By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 28, 2026
Quick answers for Idaho 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.
- Published fee lines
- 9
- Skills testing
- agency offices or approved third-party testers
- Training rule
- Federal ELDT applies
- License class
- A, B or C, set by the truck
Amounts below come from Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles (commercial driver's licenses issued through county DMV offices).
Booking points to itd.idaho.gov/dmv/drivers-licenses-id-cards/commercial-drivers-license-cdl.
State-specific ELDT notes are cited below.
Federal definitions, rendered below with the fee and test facts.
What an Idaho CDL costs
These are the license-side fees Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles (commercial driver's licenses issued through county DMV offices) 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.
- Commercial Learner's Permit (must have an Idaho license)
- $29 (1 year)ITD's fee table lists the learner's permit at $29.00, and its Ten Steps guide says the permit is valid for one year. Idaho Code 49-306(2)(i) splits the $29 among the current expense fund ($5), the EMS vehicle and equipment grant fund ($4) and the state highway account ($20). Federal rules require holding the CLP at least 14 days before the skills test.
- 4-Year License (age 21 and over)
- $40 (4 years)The 8-year license (age 21 and over) is $60. Drivers under 21 get a 3-year license (age 18 to 21) at $30 or a 1-year license (age 20) at $15. Idaho Code 49-306(2)(a) through (d) sets the fund split for each term. Test fees are separate.
- Renewal, charged at the license fee for the term issued
- $40 (4 years)ITD publishes one CDL fee table with no separate renewal line; a renewal is charged the license fee for the term issued ($40 for 4 years or $60 for 8 years, age 21 and over). ITD says CDL holders without hazmat endorsements may be eligible to renew online.
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
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Other published fee lines
Scroll sideways to see every column.
All figures from the CDL Fees table on ITD's Commercial Driver's License page, read 2026-09-28, cross-checked against the fund splits in Idaho Code 49-306(2), which add up to each listed fee.
Which class of CDL the work needs
The class is set by what you drive, and the definitions are federal: Idaho 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 Idaho
States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.
- Testing model
- Knowledge tests are taken at county DMV offices, some of which limit testing hours or require appointments. Road skills tests are given by ITD-listed CDL skills test examiners, published by region; ITD says most examiners test as a part-time service to the state. The applicant may pick any examiner statewide, must call at least 48 hours ahead because examiners must notify ITD before every test, and must bring a CLP held 14 days plus ELDT completion. After a pass, the examiner sends results to ITD and the applicant returns to the county DMV to have the CDL issued.
- Scheduling
- Book directly with an examiner from the regional examiner lists on ITD's CDL page. Testing in an automatic, a non-fifth-wheel Class A combination, or a vehicle without air brakes puts the E, O or L restriction on the license. itd.idaho.gov/dmv/drivers-licenses-id-cards/commercial-drivers-license-cdl
- Before you apply
- Applicants must be at least 18, hold a valid Idaho Class D license or have passed its tests, and have one year of licensed driving experience. Drivers who will operate only in Idaho get the K (intrastate only) restriction, which is also placed on every 18, 19 and 20 year old CDL holder. Medical results must be submitted to FMCSA by a National Registry examiner; drivers cannot turn in the forms themselves.
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 Idaho'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.
ITD restates the federal Entry-Level Driver Training rule that has applied since February 7, 2022: entry-level drivers must complete training from a provider on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry before they are eligible for the required skills tests. The Idaho pages read add no state training hours or curriculum.
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: Idaho Commercial Driver's License Manual (July 2026 Edition). 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 Idaho.
If you searched for Idaho 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-CDLReady 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 Idaho startup sequence