Michigan CDL Permit Test 2026: Chauffeur License and Age Rules

Who needs a CDL in Michigan?

The manual says you need one to drive:

A single vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
A combination with a Gross Combination Weight Rating of 26,001 pounds or more, towing a trailer or vehicles with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more
A vehicle designed to carry 16 or more people, the driver included
Hazardous materials in amounts that need placards

Depending on the vehicle, you need a Group A, B or C designator and the T, P, N, H, X or S endorsements. Under the age for crossing state lines, you can drive a commercial vehicle only within Michigan.

How do you take the Michigan CDL permit test?

Arrive at the SOS office at least an hour before closing, so there’s time to finish. Unlike other written tests, the CDL knowledge tests don’t allow interpreters, and neither does the CDL skills test, including the talk before and after it.

The commercial learner’s permit and the CDL road test

State law says that before the behind-the-wheel test for a group designator or a commercial endorsement, the examiner must check that your commercial learner’s permit (CLP) was issued at least 14 days earlier, and that you have it with you. The Driving Skills Test Study Guide points you to the CDL manual for the commercial skills test.

The Michigan chauffeur’s license

You need a chauffeur’s license, from 16, if you’re employed mainly to drive a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or more, to carry passengers or to carry property as a common or contract carrier, or to drive a bus or school bus. You pass the written chauffeur’s test, and you may need a CDL as well, depending on the vehicle.

For a chauffeur’s license or a CDL, you can’t have had a blackout, fainting spell or seizure in the last 12 months. The manual’s list of SOS publications names no separate chauffeur study guide, so ask the SOS what the chauffeur’s test covers before you go.

Other endorsements

A Recreational Double “R” endorsement, for a pickup pulling a fifth-wheel trailer with a second trailer behind, needs a knowledge test. A farmer endorsement lets farm operations move equipment, livestock and produce, and may need a general knowledge test and a combination vehicles test.

See the license types →

Sources: Michigan Department of State · Michigan Legislature and 1 more. Checked November 2026.

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

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