By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 22, 2026
What a Texas CDL costs
These are the license-side fees Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) 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.
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.
Other published fee lines
The DPS fee table lists no separate fee line for the tank, passenger, school bus, or doubles/triples endorsements and no itemized knowledge or skills test fee; those tests are part of the license transaction at DPS, while third-party skills testers set their own charges.
Who gives the skills test in Texas
States split between running CDL skills tests themselves and certifying third-party testers; it changes where you book and who you pay.
- Testing model
- DPS administers CDL skills tests at its driver license offices, and the department also runs the CDL Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) program, which authorizes approved third-party testers to give the same test.
- Scheduling
- DPS offers all in-office card services by appointment only, booked through its online scheduler. txdpsscheduler.com
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 Texas'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.
DPS's published CDL pages do not state a Texas training requirement beyond the federal entry-level driver training rule, and no state addition is recorded here.
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: Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook (DL-7C). 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 Texas.
Frequently asked questions
Who gives the CDL skills test in Texas?
- DPS administers CDL skills tests at its driver license offices, and the department also runs the CDL Third Party Skills Testing (TPST) program, which authorizes approved third-party testers to give the same test.
Does Texas require training beyond the federal ELDT rule?
- DPS's published CDL pages do not state a Texas training requirement beyond the federal entry-level driver training rule, and no state addition is recorded here.
Where do the Texas CDL fees on this page come from?
- Every dollar amount renders from Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)'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.