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California · Permit test

California DMV Class A practice test and CDL permit

DMV has two free commercial sample tests on its website, and the same two cover Class A and Class B. They're in English, and the questions come from the California Commercial Driver Handbook, not the car handbook. Any California DMV Class A practice test you use should follow that book, because the Class C questions on our practice test won't prepare you for it.

Free practice test

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Where can you find a California DMV Class A practice test?

On DMV's sample tests page, under Commercial. Study them with the Commercial Driver Handbook and its supplement, both free PDFs in English and Spanish.

DMV: Commercial sample test #1 ↗DMV: Commercial sample test #2 ↗DMV: California Commercial Driver Handbook (PDF) ↗DMV: Commercial handbook supplement (PDF) ↗

Getting a commercial learner's permit

  1. Hold a regular California Class C license. A temporary or interim one is fine.
  2. Fill in DMV's online CDL application.
  3. At a DMV office, hand in your medical examination report and medical examiner's certificate, show identity and residency documents, and pay the application fee. If you've held a license anywhere else in the last 10 years, bring the 10 Year History Record Check (DL 939).
  4. Pass the knowledge tests for the class you want. You get three tries at each one.

You need to be 18 to drive commercially within California, and 21 to drive across state lines or carry hazardous materials. As of October 2026, DMV has paused non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs, including originals, renewals and duplicates, for applicants with limited legal presence in the US.

Training and the skills test

First-time Class A or B applicants need federal entry-level driver training, plus at least 15 hours behind the wheel, 10 of them on public roads. Hold your CLP for at least 14 days before the skills test. A CLP lasts up to 180 days and can be renewed once.

The skills test has three parts: a vehicle inspection, basic control skills and a road test. It's by appointment only, in a vehicle of the class you're testing for, and you get three tries.

California CDL fees

From DMV's Licensing Fees page, as of October 2026.

WhatFee
Original commercial Class A or B application$100
Commercial driving or skills retest$46
Commercial Class A or B replacement$44
Sources: California DMV and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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