In Washington, commercial licenses come from the Department of Licensing (DOL). The order is fixed: pass knowledge tests and get a commercial learner's permit (CLP), wait 14 days, finish federally required training with an approved provider, then pass a three-part skills test. This guide follows DOL's own pages step by step.
Check the current notice first
DOL's CDL pages currently carry a notice that the department has stopped processing all non-domicile CLP and CDL transactions (originals, renewals, upgrades, duplicates and replacements) and has stopped knowledge and skills testing for non-domiciled drivers. If that applies to you, check DOL's pages for updates before planning anything. The rest of this guide describes the standard process for Washington-domiciled drivers.
Who can apply
You must be at least 18 with a valid Washington driver license, and you cannot have a lifetime driver license disqualification. You must be at least 21 to drive commercial vehicles across state lines (interstate).
Step 1: Medical certification and knowledge tests
DOL's steps start with self-certifying the type of driving you will do and getting a DOT physical. A medical examiner uploads your medical certificate to the FMCSA National Registry. If you need a state or federal medical waiver or a federal Skill Performance Evaluation, it must be in place before DOL can issue your CDL; if your certificate is not in the National Registry, DOL cannot issue the license.
Next, make an appointment at a driver licensing office that offers knowledge testing and bring your current license, your Social Security number and proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency. DOL lists these knowledge tests and passing scores:
| Test | Questions | Passing score |
|---|---|---|
| General knowledge (A, B, C) | 50 | 40 |
| Combination (Class A) | 20 | 16 |
| Air brakes | 25 | 20 |
| Passenger | 20 | 16 |
| School bus | 20 | 16 |
| Doubles/triples | 20 | 16 |
| Tank vehicle | 20 | 16 |
| Hazardous materials | 30 | 24 |
The tests are offered in English, Spanish, Russian and Serbian-Croatian; interpreters are not allowed. DOL says the test fee covers one attempt at each test taken within 90 days of receipt, and it does not state the amount on that page, so call 360-902-3900 for the current figure. A passing score is valid for 180 days. Hazmat also requires a hazmat training course completion on record before you test.
Step 2: The commercial learner's permit
You need a CLP if you are taking your first CDL test, upgrading to a higher class, removing an air brake, manual transmission or non-tractor-trailer restriction, or adding an endorsement that requires a skills test. DOL lists the CLP fee as $40.
- The permit is valid for 180 days. If you renew within 30 days of expiration it is valid for another 180 days, and you can renew only once.
- If the permit has been expired for more than 30 days you must retake the knowledge tests.
- Doubles/triples and hazmat test scores are not extended by renewing the permit; they expire 180 days after you pass.
While you hold a CLP, a supervising CDL holder must ride beside you. DOL requires that person to hold a valid CDL with the proper endorsements, to have two years of experience driving that type of commercial vehicle, and to have at least five years of total driving experience. You may not operate hazmat-placarded vehicles, tank vehicles with hazmat residue, or passenger or school buses with passengers.
Step 3: Entry-level driver training (ELDT)
Federal rule 49 CFR 380.605 requires training before the skills test for a first Class A or B CDL, a class upgrade to A or B, or a first passenger or school bus endorsement, and before the knowledge test for a first hazmat endorsement. The training must come from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. DOL says an approved training provider must complete your training and enter your course completion; testing before that is recorded can mean retaking all three skills components.
DOL does not give a course length, and neither do we; ask each school for its schedule. See the CDL School Tuition Report for what schools actually charge, and compare registered providers on the state hub linked below.
Step 4: The skills test
You must wait 14 calendar days after your original or upgraded CLP is issued. DOL requires you to contact it first, whether you test with a DOL examiner or a third-party examiner (TPE), because DOL must authorize a TPE before one can schedule you.
- DOL examiner: call 360-902-3785 or email cdlskillstest@dol.wa.gov. Payment is by phone (a convenience fee applies to cards) or by mailing form 522019; mail-in payments can take up to three weeks, and a declined payment invalidates your test and/or CDL.
- TPE: contact the examiner directly, pay them directly and schedule at least three days ahead.
DOL lists the fee for a truck or passenger test (excluding school bus) with a DOL or TPE examiner as $175. A school bus test is $100 and covers two attempts.
Bring an unloaded commercial vehicle in safe condition that matches your CLP, with no marks or labels on its components, free of hazardous materials. Borrowed vehicles need a letter from the owner. Also bring your license with CLP, proof of insurance, and a medical certificate on file with DOL.
The test takes about two hours and is taken in this order: vehicle inspection, basic controls (backing), then the road test. It is given in English only.
- Passing scores are valid for 180 days from the first component you pass, and you must pass all three before your CLP expires.
- After a failed attempt you wait three days to retest, unless the failure was an equipment problem with the vehicle, in which case there is no wait and no fee.
- Switching examiners means your earlier scores do not transfer, except when moving from DOL to a TPE.
Doubles/triples, tank and hazmat endorsements do not need a skills test (tank only needs one if you test or train in a tank vehicle).
Step 5: Issuance
The CDL can be issued 24 hours after you pass all three components. Make an appointment at a driver licensing office; DOL needs proof of your completed training and skills test, and if it does not have them you may need to ask your tester or training provider to enter the results.
Class upgrades and school buses
DOL notes that a Class C holder testing for a school bus with a GVWR of 26,001 lbs or more is upgraded to Class B. Passenger and school bus endorsement tests require a bus designed for 16 or more passengers. For DOL's full class definitions and restriction codes, see its CDL types pages.
What can disqualify you
Under 49 CFR 383.51, a first major offense (for example driving a commercial vehicle while impaired) disqualifies you for at least one year, three years if you were hauling hazardous materials, and a second major offense means a lifetime disqualification. Serious traffic violations add disqualification periods on repeat offenses within three years. Washington also bars applicants with a lifetime driver license disqualification.
Checklist
- Confirm you are 18+ (21+ for interstate) with a valid Washington license and no notice affecting your status.
- Self-certify, get a DOT physical and confirm the certificate reaches the National Registry.
- Book a licensing office appointment; pass the knowledge tests and pay the $40 CLP fee.
- Wait 14 days and complete ELDT with a provider on the Training Provider Registry.
- Contact DOL (or an authorized TPE) to schedule and pay for the skills test.
- Pass all three skills components within 180 days and before the permit expires.
- Get your CDL issued at a licensing office.
Where to start comparing schools
Browse Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane city pages, or read about funding in free CDL training in Seattle and Tacoma. Prices appear only where schools have confirmed them; otherwise the page says to call.
Compare FMCSA-registered CDL schools in Washington →
What schools actually charge: CDL School Tuition Report 2026.