Vermont commercial licensing
Vermont CDL Requirements – Complete 2026 Guide
This page focuses on the Vermont details generic CDL summaries miss: Vermont applicants transferring a commercial license must complete the transfer within 30 days of establishing Vermont domicile, the official fee source, and the current credential term.
Official fee structure
Published fees for the Vermont route
| Stage | Published state information |
|---|---|
| Commercial learner permit | $18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction. |
| Initial commercial license | $72 for a 2-year CDL or $108 for a 4-year CDL. Knowledge and skills tests cost $39 each, and endorsement tests cost $17 each. |
| License term | Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL. |
For Vermont, training, the medical examination, a TSA background check when required, vehicle access, and private testing are separate charges when applicable. The state-issued CDL itself is described here as: $72 for a 2-year CDL or $108 for a 4-year CDL. Knowledge and skills tests cost $39 each, and endorsement tests cost $17 each.
Verified Vermont data
Before paying for a Vermont commercial test
Issuing authority
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
Commercial learner permit
$18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction.
First CDL
$72 for a 2-year CDL or $108 for a 4-year CDL. Knowledge and skills tests cost $39 each, and endorsement tests cost $17 each.
Credential term
Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL.
State workflow
Do these Vermont steps in the right order
- Choose the license classMatch Class A, B, or C to the vehicle and work you actually plan to perform.
- Complete the state transactionA $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment. It is applied to the test fee when the applicant appears and is forfeited without at least 48 hours' cancellation notice.
- Meet federal training rulesFirst-time Class A or B applicants and applicants adding certain endorsements must complete applicable ELDT with a provider listed in the federal Training Provider Registry.
- Bring the correct vehicleThe skills-test vehicle determines the class and restrictions printed on the final CDL, so arrange it before booking.
Local value
Connect the Vermont test to real commercial work
Vermont applicants transferring a commercial license must complete the transfer within 30 days of establishing Vermont domicile. Skills-test scheduling is handled separately and begins only after the scheduling deposit reaches the CDL Unit.
Regional comparison
Nearby state CDL fees are not interchangeable
| State | CLP fee note | License term |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction. | Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL. |
| New Hampshire | The official CDL application lists a $60 Class A, B, or C transaction but does not separately identify a CLP-only card fee | Five years, expiring on the fifth birthday anniversary after issuance |
| Maine | Maine does not publish a separate CLP-card fee. The Class A, B, or C CDL examination fee is $70 and includes the first road test. | 5 years for applicants under age 65; 4 years at age 65 or older. |
| Massachusetts | $30 | The CDL is valid for five years. The CLP is valid for 180 days and may be renewed once for another 180 days without a renewal fee, subject to RMV renewal timing rules. |
Knowledge and endorsements
Do not study every CDL endorsement at once
Every applicant
Start with General Knowledge and the Vermont manual, then match your checklist to this checkpoint: A $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment.
Passenger or school bus
Passenger Transport and School Bus tests apply to those operations. In Vermont, connect that study to Vermont applicants transferring a commercial license must complete the transfer within 30 days of establishing Vermont domicile. Skills-test scheduling is handled separately and begins only after the scheduling deposit reaches the CDL Unit.
Class A combination
Study Combination Vehicles and Air Brakes for an air-brake-equipped vehicle. For this Vermont path, the CLP charge or transaction is: $18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction.
Tank or hazardous materials
Tanker or Hazmat applicants add the appropriate knowledge test and federal TSA process. The current Vermont license term is Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL.; pair that with this CLP note before booking: $18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction.
Official verification
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles application and manual links
These government pages were checked on August 22, 2026. For Vermont, use them to recheck the published CLP note ($18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction.), the final credential cost, and the license term before paying or scheduling.
State Q&A
CLP and commercial-license questions in Vermont
What role does Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles play when a $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment?
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles is the issuing authority for the commercial-license transaction. Use the official links here to confirm where to apply, where to test, and how this fee note applies before you go: $18. The CDL knowledge test is a separate $39 transaction.
What happens after three failed Vermont CDL tests?
After an applicant fails a test three times, Vermont requires a waiting period of at least six months before the applicant may test again.
How should I read the Vermont credential term 'Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL.' alongside this rule: A $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment?
Applicants may receive a 2-year or 4-year Vermont CDL.
How should a Vermont applicant plan around this local fact: Vermont applicants transferring a commercial license must complete the transfer within 30 days of establishing Vermont domicile?
Vermont applicants transferring a commercial license must complete the transfer within 30 days of establishing Vermont domicile. Skills-test scheduling is handled separately and begins only after the scheduling deposit reaches the CDL Unit.
After the Vermont CLP stage, how is the first CDL priced under this rule: $72 for a 2-year CDL or $108 for a 4-year CDL. Knowledge and skills tests cost $39 each, and endorsement tests cost $17 each.?
$72 for a 2-year CDL or $108 for a 4-year CDL. Knowledge and skills tests cost $39 each, and endorsement tests cost $17 each.
Why does this Vermont process note matter: A $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment?
In Vermont, the checkpoint is: A $29 skills-test scheduling deposit is required before the appointment. It affects when to pay, schedule, or arrange the test vehicle, so use it as the appointment filter before moving from manual study into a real CLP or skills-test booking.
