New Hampshire CDL Test 2026: Permit, Fees and English Rule

Which vehicles need a CDL?

The Driver’s Manual and the DMV’s fee page set out the commercial classes:

Class	What it covers
A	Combinations of 26,001 pounds or more, towing over 10,000 pounds
B	Single vehicles of 26,001 pounds or more, towing up to 10,000 pounds
C	Vehicles of 26,000 pounds or less built for 16 or more people, placarded for hazardous materials, or tank vehicles

A regular Class D license covers vehicles of 26,000 pounds or less that aren’t in Class C.

The commercial driver learner permit

New Hampshire’s Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) 263:88 sets the permit rules:

You must hold a valid driver’s license to get one
It can be renewed or reissued once in a year
You drive a commercial vehicle only with a CDL holder for that type of vehicle in the seat next to you
It isn’t issued while you’re disqualified from commercial driving or your license is suspended, revoked or cancelled in any state

To practice in a commercial vehicle at all, you need the permit and a valid non-commercial license (RSA 263:25).

English only, by law

State law says the CDL knowledge test is written and given in English only, and neither you nor the examiner may use another language during the knowledge or skills test. You must be able to understand and answer an examiner’s spoken instructions in English, and interpreters aren’t allowed apart from federal exemptions (RSA 263:87, as amended with effect from August 31, 2026). The DMV’s testing page lists other languages for knowledge tests, but for a CDL the law’s rule applies.

How does the New Hampshire CDL test work?

The knowledge test runs on the DMV’s touch-screen system, and like all its knowledge exams it needs 80% to pass. If you fail, you can retest sooner than a car or motorcycle applicant can. Miss a road test, or cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, and you wait at least 10 calendar days.

CDL fees

The DMV’s fee page lists:

Item	Fee
CDL, Class A, B or C	$60
CDL learner’s permit, on top of the $60	$20
Each endorsement	$10

The endorsements are H for hazardous materials, N for tank vehicles, P for passenger vehicles carrying 16 or more, S for school bus and T for double or triple trailers. State law also sets $20 for each CDL reexamination within a year.

Studying for it

The Driver’s Manual is for cars, and it points to a separate New Hampshire CDL manual for commercial restrictions and endorsements. That’s the one to study.

See the driver’s manual page →

Sources: New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles · New Hampshire General Court and 3 more. Checked November 2026.