How to Get a CDL in Illinois: Do You Need One, and the Steps From Permit to Skills Test

Start with the scale, not the training school. How to get a CDL in Illinois depends first on whether your vehicle needs one, and the Illinois State Police materials draw the line clearly: a single vehicle rated 26,001 pounds or more, or a vehicle designed or used to carry more than 15 passengers including the driver. Know which side of that line your job falls on before you spend a dollar on lessons.

Does your Illinois vehicle need a CDL?

In Illinois, a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is any vehicle used in commerce on public highways with a rating of 10,001 pounds or more. That is lower than the CDL threshold, which is why a 12,000-pound work truck can be a CMV for safety rules without requiring a CDL. Federal safety rules can still apply to it. When you are unsure which side of the line a vehicle falls on, check with the Illinois Secretary of State, which licenses CDL drivers.

How to get a CDL in Illinois, in order

1. Choose your class and endorsements. Class A is a tractor-trailer combination, Class B is a single heavy vehicle, and Class C is a smaller vehicle that carries placarded hazmat or many passengers.
2. Check your age. Under federal rules you can drive commercially inside Illinois at 18, and you must be 21 to cross state lines or carry hazardous materials.
3. Pass the knowledge tests at a Secretary of State facility for your class and endorsements, then receive your commercial learner's permit (CLP). Check the Illinois CDL study guide for how long the permit lasts.
4. Practice behind the wheel only with a licensed CDL holder in the seat beside you.
5. While on a permit, you can add only the N, P and S endorsements under federal rules, so H and T wait until the CDL. Hold the permit at least 14 days, the federal minimum before the skills test, and complete entry-level driver training if you are a first-time applicant.
6. Pass the skills test, which has three parts under federal rules: a vehicle inspection, basic controls and an on-road driving test.

What are the Illinois rules you will use every day?

A CDL test covers more than your license class. Illinois has road rules that apply to every driver, and CDL holders are held to a higher standard when they break them.

• Scott's Law is the Illinois move-over law. A first violation carries a fine from 250 up to 10,000 dollars, and later ones carry fines from 750 up to 10,000 dollars.
• Stop at least 20 feet before a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing. A first offense for passing one carries a minimum fine of 300 dollars and a three-month suspension.
• Illinois legal height is 13 feet 6 inches and legal width is 8 feet 6 inches. Know your clearances before you route a load.
• If a preliminary breath test on a CMV driver is under .04, no chemical test is requested and the driver is placed out of service for 24 hours.

What do you need to do after you get an Illinois CDL?

New Illinois residents need an Illinois CDL or CLP after 30 days of residency, so do not let a move from another state become a lapse. CDL holders must tell the Secretary of State about a name or address change within 10 days and obtain a corrected CDL within 30 days. Keep your medical certificate current as well. A federal medical examiner's certificate can be valid for up to two years, and only examiners listed on the FMCSA National Registry can issue one.

Which endorsements can you add in Illinois?

Endorsements follow the federal pattern: H for hazardous materials, N for tank vehicles, P for passengers, S for school buses and T for doubles and triples. Several need extra knowledge tests, and hazmat requires a federal background check. Decide which endorsements your job needs before you test, because it is cheaper in time to add them while your permit is still active than to return later.

Procedures and numbers change, so confirm the current details with the Illinois Secretary of State before you apply or schedule a test. DMVZone is an independent study resource, not a state agency.