Ohio CDL Permit Test Locations 2026: Tests, Classes, Fees

Where are the Ohio CDL permit test locations?

At any Driver Exam Station, in person. The CDL test can’t be taken online.

How to study for the Ohio CDL permit test

There’s a knowledge test for each class of vehicle, each endorsement and the air brake restriction, so study the parts that match the license you want. The BMV points you to the Ohio Commercial Driver License Manual (HSY 7605), which also comes in Spanish (HSY 7606). Its CDL page doesn’t give the number of questions or a CDL sample test.

Who can apply

First-time applicants must:

Be at least 18 and hold a valid Ohio driver’s license
Have a valid U.S. Social Security number
Prove U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency
Pass a vision test, or meet the federal physical qualifications
Read, speak and write English well enough to talk with the public, understand highway signs and fill in reports (a federal rule; translation aids aren’t allowed)

Under 21, you’re limited to driving commercial vehicles within Ohio.

From learner’s permit to license

After the knowledge tests:

Buy a Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) at a deputy registrar and self-certify the type of driving you’ll do. It’s valid for 12 months, and you drive only with a CDL holder endorsed for the vehicle.
Finish Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) for the class and endorsement on your permit, or prove you’re exempt, before you schedule the skills test.
Pass the skills test at a CDL skills testing location: a pre-trip inspection (30 minutes), a basic maneuverability test (40 minutes) and a road test, in a vehicle you provide for the class.
Buy your CDL at a deputy registrar before the permit expires.

If you fail any part of the skills test, you wait two days to retest. A hazmat endorsement also needs a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) threat assessment.

CDL skills testing locations

The BMV’s location list names CDL skills testing sites in these places:

Batavia (Clermont County, two sites)
Columbia Station (Lorain County)
Columbus area (Franklin County, four sites)
Dayton (Montgomery County, three sites)
Diamond (Mahoning County)
Euclid (Cuyahoga County)
Findlay (Hancock County)
Gnadenhutten (Tuscarawas County)
Liberty Township and Middletown (Butler County)
Lima (Allen County)
Massillon (Stark County)
Medway and Springfield (Clark County)
Perrysburg (Wood County)
Piketon (Pike County)
South Point (Lawrence County)
St. Clairsville (Belmont County)
Zanesville (Muskingum County)

Third-party sites may rent out vehicles for the test and set their own fees, so call the site.

CDL test fees

At a state-owned testing facility, you first buy a CDL Test Receipt at a deputy registrar:

Item	Fee
Pre-trip inspection	$10
Basic maneuverability test	$10
Road test	$30

The fee list also gives $31.50 for the commercial permit and $46.50 for a first 4-year CDL ($92.00 for 8 years).

Ohio CDL classes

A CDL is needed for these, unless you qualify for an exemption:

Class	What it covers
A	Combinations of 26,001 pounds or more, towing over 10,000 pounds
B	A single vehicle of 26,001 pounds or more, towing up to 10,000 pounds
C	Smaller vehicles for 16 or more people including the driver, placarded hazardous materials, or a school bus not in Class A or B

Endorsements include H (hazmat), T (double and triple trailers), P (passenger), N (tanker), S (school bus) and X (tanker and hazmat).

Sources: Ohio BMV · Ohio Department of Public Safety and 2 more. Checked November 2026.

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

Explore