We are including the following links to information that is specific to North Carolina.
We try to include all available official links, however the State of North Carolina often
change their webpages and/or the addressing of those webpages. We constantly
update these links, but from time to time they are not available due to recent
changes. If you are having problems with any of these links, try typing "North Carolina Official Website" into your Google, Bing or Yahoo search engine and you
should be able to find your "starting point" on their website. You should be
able to find the Commercial Drivers License information by typing in "CDL" into
their internal search (if available) or by following the Drivers License Services
links within their website. This is a great source of North Carolina regulations,
forms, locations, contacts, etc.
North Carolina Commercial Driver License CDL
Classes of North Carolina CDL (Commercial Driver's License)
- North Carolina Commercial Class A - Any combination of
vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating, GVWR, of 26,001 pounds or more,
provided the GVWR of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of 10,000
pounds.
- North Carolina Commercial Class B - Any single vehicle
with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more, and any such vehicle towing a vehicle
with a GVWR not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- North Carolina Commercial Class C - Any vehicle not described in
Class A or B above but is: Designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including
the driver; or used in the transportation of hazardous materials that require
the vehicle to be placarded under C.F.R., Part 172, Subpart F.
North Carolina CDL Learner Permit
- Valid for six months
- Limit of two permits in two years
- Permit thirty days over their expiration date, the driver is required to retake all written tests
Your North Carolina Commercial Driver license is issued for a period of 5 years.
The cost of a North Carolina license & endorsements is based on the yearly charge.
North Carolina CDL Requirements & Documents
You will need to bring 4 documents total
To avoid inconveniences, make sure you have all necessary documents before visiting the Driver License Office.
In order to apply for the first time issuance of a NC CDL you will need to gather documents from the following categories:
- Proof of Age & Identity
- Proof of Social Security
- Proof of Residency
- Proof of Liability Insurance
Proof of Clear Driving Record
At time of application, you must certify that;
- Your license is not suspended, disqualified or revoked
- You currently do not hold more than one Driver License
CDL Holders Medical & Physical Requirements
Many commercial motor vehicle drivers are required to have medical cards. Those who require medical cards are required to bring them at the time of both the original application and renewal.
If questions arise about a driver's physical condition, the North Carolina DMV
may require the driver to submit a completed medical report, before or after certification,
provided by the North Carolina DMV Driver License Section.
North Carolina CDL Learner Permit - Additional Requirements
- You must be at least 18 years of age (21 for operations that require a medical
card)
- You must possess a valid Classified A, B, or C Driver License
- Will be accompanied by a licensed CDL operator, with the proper class of
license, in the front seat beside you.
North Carolina CDL Tests
North Carolina CDL Written Tests - Written tests are provided at all full service Driver License locations.
North Carolina CDL Skills Tests - Skills tests are provided at many Driver License locations throughout NC. Skills tests are also given by Certified Third Party testers to employees of their company.
North Carolina CDL Fees
Payments for transactions at Driver License Offices are accepted in the form of cash, money order, personal checks. Debit/credit cards are not accepted at this time.
- Application Fee - $30.00
- CDL Endorsement - $3/yr. per endorsement
- Class A License, CDL - $15.00/yr.
- Class B License, CDL - $15.00/yr.
- Class C License, CDL - $15.00/yr.
- Duplicate License - $10.00
- Learner Permit, CDL - $15.00
North Carolina CDL Suspensions & Revocations
In addition to the rules that apply to the driving public, North Carolina Commercial
Driver License (CDL) holders are required to follow rules specific to Commercial
Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers in order to comply with the Commercial Motor Vehicle
Safety Act, maintain their CDL license and keep their school bus driving privileges.
North Carolina Commercial Driver License Rules
For a complete listing of rules, view the North Carolina Commercial Driver's Manual,
Section 1. A few key rules include:
- No one can drive a commercial motor vehicle without a CDL.
- No one can have more than one license. If you break this rule, you can be fined for up to $5000 or put in jail.
- Notify your employer and the motor vehicle licensing agency in the state issuing your CDL within 30 days of conviction for any moving traffic violations.
- Notify your employer if your license is suspended, revoked, or canceled, or if you are disqualified from driving.
- Give your employer information on all driving jobs you have held for the past 10 years. You must do this when you apply for a commercial driving job.
- It is illegal to operate a CMV if your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is .04% or more. You will lose your CDL for one year for your first offense. You will lose
it for life for your second offense. If your blood alcohol concentration is less than 0.04% but you have any detectable amount, you will be put out-of-service for 24 hours.
- Fines for violations of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Out-of-State criteria must be paid when the citation is written.
- It is a violation of State law to possess any alcoholic beverage (open or closed) while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
- There is a minimum fine of $250 for speeding in highway work zones in addition to any fines or penalties that may be imposed for speeding violations.
- There are now minimum limits of insurance requirements for commercial motor vehicles licensed in North Carolina, whether interstate or intrastate, private or "For Hire" in the amount of $750,000.
- The court system can double any fine for operators of commercial motor vehicles that violate motor vehicle laws in which points are assessed.
- There will be an increase in the number of points assessed to your driving record for motor vehicle law violations including railroad crossing violations and possession of an alcoholic beverage while operating a CMV.
North Carolina CDL Written Knowledge Tests
You will need to pass the
North Carolina Knowledge Tests that are required for
the class of license, restriction, and endorsements you wish to possess. A general
knowledge test for the Class A or Class B and C license must be successfully completed
by all CDL applicants. The information needed to pass these tests is contained
in the
FREE North Carolina CDL Handbook. Please read and study this
manual carefully.
