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South Carolina · Permit test

The CDL permit test in South Carolina

To get a commercial learner's permit (CLP) you must be 18 or older, live in South Carolina permanently and hold a valid SC driver's license. Then you pass the knowledge tests for the vehicle you plan to drive, starting with the general knowledge test that every applicant takes. That's the CDL permit test in South Carolina: $2 a try, and SCDMV's Commercial Driver License Manual says you pass with 80% or higher. The permit is $2.50 more, plus a $15 application fee.

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

Who can take the CDL permit test in South Carolina?

You're eligible for a CLP if all of these are true:

  • You're a permanent resident of South Carolina
  • You have a valid, unexpired SC driver's license
  • You're 18 or older. You must be 21 to drive a commercial vehicle outside South Carolina
  • You're a U.S. citizen or hold a valid Permanent Resident card, as the CDL manual requires

A CLP from another state doesn't transfer to South Carolina.

Which knowledge tests you need

On the CLP itself, the only endorsements allowed are N (tanker), P (passenger) and S (school bus). Everything on the tests is in the Commercial Driver License Manual.

TestWho takes it
General knowledgeEvery CDL applicant
Combination vehiclesDrivers of Class A combination vehicles
Air brakesAnyone driving a vehicle with air brakes. Without it, your license is restricted to vehicles without them
Doubles and triplesDrivers pulling double or triple trailers
Passenger transportAll bus driver applicants
School busDrivers carrying students to and from school or school events
Hazardous materialsDrivers hauling placarded hazardous materials or waste
TankerDrivers of tank vehicles
Commercial Driver License Manual (PDF) ↗

Taking the knowledge tests

You can take them at any SCDMV branch, but not after 4 p.m., and SCDMV warns that they can take a while. No written material or electronic devices are allowed in the test area. The CDL manual says the tests can be written or oral, and the hazmat test must be written or automated.

If you fail one, you can retest the following day. Hearing-impaired applicants can ask for an American Sign Language interpreter, paid for by SCDMV up to three times in 24 months.

After the permit: training and the skills test

You must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before the skills test. If you got your CLP after February 7, 2022, you also need to finish an FMCSA-approved entry-level driver training (ELDT) program first.

The skills test has three parts, taken in order: the vehicle inspection, basic control skills, and the on-road test, in a vehicle like the one you'll drive. It's by appointment only, at certain SCDMV branches, Monday to Friday. Fail a part and you pay $25 for another test; you can keep the scores for parts you passed. The retest waits are two business days, then seven calendar days, then 30 calendar days.

CDL fees

To renew a CLP, you retake and pass all the knowledge tests that apply.

ItemFee, as of October 2026
CDL application$15
Each knowledge test$2
Commercial learner's permit, valid one year$2.50
Eight-year CDL$25
Five-year CDL with a hazmat endorsement$15
Another skills test after a fail$25

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewThe SC DMV permit testAppointmentsSC DMV permit test appointment: when you need oneOnline testThe online permit test in SC: what you can do from homeRoad testSC road test requirements, and what the test coversDriver's licenseGetting an SC driver's licenseMotorcycle permitThe South Carolina DMV motorcycle permit testRoad signsThe SC road signs test: what the signs meanAge and requirementsWhen you can get your permit in SC, and what you needDriver's ManualThe South Carolina permit book: SCDMV's Driver's ManualPractice testSC permit practice testWhere to learnSouth Carolina DMV permit test study guide: where to learn
Sources: SCDMV and 3 more. Checked October 2026.

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