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District of Columbia · Permit test

DC CDL practice test options, and the tests you’ll take

DC DMV doesn’t post a CDL practice test, so you study its free CDL Manual and use an outside site or app for any DC CDL practice test. Every CDL knowledge test is in English only and taken at the Deanwood Road Test/CDL Center in Northeast DC. You need a regular DC license first, and you pass the knowledge tests for your class to get a commercial learner permit (CLP).

  • $10Each CDL knowledge test
  • $78Commercial learner permit
  • 90 minutesTime limit on general knowledge
Open the DC CDL Manual (PDF)

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

Is there a DC DMV CDL practice test?

No. DC DMV’s practice test is for the car knowledge test only. For the CDL it points you to the Commercial Driver License Manual, which DC DMV posted in October 2015 and says covers testing, not every federal and District rule. Outside sites such as DMV-Permit-Test.com have DC CDL practice tests by endorsement, and DMV Genie’s App Store listing sells a separate CDL Premium plan at $24.99 a month.

Steps to a DC CDL

  1. Hold a valid non-commercial DC driver’s license.
  2. Meet the identity, residency and driving history rules, and clear the federal Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse.
  3. Watch DC DMV’s Human Trafficking Awareness training online. It takes about 15 minutes and gives you a certificate.
  4. Pass the knowledge tests for your class and endorsements to get your CLP.
  5. Complete Entry-Level Driver Training with a federally approved provider, if your class or endorsement needs it.
  6. Pass the CDL road skills test.

Which knowledge tests you take

ClassTestsEndorsements you can add
AGeneral knowledge, combination, air brakesT, P, S, H, N
BGeneral knowledge, air brakesP, S, H, N
CGeneral knowledgeP, S, H

T is double or triple trailers, P passenger, S school bus, H hazardous materials and N tank. The general knowledge test has a 90-minute limit and each endorsement test 60 minutes, and going over is a fail. T, H and N need no road skills test, and you can only add H and N once you hold a DC CDL. Entry-Level Driver Training applies to a first Class A or B CDL, an upgrade from B to A, and a first S, P or H endorsement. For the H endorsement, the training comes before the knowledge test.

DC CDL fees

ItemFee
Knowledge test, each$10
Commercial learner permit$78
CDL, first time or renewal$117
CDL road skills test$10
Endorsement$20

You pay for each knowledge test whether you pass or fail. The Deanwood Road Test/CDL Center and the CDL testing lot don’t take cash. The CDL road test lot is at 3000 Pennsy Drive in Landover, Maryland, at the Landover Metro parking lot.

If you fail a CDL knowledge test

You wait three full calendar days and can retest on the fourth, so a Tuesday fail means Saturday. After six fails in 12 months, you wait until 12 months after the first fail. A DC CDL lasts 8 years and can be renewed.

Which DC DMV manual you need →DC driver’s license requirements →
Sources: DC DMV and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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