Requirements By State
How to get a CDL license in Alabama
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Alabama CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Alaska
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Alaska CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Arizona
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Arizona CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Arkansas
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers.
Click here for more information about Arkansas CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in California
CDL Required For: Any 2 axle vehicle over 26,000 pounds, or a 3-axle vehicle over 6,000 pounds, or any vehicle designed to transport more than 10 passengers including driver. "Housecars" over 40 feet but less than 45 feet may be driven without a CDL with the proper endorsement.
Click here for more information about California CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Colorado
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with more than 16 passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 16 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Colorado CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Connecticut
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or more than 10 passengers if used to transport students under the age of 21 to and from school. Must have P endorsement on license for either of these cases, and S endorsement for transporting students.
Click here for more information about Connecticut CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Delaware
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 lbs. pounds or with more than 16 passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Delaware CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Florida
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Florida CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Georgia
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Georgia CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Hawaii
Hawaii has no state DOT. Vehicle licensing is managed by the county governments.
Our information is based on the data for Honolulu. Anything over 26,000 pounds
or with 16 or more passengers requires a CDL. Must have P endorsement on license
for more than 15 passengers.
Click here for more information about Hawaii CDLs (Honlulu County)
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How to get a CDL license in Idaho
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Idaho CDLs (click on "Driver's License/ID Cards" tab, then scroll down to CDL heading)
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How to get a CDL license in Illinois
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Illinois CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Indiana
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Indiana CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Iowa
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or for a vehicle weighing 10,000 or more pounds that has been modified
to carry less than 16 handicapped individuals. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers, or for transporting less than 16
passengers in a redesigned or modified bus weighing more than 10,000 pounds which is designed to accommodate less than 16 handicapped individuals.
An S endorsement is also required for the operation of any school bus.
Click here for more information about Iowa CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Kansas
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Kansas CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Kentucky
CDL Required For: Anything that can transport 16 or more passengers. Weight is only factored in as far as which class of CDL is required.
A vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds by itself is not enough to require a CDL.
However, you will need a medical examination certificate to drive any vehicle over
10,000 pounds, or that transports more than 8 passengers (including driver) for
monetary compensation, or which transports more than 15 passengers. Must have P
endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers for any reason.
S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Kentucky CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Louisiana
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Class D license required for any vehicle used to tranport passengers for a fee.
Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Louisiana CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Maine
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Maine CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Maryland
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, and all school buses. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Maryland CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Massachusetts
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement and School Bus Driver Certificate required for driving a school bus. It is not entirely clear if the vehicle is still considered a school bus even if not being used to transport children. To operate a school bus that carries 14 or fewer passengers, you only need a standard Class D license plus a Restricted School Bus Driver Certificate.
Click here for more information about Massachusetts CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Michigan
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements, as are "other vehicles used exclusively to transport personal possessions or family members, for non-business purposes."
Click here for more information about Michigan CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Minnesota
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or for any vehicle that is "outwardly equipped and identified as a school bus." Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to operate a school bus. Minnesota defines a school bus as "A motor vehicle used to transport pupils (grades K-12) to or from a school or to or from school-related activities, by the school or a school district or by someone under an agreement with the school or a school district." RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Minnesota CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Mississippi
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Mississippi CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Missouri
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for "Public and private school employees who operate school busses transporting students from home to school, school to home, and school-sponsored events."
Click here for more information about Missouri CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Montana
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for "vehicles that are designed or used to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver, that are pre-primary, primary, or secondary school students from home to school, from school to home, or to and from school sponsored events."
Click here for more information about Montana CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Nebraska
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Nebraska CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Nevada
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Nevada CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in New Hampshire
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to operate a school bus designed to transport "16 or more students, including the driver." However, New Hampshire also requires a separate School Bus Certificate which requires the operator to be employed and on the roster of a school bus company. The New Hampshire Bureau of Driver Licensing confirmed in a phone call that school buses can be used privately in the state of New Hampshire, but they have to be cosmetically reformed to not look like a school bus - i.e., remove all "School Bus" markings, lights, stop signs, and possibly they may need to be re-painted. Check with the appropriate New Hampshire government agency to confirm all details prior to purchasing a school bus.
Click here for more information about New Hampshire CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in New Jersey
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or anything over 7 passengers that is used to transport passengers for hire. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about New Jersey CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in New Mexico
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for driving a school bus.
Click here for more information about New Mexico CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in New York
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events if the bus is over 26,000 pounds, seats 16 or more passengers, and is owned by a school, or by a private company transporting children for compensation.
Click here for more information about New York CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in North Carolina
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to drive a school bus. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about North Carolina CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in North Dakota
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about North Dakota CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Ohio
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or any school bus. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements. Commercial vehicles "not used in commerce and not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission" are also exempt.
Click here for more information about Ohio CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Oklahoma
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to drive a school bus. Information on the Oklahoma website is sparse and mostly consists of links to the CDL manual. If you are considering registering a bus, particularly a school bus, in Oklahoma, we encourage you to contact the state directly for more information.
Click here for more information about Oklahoma CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Oregon
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for any vehicle marked with the words "School Bus" and which is used for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Oregon CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Pennsylvania
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or 11 or more passengers if a school bus. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to drive a school bus designed to carry 11 or more passengers.
Click here for more information about Pennsylvania CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Rhode Island
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for driving a school bus. School Bus Certificate also required.
Click here for more information about Rhode Island CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in South Carolina
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about South Carolina CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in South Dakota
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about South Dakota CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Tennessee
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers, or for any school bus. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Tennessee CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Texas
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. A school bus not used primarily for transporting students must not bear the words "school bus." RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Texas CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Utah
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Utah CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Vermont
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to drive any vehicle which is designated as a school bus.
Click here for more information about Vermont CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Virginia
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for driving a school bus that accommodates more than 15 passengers. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Virginia CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Washington DC
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required to drive a school bus.
Click here for more information about Washington DC CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Washington State
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events. RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements.
Click here for more information about Washington State CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in West Virginia
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for driving a school bus.
Click here for more information about West Virginia CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Wisconsin
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for operating a school bus as defined under Wisconsin law (see here). RVs driven for personal, family use only are exempt from CDL requirements as long as they are 45 feet or less in length.
Click here for more information about Wisconsin CDLs
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How to get a CDL license in Wyoming
CDL Required For: Anything over 26,000 pounds or with 16 or more passengers. Must have P endorsement on license for more than 15 passengers. S endorsement required for transporting children to and from school or school events.
Click here for more information about Wyoming CDLs
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