How to Get a CDL Permit in Georgia

You'll need a valid noncommercial Georgia driver's license, a passed DOT physical confirming you meet federal medical qualification standards, and (for first-time Class A/B applicants, or anyone adding a Hazmat, Passenger, or School Bus endorsement) completed entry-level driver training through an FMCSA-registered provider.

All CDL applicants in Georgia must be able to read and understand English, a requirement DDS checks as part of the application.

At a DDS Customer Service Center, pay the $10 permit fee before sitting the written knowledge exams: General Knowledge for everyone, plus Air Brakes and Combination Vehicles if they apply to your CDL class.

Once you pass, your Commercial Instructional Permit is issued and stays valid for 365 days — plenty of runway to complete training without racing a shorter clock.

Federal rule requires holding the permit at least 14 days before the skills test, and completing documented behind-the-wheel ELDT training alongside the classroom portion.

Georgia's road skills test is a genuinely three-part gauntlet: a verbal pre-trip inspection, a basic controls test (backing through cones), and a full road test with a state examiner — budget for the $50 fee when you schedule it.

Pass the skills test, pay the $32 issuance fee, and DDS hands you your Class A, B, or C CDL, with any endorsements reflecting whichever additional knowledge tests you completed along the way.