- Class A - 70 Questions (50 GK + 20 Combination Vehicles) - Skills test required.
- Class B - 50 Questions - Skills test required.
- Class C - 50 Questions - Skills test required for bus, school bus and air
brakes vehicles..
- Passenger Endorsement - 20 questions - Skills test required in bus.
- School Bus Endorsement - 25 questions - Skills test required in school bus.
- Doubles/Triples Endorsement - 20 questions - No additional skills tests.
- Tank Vehicle Endorsement - 20 questions - No additional skills tests.
- Hazardous Materials Endorsement - 30 questions - No additional skills tests.
- Air Brake Restriction Removal - 25 questions - Additional skills test in vehicle with Air Brakes.
Classes of North Carolina CDL and Required Tests
| CDL Class |
Tests Required |
Possible Endorsements and Required Tests |
Class A
(Combination
vehicle endorsement required) |
General Knowledge Written Exam
Combination Endorsement Written Exam
Road Exam |
|
| Class B |
General Knowledge Written Exam
Road Exam |
|
| Class C |
General Knowledge Written Exam
Road Exam
Note: If upgrading to a Class C from a Class D, no road test is required UNLESS the endorsement requires one. |
|
North Carolina CDL Endorsements
| Exam |
Time Allowed (Minutes) |
# of Questions on Exam |
# of Correct Answers Needed to Pass |
| General Knowledge |
60 |
50 |
40 |
| Air Brakes |
25 |
25 |
20 |
| HazMat |
30 |
30 |
24 |
| Tank |
20 |
20 |
16 |
| Passenger |
20 |
20 |
16 |
| Doubles/Triples |
20 |
20 |
16 |
| Combination Vehicles |
20 |
20 |
16 |
| School Bus |
20 |
20 |
16 |
|
WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS ARE ASKED ON THE CDL WRITTEN EXAMS?
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A tiny sampling of questions from each of the written CDL exams follows . . .
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE EXAM (Required for ALL CDL's)
Steering tires must have a tread depth of at least . . .
A. 2/32 inch.
B. 3/32 inch.
C. 4/32 inch.
D. 5/32 inch.
When driving on wet roads, you should reduce your speed by . . .
A. half the distance from the vehicle in front of you.
B. 1/3.
C. 1/2.
D. 2/3.
You're performing your pre-trip inspection for your CDL test. Where should your ignition key be?
A. In the ignition.
B. In your pocket.
C. With your logbook.
D. In the cab.
TRANSPORTING PASSENGERS, (P) ENDORSEMENT
You must stop at least how far from a drawbridge, if there is no traffic light or attendant?
A. 10 feet.
B. 20 feet.
C. 50 feet.
D. 100 feet.
When stopping for railroad tracks, you must stop no closer than 15 feet before the nearest track.
A. True.
B. False.
AIR BRAKES ENDORSEMENT
The air leakage rate for a combination vehicle with the engine off and the brakes applied should be no more than . . .
A. 1 psi in 15 seconds.
B. 3 psi in one minute.
C. 4 psi in one minute.
D. allowed at lower altitudes.
You "put on the brakes" by . . .
A. pushing down on the brake pedal.
B. pushing down on the foot valve.
C. pushing down on the treadle valve.
D. all of the above.
COMBINATION VEHICLES (Req'd by ALL Class A's)
Every combination vehicle with air brakes has two air lines, the service line and the return line.
A. True.
B. False.
How much visible space should be between the upper and lower fifth wheel plates?
A. None.
B. At least 1/4 inch.
C. No more than 1/2 inch.
D. Approximately 1 inch.
DOUBLES AND TRIPLES, (T) ENDORSEMENT
Driving conditions are good. A 100 foot long combination vehicle traveling at 35 MPH would need how much safe following distance?
A. 8/10 of a minute.
B. 10 seconds.
C. 11 seconds.
D. Two vehicle lengths.
Triple trailers are legal in your State of Residence.
A. True.
B. False.
TANK VEHICLES, (N) ENDORSEMENT
Because liquids expand and contract under different temperatures . . .
A. you must be familiar with the difference between bulkheads and baffles.
B. you must know the outage requirements.
C. you must be prepared for possible surge.
D. you must have a HAZ MAT placard in place.
Bulkheads in a tank and baffles in a tank are the same.
A. True.
B. False.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, (H) ENDORSEMENT
The driver may keep hazardous materials shipping papers . . .
A. behind the left side HAZ MAT placard.
B. in a pouch on the drivers door or on the driver's seat when out of the vehicle.
C. with the shipper until acceptance at the destination.
D. in a secure place that is locked.
What is the minimum distance from a Class 3 (flammable liquids) or Division 2.1 (gases) placarded cargo tank that you may smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe?
A. 10 meters.
B. 25 feet.
C. 100 feet
D. 300 feet.
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There is a total of 670 questions on the actual North Carolina CDL Course tests, which covers the entire POOL of questions used on the actual CDL examinations. Questions on your ACTUAL TESTS will come from this POOL of questions. Each "CLASS" of CDL and each "ENDORSEMENT" is covered in a separate section. You are required to take only those exams that apply to your driving requirements. The North Carolina CDL Course includes complete "self testing" practice tests and "self scoring" BLANK and CORRECT answer sheets.
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