How to Get a CDL in Georgia

Georgia CDL step by step: DDS permit rules, the 14-day wait, knowledge and skills tests, ELDT, medical certificate handling, testing fees and disqualification rules, from official sources.

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Updated 2026-10-11. Rules come from the official sources listed at the end; check them before you book a test, since states change fees and steps.

In Georgia, commercial licenses are issued by the Department of Driver Services (DDS). The path is permit first, then training, then a skills test. This guide follows the order DDS uses and flags where the federal rules fill in details that DDS pages leave out. Check DDS before you book anything, since fees and procedures change.

Eligibility basics

Know your class

ClassDDS description
Class ACombination vehicle where combined weight exceeds 26,001 lbs and the towed unit exceeds 10,000 lbs. Class A holders may also operate Class B and C vehicles with the required endorsements.
Class BA single vehicle rated at 26,001 lbs or more with a towed unit under 10,000 lbs.
Class CIssued only for vehicles designed to carry 16 or more passengers including the driver, or for hazardous materials requiring placarding.

Tractor-trailer jobs generally mean Class A. DDS also has a separate farm waiver (restricted Class B) application.

Step 1: Submit your information and gather documents

Before you visit, submit the License/ID/Permit Form online. DDS keeps your information on file for 60 days, after which you must resubmit. Then collect your identity, residency and Social Security documents.

Step 2: Get your commercial learner permit (Class AP or BP)

At your Customer Service Center visit you show your documents, pass a vision exam, complete the commercial application (called a CAP), pay fees, pass the knowledge exams and handle medical certification. DDS says all CDL knowledge exams must begin at least 45 minutes before the center closes, and that you must call to schedule an appointment.

Knowledge tests are multiple choice. DDS's manual lists these tests:

The passing score for all knowledge tests is 80%. After a failure, the retest waiting period is two days. The hazmat and doubles/triples endorsements are not eligible for the permit.

Fees DDS states: the CAP fee is $35 and is valid for four test attempts; after a fourth failed attempt, or if 360 days pass between attempts, you need a new CAP and a new $35 fee. A $10 permit fee is paid before the knowledge exams: if you pass everything it covers the instructional permit, and if you fail any exam it is kept as a testing fee and charged again on the next attempt. DDS says the CAP fee is waived for veterans and school bus drivers with the required waiver or certification.

While you drive on the permit, a licensed driver of that vehicle class must sit beside you and be able to control the vehicle.

Step 3: Hold the permit at least 14 days

DDS requires CDL applicants to hold the permit for 14 days before applying for a full CDL, and its manual states that a permit holder cannot take the skills test during the first 14 days after the permit is first issued. A permit issued on or after July 1, 2021 is valid for 365 days, and DDS says the permit cannot be held for more than 365 days. Federal rule 49 CFR 383.25 sets the same limits.

Step 4: Entry-level driver training

DDS states that you must complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) before you are allowed to take the CDL skills tests. It applies to everyone who is a first-time Class A or Class B applicant, upgrading an existing CDL to a higher class, or adding a School Bus, Passenger or Hazmat endorsement for the first time, for applications since February 7, 2022. The DDS manual adds that formal training has been required before the TSA background check for hazmat since that date.

Because training must come before the road test, compare programs before you commit. Our CDL School Tuition Report shows which schools have published prices; for the rest we say "call to confirm" instead of guessing.

Step 5: Medical certification

You must self-certify your driving category when you apply; your choice determines whether you must provide a medical card. DDS says that effective June 18, 2025, medical examiners transmit CDL medical certificates to DDS electronically through FMCSA, and DDS no longer accepts medical certificates by mail, fax, email, online or in person. To update or renew, get an exam from a medical examiner listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners; you do not need to submit a paper certificate. DDS's FAQ adds that an expired certificate must be replaced, and failing to provide valid certificates or variances may require retesting. Under 49 CFR 391.45, drivers who were not certified in the preceding 24 months need an examination, with a 12-month interval for some conditions such as insulin-treated diabetes.

Step 6: Pass the CDL skills test

You must pass the knowledge test(s) first, then take the skills test, in three segments:

  1. Pre-trip inspection: you explain to the examiner what you would inspect on the vehicle and why, which can involve crawling under the hood or vehicle.
  2. Basic vehicle control: moving forward and backward and turning within a defined area marked by cones or barriers.
  3. On-road test: driving through varied traffic with turns, intersections, railroad crossings, grades and multi-lane roads.

Schedule through the DDS Road Test Appointments page. DDS says a $50.00 testing fee is required for each CDL road skills attempt, and the retest waiting period after a failed skills test is two days. Passenger and school bus endorsements require the skills test to be performed in a bus.

Disqualifications

The DDS pages we could read do not set out the disqualification table, so this section relies on federal rule 49 CFR 383.51, which applies in every state. A first alcohol or controlled-substance offense disqualifies you from operating a commercial vehicle for 1 year, whether you were in a commercial vehicle or not. A first conviction while hauling hazardous materials carries 3 years, and a second conviction in a separate incident is a lifetime disqualification. Two serious traffic violations within 3 years bring 60 days, and three bring 120 days.

The DDS FAQ notes that a lifetime disqualification may be reduced to 10 years if the driver meets certain qualifications, through the Lifetime CDL Disqualification Application. Felony offenses involving manufacturing, distributing or dispensing a controlled substance with a commercial vehicle, or human trafficking with a commercial vehicle, are not eligible for reinstatement.

Georgia CDL checklist

  1. Confirm age (18, or 21 for interstate driving), a valid Georgia license and English ability.
  2. Submit the online License/ID/Permit Form and gather identity, residency and Social Security documents.
  3. Self-certify your driving type and arrange a medical certificate if required.
  4. Call to book a knowledge test; pass at 80% or better for each exam you need.
  5. Pay the CAP and permit fees and receive your Class AP or BP permit.
  6. Complete ELDT with a training provider.
  7. Wait out the 14 days, book the road test and pay the $50 fee per attempt.
  8. Pass pre-trip, basic control and on-road, then receive your CDL.

Compare Georgia schools

Browse our Georgia state page for FMCSA-registered schools, or go straight to the city hubs for Atlanta, Columbus and Albany. For funded options see free CDL training in Atlanta and Augusta.

Compare FMCSA-registered CDL schools in Georgia →

What schools actually charge: CDL School Tuition Report 2026.

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