California CDL practice test
The CDL general knowledge test follows federal standards, so these questions apply in California just as they do nationwide — it is the same test that earns your CA commercial learner's permit (CLP). Below the test you'll find the California-specific steps to actually get licensed.
Which is true about medicines and driving a CMV?
California endorsement tests
General knowledge is the test above. Each endorsement has its own written test and its own question pool — practise the ones your job needs, with the CA steps on each page.
Getting your CDL in California
In California, apply through the state licensing agency (CA DMV / DOT). The core steps are the same across states:
- Get a valid CA driver's license and provide required identity documents.
- Pass the DOT physical with a certified medical examiner and carry your medical card.
- Pass the written knowledge tests (general knowledge plus any endorsements you need).
- Hold your commercial learner's permit (CLP) for the required waiting period.
- Complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) with a registered provider, if required.
- Pass the skills test — pre-trip inspection, basic controls, and road test.
Exact fees, permit hold times, and document requirements are set by California. Confirm the current details with the CA licensing agency before you go.
What is different in California
Licensing in California runs through the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The part that catches people out is not the test — it is the medical certificate, because the way it reaches the state changed in 2025.
California was one of the last states to switch. The DMV implemented electronic submission on 27 July 2026: interstate (NI) commercial drivers can no longer submit their own medical exam records, and examiners on the National Registry send the Medical Examination Report and certificate to the DMV directly. Intrastate (NA) drivers are the exception — an employer or the driver may still submit, and if the examiner is on the National Registry the Registry submits it electronically anyway.
The rule here changed in July 2026, not 2025
California held out on the paper certificate for over a year after the federal compliance date. Guidance written before 27 July 2026 — including most CDL blogs and a fair number of employer handbooks — still tells California drivers to upload or mail the card. For interstate driving that is no longer true.
California moved to electronic medical certification on 27 July 2026. The California DOT physical page has the rest — what the exam checks, what happens if your certification lapses, and the DMV contacts worth having.
Official state source: California DMV — CDL medical eligibility and exams· reviewed 2026-08-22
Don't forget the DOT physical
A valid medical certificate is required before you can be licensed. Read our DOT physical guide to know what the exam checks and how to pass it the first time.