By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 25, 2026
What a Pennsylvania CDL costs
These are the license-side fees PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Bureau of Driver Licensing 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
- PennDOT publishes no flat commercial learner's permit price. Its Driver Licensing Fee Chart says initial commercial permit and licensing fees vary depending on the specifics of the initial product being applied for, and prices the upgrade paths instead. The chart adds that commercial fees are quoted for a single permit, with $5 for each additional commercial permit, and the application page tells applicants to expect an increased annual license fee, a photo fee, and permit fees for the privileges requested.
- Original commercial driver's license
- There is no single published original-CDL price in Pennsylvania. The fee chart bands the cost by how much time is left on the driver's existing non-commercial license, because a Pennsylvania CDL is issued as an upgrade of that license. Those four bands are itemized under other, and each includes the photo fee for one permit.
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.
Other published fee lines
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Pennsylvania prices commercial licensing by transaction rather than by one original-license fee, so the useful number depends on which door a driver comes through. The fee chart carries no itemized knowledge or skills test fee, and third-party skills testers set their own charges.
Who gives the skills test in Pennsylvania
States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.
- Testing model
- PennDOT put a modernized CDL skills test in place on August 28, 2023, given at PennDOT branch offices statewide and through third-party testing programs. The test runs in three parts: a vehicle inspection, a control skills test made up of backing maneuvers, and an on-road skills test. PennDOT authorizes the third-party testers under 49 CFR 383.75, and a tester may be an agency of Pennsylvania or another state, a motor carrier, a private driver training facility or other private organization, or a local government body.
- Scheduling
- Skills testing cannot be taken until 15 days after the knowledge testing is passed and a permit is issued, though PennDOT lets applicants book the appointment as soon as the knowledge test is passed, online or by phone. dmv.pa.gov/exam_scheduling/eslogin.jsp
- Before you apply
- The Pennsylvania sequence has its own steps around the federal frame. An applicant holds a Pennsylvania non-commercial license first, self-certifies the category of operation on Form DL-11CD, and files the Commercial Learner's Permit Application, Form DL-31CD. Knowledge testing comes before any practice driving, and the knowledge test authorization is valid for one year with three attempts on that authorization. Restriction K limits a driver to intrastate commerce only, which matters in a state where intrastate hauling for compensation also needs a PUC certificate.
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 Pennsylvania'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.
PennDOT restates the federal entry-level driver training rule without adding to it. New drivers must complete ELDT when getting a CDL or a new endorsement for the first time, and PennDOT states the training must be completed before the skills test. Its fact sheet maps the requirement the way the federal rule does: initial and upgrade training for Class A and Class B, initial training only for the passenger, school bus and hazardous materials endorsements, and none for Class C, doubles and triples, tank, or restriction removals.
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: Pennsylvania Commercial Driver's Manual (PUB 223). 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 Pennsylvania.
Frequently asked questions
Who gives the CDL skills test in Pennsylvania?
- PennDOT put a modernized CDL skills test in place on August 28, 2023, given at PennDOT branch offices statewide and through third-party testing programs. The test runs in three parts: a vehicle inspection, a control skills test made up of backing maneuvers, and an on-road skills test. PennDOT authorizes the third-party testers under 49 CFR 383.75, and a tester may be an agency of Pennsylvania or another state, a motor carrier, a private driver training facility or other private organization, or a local government body.
Does Pennsylvania require training beyond the federal ELDT rule?
- PennDOT restates the federal entry-level driver training rule without adding to it. New drivers must complete ELDT when getting a CDL or a new endorsement for the first time, and PennDOT states the training must be completed before the skills test. Its fact sheet maps the requirement the way the federal rule does: initial and upgrade training for Class A and Class B, initial training only for the passenger, school bus and hazardous materials endorsements, and none for Class C, doubles and triples, tank, or restriction removals.
Where do the Pennsylvania CDL fees on this page come from?
- Every dollar amount renders from PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services, Bureau of Driver Licensing'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.