Minnesota CDL practice test
The CDL general knowledge test follows federal standards, so these questions apply in Minnesota just as they do nationwide — it is the same test that earns your MN commercial learner's permit (CLP). Below the test you'll find the Minnesota-specific steps to actually get licensed.
What does the research quoted in the manual say about texting while driving a CMV?
Minnesota 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 MN steps on each page.
Getting your CDL in Minnesota
In Minnesota, apply through the state licensing agency (MN DMV / DOT). The core steps are the same across states:
- Get a valid MN 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 Minnesota. Confirm the current details with the MN licensing agency before you go.
What is different in Minnesota
Licensing in Minnesota runs through the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services. 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.
All medical examiner’s certificates reach Minnesota electronically from the medical provider — and DVS notes providers have been submitting electronically for over ten years; what changed in 2025 is that DVS now has direct access to the National Registry database. The unusual part: DVS only requires a medical certificate when an application is being made for a CLP or CDL, and standalone updates are no longer accepted. Your certificate is pulled from the Registry during the licence transaction itself.
No standalone updates — the certificate is checked at issuance
DVS states it only requires a medical examiner’s certificate when an application is being made for a commercial learner’s permit or CDL, and that standalone updates are no longer accepted. In practice: keep the Registry record current through your examiner, because the moment it matters is the issuance transaction, and a missing record stops it there.
The Minnesota DOT physical page has the rest — what the exam checks, what happens if your certification lapses, and the DVS contacts worth having.
Official state source: Minnesota DVS special update — CDL medical examiner’s certificates (2025-07-03)· 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.