By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 30, 2026
Quick answers for North Carolina CDL applicants
Use this page to answer the three searches most CDL applicants make before choosing a school or booking a test: what the state charges, where the skills test is handled, and whether the state adds anything beyond federal ELDT.
- Published fee lines
- 8
- Skills testing
- agency offices or approved third-party testers
- Training rule
- Federal ELDT applies
Amounts below come from North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDOT).
Use the agency testing notes below.
State-specific ELDT notes are cited below.
What a North Carolina CDL costs
These are the license-side fees North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDOT) 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 permit
- $25.50 (180 days)NCDMV's fee table states the commercial learner permit must be held for 14 days prior to skills testing and is valid for 180 days, and that a driver more than 30 days past the expiration date must retake all written tests.
- Commercial Class A, B, or C license, per year of the license period
- $25.50 (A commercial drivers license expires on the birthday of the licensee in the fifth year after issuance)North Carolina prices the CDL by the year rather than by the license. G.S. 20-37.16(d) sets the fee for a Class A, B, or C commercial drivers license at this amount for each year of the period for which the license is issued, and NCDMV's fee table publishes the same per-year figure for all three commercial classes. The nonrefundable application fee is a separate line. A CDL carrying both a passenger (P) and a school bus (S) endorsement expires in the third year after issuance where the licensee is certified to operate a school bus in North Carolina.
- Commercial Class A, B, or C renewal, per year of the license period
- $25.50 (A renewed commercial drivers license expires five years after the expiration date of the license that is renewed)The same per-year rate applies on renewal. The nonrefundable application fee does not: G.S. 20-37.15(a1) excludes an application to renew a commercial drivers license issued by the Division. A person may apply to renew during the 180-day period before the license expires, and the Division may not accept an application made before that window opens.
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.
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Test fees
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Other published fee lines
NCDMV itemizes no skills-test fee and no per-endorsement fee beyond the flat per-year endorsement rate: the applicant brings their own commercial motor vehicle to the road test, and a third-party tester sets its own charge, which NCDMV does not publish. The North Carolina REAL ID endorsement is listed at no charge. Paying online adds the PayIt transaction fee of $3.00 plus 1.85 percent card processing, which NCDMV states the State does not collect or benefit from.
Who gives the skills test in North Carolina
States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.
- Testing model
- NCDMV administers the CDL road skills test at its driver license offices, and appointments are booked by calling (919) 715-7000. The applicant provides their own commercial motor vehicle, representative of the class applied for, and brings a valid driver license and an unexpired commercial learner permit. G.S. 20-37.13(b) also lets the Division permit a third party, including an agency of this or another state, an employer, a private driver training facility, or an agency of local government, to administer the same skills test under an agreement meeting 49 C.F.R. 383.75, and G.S. 20-37.13(b1) requires the Division to allow a third party to give that test any day of the week. On passing, the CDL arrives within 20 business days and a Temporary Driving Certificate covers the gap.
- Scheduling
- Skills tests are scheduled by telephone at (919) 715-7000. NCDMV's commercial driver license page publishes no online CDL skills-test scheduler, so no URL is recorded here.
- Before you apply
- An applicant must be at least 18 years old, or 21 for operation in interstate commerce or for a hazardous materials endorsement, must already hold a valid Class A, B, or C driver license that is not suspended, disqualified, or revoked, and must obtain a commercial learner permit first. G.S. 20-37.13 adds that the permit must be held for a minimum of 14 days and that only the manufacturer's GVWR is used for skills testing and license classification. Medical certification changed on June 28, 2025: NCDMV no longer accepts a Medical Examiner Certificate handed over by the driver, and every certificate now arrives electronically through the FMCSA National Registry.
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 North Carolina'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.
NCDMV requires the Entry-Level Driver Training course from a school listed on the federal Training Provider Registry after the commercial learner permit has been held for at least 14 days, and describes it as classroom and behind-the-wheel training that usually takes about four weeks. That is the federal entry-level driver training rule restated. The commercial driver license pages read in this pass add no North Carolina training requirement on top of it.
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 License Manual (2005 CDL Testing System, July 2014). 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 North Carolina.
If you searched for North Carolina 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 North Carolina startup sequenceFrequently asked questions
Who gives the CDL skills test in North Carolina?
- NCDMV administers the CDL road skills test at its driver license offices, and appointments are booked by calling (919) 715-7000. The applicant provides their own commercial motor vehicle, representative of the class applied for, and brings a valid driver license and an unexpired commercial learner permit. G.S. 20-37.13(b) also lets the Division permit a third party, including an agency of this or another state, an employer, a private driver training facility, or an agency of local government, to administer the same skills test under an agreement meeting 49 C.F.R. 383.75, and G.S. 20-37.13(b1) requires the Division to allow a third party to give that test any day of the week. On passing, the CDL arrives within 20 business days and a Temporary Driving Certificate covers the gap.
Does North Carolina require training beyond the federal ELDT rule?
- NCDMV requires the Entry-Level Driver Training course from a school listed on the federal Training Provider Registry after the commercial learner permit has been held for at least 14 days, and describes it as classroom and behind-the-wheel training that usually takes about four weeks. That is the federal entry-level driver training rule restated. The commercial driver license pages read in this pass add no North Carolina training requirement on top of it.
Where do the North Carolina CDL fees on this page come from?
- Every dollar amount renders from North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDOT)'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.