By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 25, 2026
What a Georgia CDL costs
These are the license-side fees Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) publishes; training tuition is a separate, school-set cost covered in our CDL training cost guide. A line reading "Not confirmed" means the agency publishes no figure; the note beside it says what the agency does say.
- CDL learner's permit (Class AP, BP)
- $10 (365 days for a permit issued on or after July 1, 2021)The permit fee is due before the knowledge test begins, is not refunded after a failed test, and has to be paid again before every testing attempt. A driver holds the commercial instructional permit for 14 days before applying for the full CDL.
Endorsement fees
Endorsements ride on the base license; hazmat also carries a federal background check handled outside the license fee. Our hazmat endorsement guide covers that federal layer.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Test fees
Other published fee lines
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Georgia splits the price of a first CDL across three lines instead of one: the application fee, the road skills test fee, and the license fee. Add the learner permit fee, charged again before every knowledge testing attempt, and the sticker price on the fee table understates what a first-time applicant actually pays.
Who gives the skills test in Georgia
States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.
- Testing model
- DDS examiners give CDL road skills tests by appointment at the department's own testing sites, and DDS also licenses CDL training programs to test their own students through the CDL Third Party Testing Program. A school qualifies only after holding DDS certification for at least two years with no compliance violation, posting a surety bond for each location, running a paved testing range, and having its examiners pass DDS instructor training. Accredited board of education programs and state, county, or municipal colleges qualify on the same program.
- Scheduling
- Road skills tests are appointment only, booked through DDS Online Services. Bring paper copies of the vehicle registration, the insurance card, and the medical certificate, and expect a DDS safety inspection of the test vehicle before the test begins. DDS publishes its state testing sites and the independent third-party sites on one list. dds.georgia.gov/testing-and-training/road-test
- Before you apply
- A Georgia CDL applicant is at least 18, holds a valid Georgia driver's license, obtains a Class AP or BP instructional permit and holds it at least 14 days, completes entry-level driver training, and passes the written knowledge exams before the road skills test. CDL written exams have to start at least 45 minutes before the customer service center closes.
Every applicant also needs a current medical certificate; 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 Georgia's position
Entry-level driver training (ELDT) is federal: it applies in every state before the tests it gates, and the training must come from a provider on FMCSA's registry. 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.
DDS restates the federal entry-level driver training rule and publishes no Georgia addition on top of it. Since February 7, 2022, a driver applying for a first Class A or Class B CDL, upgrading an existing CDL to a higher class, or adding a school bus, passenger, or hazmat endorsement for the first time completes the training with a provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test or the hazmat knowledge test.
The official manual and where this fits
The knowledge tests come straight from the state's own manual, so study the agency's current edition: Commercial Driver's Manual (Georgia CDL study guide). 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 Georgia.
Frequently asked questions
Who gives the CDL skills test in Georgia?
- DDS examiners give CDL road skills tests by appointment at the department's own testing sites, and DDS also licenses CDL training programs to test their own students through the CDL Third Party Testing Program. A school qualifies only after holding DDS certification for at least two years with no compliance violation, posting a surety bond for each location, running a paved testing range, and having its examiners pass DDS instructor training. Accredited board of education programs and state, county, or municipal colleges qualify on the same program.
Does Georgia require training beyond the federal ELDT rule?
- DDS restates the federal entry-level driver training rule and publishes no Georgia addition on top of it. Since February 7, 2022, a driver applying for a first Class A or Class B CDL, upgrading an existing CDL to a higher class, or adding a school bus, passenger, or hazmat endorsement for the first time completes the training with a provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry before taking the skills test or the hazmat knowledge test.
Where do the Georgia CDL fees on this page come from?
- Every dollar amount renders from Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)'s own published fee schedule, cited beside the figure. When the agency publishes no figure for a line, this page shows the agency's own note instead of a guess.
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.
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.