Applying for a Delaware CDL, or commercial drivers license, is a multiple-step process governed by state and federal laws. Commercial motorists play a valuable role in national infrastructure and the safety of America’s roadways, and the process is designed to reflect that. However, obtaining a CDL license does not have to be difficult or expensive. Understanding the documents and steps involved in acquiring a truck driver license beforehand can make the process simple and accessible for interested parties.

To be eligible for a CDL license, applicants must be at least 18 years of age and hold a valid Delaware drivers license. They need a clean driving record and a certification of acceptable health from a Department of Transportation-approved medical examiner. Applicants must be able to document their identities, residency, age and citizenship. Some applicants will be required to agree to background and/or drug testing, as well, depending on the types of CDL license endorsements they desire.

CDL Requirements in Delaware

Applicants must meet specific Delaware CDL license requirements to successfully apply for a commercial drivers license in the state. These include the following:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Hold a valid regular drivers license
• Pass the DOT medical exam and self-certify their results in the DMV’s online system
• Have a clean driving record
• Pass all of the state’s mandatory CDL license testing
• Pay all required fees

Under state and federal CDL requirements, motorists may be denied commercial licenses or have their licenses revoked if:

• They have or develop medical conditions that make it unsafe for them to drive commercial vehicles.
• Commit felonies or other violent crimes.
• Commit qualifying violations or infractions, including traffic violations.
• Lose their personal driver licenses.
• Falsify their applications or identities, or attempt to hold CDL credentials from more than one state at a time.

How to Apply for a CDL Permit in Delaware

Motorists seeking commercial licenses can begin by applying for the Delaware CDL learners permit. To do so, they must:

• Meet the minimum eligibility criteria for getting CDL permit credentials, including age, residency, citizenship and a clean driving record.
• Receive and pass a DOT physical.
• Study the state CDL handbook.
• Present themselves, their applications and their documents to the DMV on a CDL permit testing day.
• Pass the written knowledge test.
• Pay the necessary fees.

CDL permit rules prevent permit holders from driving without appropriate supervision, or with cargo or passengers in the vehicles in which they practice. Permit holders are also only permitted to drive the commercial vehicles for which they are authorized.

Delaware CDL permit requirements dictate that permit holders take their licensing tests within six months or extend their permits. Permits may only be extended for a single, six-month period at a cost of $5.

CDL Written Test in Delaware

Applicants take the Delaware CDL general knowledge test when they present themselves at the DMV to apply for their CDL learners permits. The DMV does not accept appointments for the CDL written test. Applicants applying for licenses with endorsements may need to take additional written test sections relative to those endorsements.

CDL permit test questions are based on the state commercial drivers manual. Applicants must achieve a score of 80 percent, or better, to pass. Online CDL test practice questions can help applicants prepare, and learn what to expect before testing.

Delaware CDL Training Schools & Practice Tests

CDL school is far from the only option available to motorists preparing for a Delaware CDL license. Motorists can also:

• Review and study the state CDL handbook.
• Receive private CDL training from qualified, licensed commercial motorists.
• Utilize online or hard-copy CDL practice test

Note: The state of Delaware does not require any particular forms of CDL prep, or documentation of such, during the application process.

How to Get a CDL License in Delaware

How to get a CDL in Delaware is a multi-step process. Applicants must:

• Schedule and receive a DOT physical exam performed by an approved provider.
• Self-certify their medical exam results in the DMV’s online system.
• Obtain and complete a Delaware CDL application.
• Gather the documents they will need to apply for CDL credentials proving residency, age and Social Security Number.
• Study the state Commercial Drivers License manual and/or enroll in a CDL school or another training program.
• Take all of the necessary documentation and forms to an appropriate DMV service center.
• Complete the knowledge test and pay the appropriate fees.

If you successfully complete all of these steps, you will get your CDL learners permit. After suitable practice, you may schedule a driving skills test. Upon passing the test, you will be issued a CDL license.

CDL Driving Test in Delaware

Commercial license applicants cannot take the on-road Delaware CDL test until they have held their learners permits for at least 14 days. Road tests must be scheduled with the DMV, in advance, and are offered only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Motorists may sign up for testing slots by calling the DMV or by using the online scheduling system. Applicants must bring all of the following to their CDL driving test appointments:

• A CDL learners permit
• A supervising driver and his or her valid CDL license.
• A vehicle of the class in which the motorist wishes to be certified, with documentation that the vehicle is properly registered and insured.

Applicants who fail their skills tests may not retest immediately, and will need to pay retest fees upon their next attempts.

How to Get a CDL as a Military Member in Delaware

Delaware residents with military CDL credentials may be able to simplify their civilian CDL applications through use of a military waiver. The CDL for veterans program is open to United States Armed Forces Active Duty servicemembers or those who honorably separated from such service within the past year.

Applicants must have been properly authorized to drive military vehicles and have a minimum of two years’ experience doing so prior to submitting a CDL for veterans program waiver. Waivers must be signed by applicants’ commanding officers, and will then exempt applicants only from the road skills portion of the CDL testing process.

Motorists must still complete all other portions of the application process, including knowledge tests and the payment of fees. Applicants seeking certain endorsements may be required to take some – or all – of the road skills test sections, as the waiver does not cover endorsements.

CDL Medical Exams in Delaware

All applicants wishing to apply for CDLs in Delaware must comply with the new DOT physical requirements. Applicants must obtain or print the necessary Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) CDL medical exam forms and take them a certified DoT medical examiner before applying for a CDL.

Motorists who do not pass the CDL physical do not qualify to obtain commercial licenses. Motorists who do pass must self-certify their results in the Delaware DMV’s online system prior to applying for a commercial license. Applicants may be required to submit their full medical results upon DMV request during, or after, the licensing process, in addition to registering them online. Failure to do so will result in being denied a license or having a CDL license revoked.

Types of CDL Classes in Delaware

Delaware offers three classes of commercial drivers licenses: the Class A license, Class B license and Class C license. They are further defined as the below:

• A Class A CDL certifies CDL holders to drive combination vehicles with gross weight ratings (GVWR) of 26,001 or more pounds
• A Class B CDL License certifies CDL holders to drive single or combination vehicles with GVWRs of 26,001 or more pounds, so long as any vehicle being towed weighs less than 10,000 pounds
  
• A Class C CDL License certifies CDL holders to drive passenger vehicles or hazmat vehicles

Types of CDL Endorsements in Delaware

Delaware CDL endorsements are specialty notations on CDLs that permit commercial drivers to operate certain types of vehicles within their standard license classes. In Delaware, motorists can apply for the below endorsement types:

• Tanker Endorsements (N)
• Hazmat Endorsements (H)
• Combination Tank and Hazmat Endorsements (X)
• Double/Triple Trailer Endorsements (T)
• Passenger Endorsements (P)
• School Bus Endorsements (S)

Interstate vs. Intrastate Commercial Drivers Licenses in Delaware

Delaware motorists who will operate commercial vehicles only within state boundaries qualify to hold intrastate CDL licenses. Motorists must hold interstate CDL licenses if:

• They will be crossing state borders in commercial vehicles at any time.
• They will be transporting passengers or cargo that will cross state lines at any point between their initial starting locations and ultimate destinations.

Commercial Driving License Fees in Delaware

The Delaware CDL license cost figures may vary slightly, depending on which endorsements, if any, motorists desire. DMV fees that are part of standard CDL permit cost include the following:

• CDL licenses: $48
• Hazmat endorsement: $30
• Additional endorsements: $5 each
• Taxi endorsement: $3.45
• CDL disqualification reinstatement: $25

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