Who gives the CDL skills test in Colorado?

Written knowledge tests are taken by appointment at a state driver license office, in English or Spanish (the hazmat knowledge test is English only). After holding the CLP for 14 days and completing ELDT, the skills test is taken at an approved third-party testing facility. The license is then issued at a driver license office.

Where do the Colorado CDL fees on this page come from?

The tables show stored fee amounts and their recorded sources. An unconfirmed amount is a verification gap; it does not establish that Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (Driver License Section, CDL unit) publishes no fee. Review the source and note beside each field.

How much is a CDL permit in Colorado?

$20 (1 year, not renewable) for the commercial learner permit, valid 1 year, not renewable. It is the license-side fee from the schedule above; the knowledge test itself is priced separately where the state publishes it.

What is the difference between Class A, B, and C?

Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more (whichever is greater), inclusive of a towed unit or units with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds. Class B: Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more, or such a vehicle towing a vehicle not exceeding 10,000 pounds GVWR or gross vehicle weight. Class C: Any single vehicle or combination that does not meet Class A or B but is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or transports placarded hazardous materials or select agents.

Do I need my CDL before starting a trucking company?

They are separate tracks: the CDL licenses the driver, while operating authority licenses the business. Most owner-operators finish the CDL first because revenue depends on it, then file the business-side registrations. The state startup guide linked on this page covers that second track in order.

Colorado CDL Cost, Requirements and Testing

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026

Quick answers for Colorado CDL applicants

Use this page to answer the four searches most CDL applicants make before choosing a school or booking a test: what the state charges, which class of license the work needs, where the skills test is handled, and whether the state adds anything beyond federal ELDT.

Stored fee amounts: 5
Skills testing: agency offices or approved third-party testers
Training rule: Check federal ELDT scope
License class: A, B or C, set by the truck

What a Colorado CDL costs

These are the stored license-side fee fields. Training tuition is a separate, school-set cost covered in our CDL training cost guide. A line reading "Not confirmed" means this guide has not confirmed that amount. The field note explains the gap; it does not establish that the agency publishes no fee.

Commercial learner's permit (the fee table's Instruction Permit line): $20 (1 year, not renewable)Knowledge test results are good for one CLP issuance only.
Commercial Driver's License: $35 (4 years from the date of issuance)
CDL renewal: $35 (4 years from the date of issuance)The fee table lists one Commercial Driver's License fee and no separate renewal line, so the same $35 applies to a renewed license. A CDL expired less than one year can be renewed, often online through myDMV.

Other fee fields

Other Colorado CDL fee lines
Item	Fee
Duplicate CDL or permit	$12.30
Subsequent duplicate CDL or permit	$16.40

Scroll sideways to see every column.

Figures are from the DMV's Commercial Driver's License Fees table. The table lists no separate endorsement or test fees. Third-party skills testers set their own prices, and the TSA charges separately for the hazmat background check.

Which class of CDL the work needs

The class is set by what you drive, and the definitions are federal: Colorado issues licenses against these three rather than writing its own. Pick the class by the heaviest combination you will actually operate, because the skills test is taken in a vehicle of that class.

Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 pounds or more (whichever is greater), inclusive of a towed unit or units with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
Class B: Any single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or more, or such a vehicle towing a vehicle not exceeding 10,000 pounds GVWR or gross vehicle weight.
Class C: Any single vehicle or combination that does not meet Class A or B but is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or transports placarded hazardous materials or select agents.
Which class a hotshot needs: A hotshot combination needs a Class A CDL when the greater of its GCWR or actual combination weight reaches 26,001 pounds and the greater of the towed unit’s rating or actual weight exceeds 10,000 pounds. Check Class B for a heavy single vehicle and Class C for passenger or hazardous-material use. Federal registration requirements depend separately on the operation.

Endorsements ride on whichever class you hold; the hazmat endorsement guide covers the one carriers ask about most, and CDL versus non-CDL driving covers the boundary case of trucks that stay under the threshold. If the plan is a specific vehicle rather than a license, hotshot trucking and the box truck business guide walk what each one requires end to end.

Who gives the skills test in Colorado

States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.

Testing model: Written knowledge tests are taken by appointment at a state driver license office, in English or Spanish (the hazmat knowledge test is English only). After holding the CLP for 14 days and completing ELDT, the skills test is taken at an approved third-party testing facility. The license is then issued at a driver license office.
Scheduling: Book a "CDL Written Test" appointment for the knowledge test and a "First Time Appointment" to collect the CDL after the skills test. dmv.colorado.gov/cdl-general-information
Before you apply: A CDL is required for a commercial motor vehicle of 26,001 lbs GVWR or more, a vehicle designed for 16 or more passengers including the driver, or a vehicle carrying placarded hazardous materials. Applicants must be 18 (21 for hazmat), hold a valid Colorado driver's license, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and have their medical certificate sent electronically from the FMCSA National Registry. Colorado suspended non-domiciled CDLs and CLPs on September 29, 2025.

Check the medical certification rules for your operation; our DOT physical guide covers the exam that produces it. Not sure your truck even needs a CDL? Start with CDL vs non-CDL.

The federal training rule, then Colorado's position

Check whether federal entry-level driver training (ELDT) applies to your license or endorsement. Review the eligibility and registry criteria below and the original FMCSA source. The full walkthrough lives in our how to get a CDL guide.

Who must train: First-time Class A or Class B applicants; Class B holders upgrading to Class A; First-time S, P, or H endorsement applicants
Registry requirement: Entry-level driver training means training received from an entity listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry, completed before taking the CDL skills test for a first or upgraded Class A or Class B CDL, before the skills test for a first P or S endorsement, or before the knowledge test for a first H endorsement. You must complete training with a provider listed on the registry.
States may add more: States with training requirements that exceed the federal minimum standard may prohibit you from taking the skills test, or the knowledge test for the H endorsement, until you meet their state requirements as well as the federal ones. Federal rules also allow you to receive training and take the CDL skills test in a state other than the state you are licensed in.

Colorado DMV requires the federal entry-level driver training from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before the skills test, and proof of completion before the CDL is issued. Its CDL page adds no Colorado training hours.

The official manual and where this fits

Review the agency manual linked in the stored record and confirm its edition before studying: Colorado Commercial Driver License Manual (DR 2251, 2023). The CDL licenses you as a driver; if the plan is your own trucks and your own freight, the business side runs on its own track through start a trucking company in Colorado.

If you searched for Colorado CDL requirements, go here next

Still deciding if you need a CDL?

Start with the vehicle weight and use case. The national guide explains the CDL threshold before you pay for a permit or training.

Compare CDL vs non-CDL

Ready to drive under your own authority?

The CDL is the driver credential. Operating authority, IRP, IFTA, insurance, and permits are the business credential stack.

See the Colorado startup sequence