Washington CDL practice test
The CDL general knowledge test follows federal standards, so these questions apply in Washington just as they do nationwide — it is the same test that earns your WA commercial learner's permit (CLP). Below the test you'll find the Washington-specific steps to actually get licensed.
You have stopped on the shoulder of a divided highway. Where do the three warning devices go?
Washington 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 WA steps on each page.
Getting your CDL in Washington
In Washington, apply through the state licensing agency (WA DMV / DOT). The core steps are the same across states:
- Get a valid WA 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 Washington. Confirm the current details with the WA licensing agency before you go.
What is different in Washington
Licensing in Washington runs through the Washington State Department of Licensing. 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 submits the medical examiner’s certificate to the FMCSA National Registry, and it is added to your Washington driver record from there. DOL is explicit about the dependency: if the certificate — and a federal waiver or SPE certificate, where one is needed — is not uploaded to the National Registry, DOL cannot issue your CDL. The paperwork that stays with you is the self-certification and any state waiver forms, which Washington accepts online, by email, fax, or mail.
Washington keeps its own channels for the other paperwork
The certificate travels through the National Registry, but self-certification changes and state medical waiver forms go to DOL directly — online, by email to CDLMED@dol.wa.gov (a submission-only mailbox; questions sent there are not answered), by fax to 360-570-4915, or by mail to the CDL Medical Unit in Olympia.
The Washington DOT physical page has the rest — what the exam checks, what happens if your certification lapses, and the DOL contacts worth having.
Official state source: Washington DOL — medical certificates and self-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.