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New Mexico · Permit test

New Mexico CDL tests and how to practice

The Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) lists a commercial driver’s license (CDL) manual and a New Mexico addendum as its study material, not a New Mexico CDL practice test of its own. For a CDL you need a regular Class D license or a valid CDL from another state. Then you pass the written tests for your class and endorsements, get a commercial learner’s permit, complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) and pass a skills test with an approved examiner. Each part needs 80% or higher.

  • 80%Passing score on each part
  • $18CDL for 4 years
  • 1 weekShortest wait before a CDL retest
Download the CDL manual

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

Which New Mexico CDL tests do you take?

TypeTests
Class AGeneral knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicles
Class BGeneral knowledge and air brakes
Class CGeneral knowledge. Valid only with an H or P endorsement
N or TA written test: N is tanker, T is doubles and triples
P or SA written test and a separate road test in a passenger vehicle. P is passenger, S is school bus
HHazardous materials: a written test, fingerprints and a background check

You don’t take written tests to swap a valid CDL from another state for a New Mexico one with the same class and endorsements, unless you need a hazmat endorsement.

Steps to a New Mexico CDL

  1. Bring your documents to an MVD office that handles CDLs, since not all field offices do: your license, a medical certificate from an examiner on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, proof of US citizenship or lawful permanent residence, and two proofs of New Mexico residency dated within 60 days.
  2. Pass the written tests for your class and endorsements, and get your CDL learner’s permit.
  3. Complete Entry-Level Driver Training with a provider on the federal Training Provider Registry, required since February 7, 2022.
  4. Take the skills test, made up of the pre-trip inspection, basic control skills and a road test, with an approved third-party examiner. It normally takes about two hours, and you pay the examiner, not the state.
  5. Bring your scores, license and learner’s permit back to MVD for your CDL.

Is there a New Mexico CDL practice test?

Not from MVD. Study the CDL manual for your class and every endorsement, then the New Mexico addendum (MVD-11196). MVD doesn’t publish the test questions or answers, and apps such as DMV Genie and websites such as DMV-Permit-Test.com sell or offer their own CDL practice.

The New Mexico Driver Manual and CDL manuals →

New Mexico CDL retests

If you fail a CDL knowledge or skills test:

  • The state rule, 18.19.5.111 of the New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC), says you wait at least one week before you retest on that subject, unless the MVD director waives the wait for hardship
  • Each knowledge test has two forms, and your next try uses the other one
  • MVD’s CDL page says written tests can be taken up to twice a week with no yearly limit, so ask the office before you book a retest

Phones and papers aren’t allowed in the test area, and cheating disqualifies you for a year.

The hazmat endorsement

Before MVD can add H, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must clear you. You apply online or by phone through TSA’s Universal Enroll, then get fingerprinted at an enrollment site. TSA sets the fee, so check it when you apply. TSA aims to finish its check within 30 days of your fingerprints.

After TSA approves you, you take the hazmat knowledge test at an MVD office. First-time applicants complete ELDT hazardous materials theory training before that test. A CDL with the hazmat endorsement can’t be issued for eight years.

Fees and non-domiciled applicants

MVD charges $18 for a four-year CDL and $34 for an eight-year one, plus a one-time $15 driving while intoxicated (DWI) record check if you’re moving from another state. Skills test fees go to the examiner.

MVD’s CDL document list, dated March 2026, sets these rules for a non-domiciled CDL or commercial learner’s permit:

  • It’s only for a foreign passport holder with an H-2A, H-2B or E-2 visa
  • You bring the passport and an I-94 record to every visit
  • Drivers from Canada and Mexico aren’t eligible
Sources: New Mexico MVD · New Mexico State Records Center and Archives and 6 more. Checked October 2026.

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

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