CDL Learner's Permit (CLP) Rules: Age, Medical Card, the 14-Day Wait, and Supervision

What a CDL learner's permit allows

A commercial learner's permit (CLP) counts as a valid CDL for one purpose: behind-the-wheel training on public roads, under supervision (49 CFR 383.25(a)). It is a separate document from your regular license and from any CDL (383.25(b)), and it must say it is invalid unless you carry the regular license from the same state (383.153(b)).

You need a CLP before your first CDL, and before any upgrade that requires a skills test (383.25(d)). To get one, federal rules require that you:

• are at least 18 and can prove your age (383.71(a)(1))
• hold a valid driver's license from the state issuing the CLP (383.25(a)(2))
• pass a General Knowledge test for the vehicle group you will drive (383.71(a)(2))
• pass the P, S or N knowledge test for any of those endorsements you want on the permit (383.71(a)(8))
• give the medical self-certification described below (383.71(a)(9))

The state also checks your record before issuing it, covered further down.

Who can ride with a CLP holder, and where they sit

The supervision rule is specific. The person with you must hold a valid CDL with the right group and endorsements for the vehicle, and must be physically present at all times (383.25(a)(1)):

In either seat, the CDL holder must keep you under observation and direct supervision. Federal text sets no minimum age for that person, but states can add one. As of October 2026, per Texas DPS, the qualified CDL holder beside a Texas CLP holder must be at least 21 and hold the same class of CDL.

P, S and N on a learner's permit

Only three endorsements are allowed on a CLP, and each comes with a limit (383.25(a)(5)):

All other endorsements are prohibited on a CLP, and a CLP holder may not drive a vehicle carrying hazardous materials (383.25(a)(5)(iv) and (a)(6)). A CLP can also carry restriction codes, such as P for no passengers in a CMV bus, X for no cargo in a CMV tank vehicle, L for no air brakes, and K for intrastate only (383.153(b)). Each of the three permit endorsements needs its own knowledge test first, and the Passenger, School Bus and Tank Vehicles tests are all in the CDL prep planned for launch.

How long a CLP lasts: the federal year and 180-day state permits

The federal limit is one year. A CLP may be valid for no more than one year from the date it was first issued without retaking the knowledge tests. A state can issue a shorter permit and renew it, as long as no renewal runs past that one-year mark (383.25(c)).

Here is a worked calendar for a fictional applicant whose CLP is issued on Monday, March 1, 2027:

This calendar counts the 14 days from the day after issuance. Confirm your earliest skills-test date with your state before you book. Two state versions of the 180-day permit:

• California (as checked on October 28, 2026): valid for up to 180 days, renewable for another 180 if the new expiration date is no more than one year from your initial application date.
• Texas (as of October 2026, per Texas DPS): valid for 180 days or until your Texas license expires, whichever comes first, and renewable once, up to 30 days before it expires, without retaking the knowledge tests.

One more clock matters. If you pass part of the skills test, those segment scores count only during your initial CLP. Renew the permit, and all three segments must be taken again (383.133(c)(6)). The permit clock starts only after you pass the knowledge tests, so the time to study is before you apply; the CDL prep planned for launch comes in 30-, 90- and 180-day access periods to fit that window.

Medical self-certification and the DOT medical card for a CLP

Before a CLP is issued, you certify which of four types of driving you will do (383.71(a)(9) and (b)(1)):

If you certify non-excepted interstate, a medical examiner must find you physically qualified. Since June 23, 2025, the state receives the certificate information electronically from FMCSA and posts your status (383.71(h)(1)(ii)). A certificate lasts no more than 24 months, and some drivers must be examined every 12 months (391.45(b), (e) and (f)). FMCSA says that, as of October 12, 2026, drivers licensed in every state except Alaska can no longer rely on the paper certificate as proof of medical certification, so the electronic record is what counts. States describe the switch in their own terms: California says that since July 27, 2026, examiners submit interstate drivers' medical forms to it electronically, and interstate drivers can no longer submit their own (as checked on October 28, 2026).

Record and Clearinghouse checks before a CLP is issued

The state checks more than your test score. Before issuing a CLP, it must complete a driving-record check, including a request for your record from every state that licensed you in the last 10 years (383.73(a)(2) and (b)(3)). It verifies your Social Security number and your proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency and of state domicile (383.73(a)(5) and (6)).

Since November 18, 2024, the state must also query the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. If the response says you are prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle, the state may not issue, renew or upgrade your CLP (383.73(a)(8)).

CLP age rules: 18 to start, 21 for interstate driving

Eighteen is the federal minimum for a CLP. Driving interstate under the federal qualification rules requires age 21 (391.11(b)(1)), so drivers under 21 are generally limited to driving within one state, where that state allows it. A license limited to one state carries code K (383.153). As of October 2026, per FLHSMV, Florida restricts CDL applicants under 21 to intrastate operation.

From here, the entry-level driver training guide covers the training you complete while holding the permit, the skills test guide covers the test at the end of the 14 days, and how to get a CDL puts every step in order. Before any of that, the General Knowledge test opens the permit, and 207 General Knowledge questions are planned for full CDL prep at launch.