New York CDL practice test
The CDL general knowledge test follows federal standards, so these questions apply in New York just as they do nationwide — it is the same test that earns your NY commercial learner's permit (CLP). Below the test you'll find the New York-specific steps to actually get licensed.
When can mirror adjustment be checked accurately, and what should each mirror show?
New York 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 NY steps on each page.
Getting your CDL in New York
In New York, apply through the state licensing agency (NY DMV / DOT). The core steps are the same across states:
- Get a valid NY 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 New York. Confirm the current details with the NY licensing agency before you go.
What is different in New York
Licensing in New York runs through the New York State 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.
Your medical examiner transmits the certificate and your certified status to the New York DMV electronically. If you use your CDL or commercial learner’s permit for non-excepted commerce — interstate (NI) or intrastate (NA) — you must be examined by a medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry for that transmission to happen at all.
Self-certification is the step that costs people their licence
Federal rules require every CLP or CDL holder to certify the type of commercial driving they perform or expect to perform, and New York is blunt about it: you lose your commercial driving privileges if you do not comply. The certificate arriving electronically does not satisfy this.
New York moved to electronic medical certification on 23 June 2025. The New York 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: NY DMV — CDL medical certification· 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.