P or S endorsement (P and S endorsements require a skills test be performed in a bus).
Upon request the examiner will provide you with your score for each knowledge test taken. All test material is derived from the CDL Drivers Manual. After you have passed the knowledge test(s) for a license class, you then must pass the skill tests. No class of CDL or CDL upgrade is granted solely on the basis of passing the knowledge tests. If a driver fails one or more of the knowledge tests required for a license class, you must retake and pass the failed test(s) before taking the skills tests.
Retest waiting period
- 1st failure – one day
- 2nd failure – one week
- 3rd failure – one week
- 4th and subsequent failures – one week
Driving/Skills Tests:
If you pass the required knowledge test(s), you can take the CDL skills tests. There are three types of general skills that will be tested: pre-trip inspection, basic vehicle control, and on-road driving. You must take these tests in the type of vehicle for which you wish to be licensed.
- Pre-trip Vehicle Inspection. You will be tested to see if you know whether your vehicle is safe to drive. You will be asked to do a pre-trip inspection of your vehicle and explain to the examiner what you would inspect and why.
- Basic Vehicle Control. You will be tested on your skill to control the vehicle. You will be asked to move your vehicle forward, backward, and turn it within a defined area. These areas may be marked with traffic lanes, cones, barriers, or something similar. The examiner will tell you how each control test is to be done.
- On-road Test. You will be tested on your skill to safely drive your vehicle in a variety of traffic situations. The situations may include left and right turns, intersections, railroad crossings, curves, up and down grades, single or multi-lane roads, streets, or highways. The examiner will tell you where to drive.
If you fail any part of the skills tests you can apply to reschedule the retest as follows—
- 1st failure – one day
- 2nd failure – one week
- 3rd failure – one week
- 4th and subsequent failures – one week
Additional notes and restrictions—
- If an applicant performs the skills test in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission, that person is restricted from operating a CMV equipped with a manual transmission. (No manual transmission equipped CMV)
- Tractor-trailer – If an applicant performs the skills test in a combination vehicle for a Group A CDL with the power unit and towed unit connected with a pintle hook or other non-fifth wheel connection, that person is restricted from operating a tractor-trailer combination connected by a fifth wheel that requires a Group A CDL. (No tractor trailer CMV)
- If an applicant performs the skills test in a passenger vehicle requiring a Group B CDL, that person is restricted from operating a passenger vehicle requiring a Group A CDL. (No Class A passenger busses)
- If an applicant performs the skills test in a passenger vehicle requiring a Group C CDL, that person is restricted from operating a passenger vehicle requiring a Group B CDL. (No class A or B passenger busses)
- If an applicant performs the skills test in a vehicle that does not have air brakes they will be restricted from operating a CMV with air brakes. (No air brake equipped CMV)
Fees:
The CDL application fee is $35. Fees are waived for veterans and school bus drivers who present the proper documentation. A $10 permit fee is also required prior to taking the knowledge exams. If all exams are passed, the $10 fee pays for the instructional permit. If any of the exams are not passed, the $10 fee is retained as a testing fee. The $10 permit fee would be paid again at the next test attempt.
Licensing Agency & Website:
Georgia Department of Driver Services, http://www.dds.ga.gov/Commercial/index.aspx
