Indiana CDL Requirements: Age, Medical Card, Tests and Restrictions

There are Indiana CDL requirements that apply to everyone and requirements that depend on the work you plan to do. A driver hauling inside the state faces different rules than one crossing into Ohio, and a school bus applicant faces different ones still. This guide splits them out so you can see which apply to you.

Indiana CDL requirements by type of driving

• Intrastate freight: at least 18.
• Interstate driving: at least 21.
• School bus: at least 21, plus the school bus and passenger transport exams.
• Hazmat: a TSA security threat assessment, and the endorsement cannot be added to a CLP.
• Intrastate-only holders with a restriction still need a current medical certificate copy on file.

Medical certificate: required at the start and every day after

A first CDL or CLP application in Indiana requires a current Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC) on file with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). A certified medical examiner submits the MEC electronically, and you must keep a current one on file to retain commercial driving privileges. If you do not meet certain federal physical standards, FMCSA medical exemptions may be available.

What do you need for an Indiana commercial learner's permit?

Besides the MEC, expect to provide:

• Proof of Indiana domicile.
• A list of the states where you were licensed in the previous 10 years.
• An unexpired Permanent Resident Card if you are a lawful permanent resident.

A CLP is valid for one year, and passing knowledge exam results are valid for one year as well. While you hold the CLP, you may operate a commercial motor vehicle only when accompanied by a valid CDL holder with the proper class and endorsements for that vehicle.

Which Indiana CDL knowledge exams are required?

Everyone takes the general knowledge exam. The rest depend on the vehicle:

• Air brakes exam for vehicles with air brakes.
• Combination vehicle exam for tractor-trailers.
• Passenger transport exam for buses, plus the school bus exam for school buses.
• Tanker exam for bulk liquids.
• Doubles and triples exam for multiple trailers.
• Hazardous materials exam for placarded loads.

If you fail, you may retake the exam the next business day, once per day.

Indiana CDL skills test rules

You must hold the CLP for 14 days before attempting the skills test. Appointments must be made at least two days ahead, and you may test once per business day at a BMV-approved site. Failing any part, ignoring an instruction or doing something unsafe is an automatic failure, and you reschedule. Passed skills results are valid for one year, and you must return to a BMV branch to be issued your CDL before the CLP expires.

Before you get the CDL, you must complete Entry-Level Driver Training with an FMCSA-listed provider and watch the human trafficking instructional video.

Put those rules together and you can map your calendar. The earliest skills test date is 14 days after the permit is issued, and the appointment itself must be booked two days ahead. Because passed results last one year, there is no need to rush a test you are not ready for, but you must finish the CDL before the permit expires.

Indiana CDL restriction codes explained

Restrictions appear on your license and tell employers and officers what you cannot do:

• E: no manual transmission, so you tested in an automatic.
• K: intrastate only.
• L: no air brake equipped vehicles.
• Z: no full air brake equipped vehicles.
• O: no tractor-trailer.
• M: no Class A passenger vehicle. N: no Class A or B passenger vehicle.
• R: restricted agricultural CDL privileges, which require a Seasonal Validation Document.
• V: medical variance from an FMCSA-approved exemption.

The cheapest way to avoid an E or L restriction is to test in a truck with a manual transmission and air brakes.

Transferring an out-of-state CDL to Indiana

You have 30 days to transfer. You surrender the old license, pass the general knowledge exam (and the hazmat exam if it applies), and provide proof of identity, Social Security number, lawful status and Indiana residency. The out-of-state license must be unexpired. Licenses from the 50 states, D.C., Canada and Mexico count, but U.S. territories do not.

If a CDL has been expired, surrendered, disqualified, canceled, revoked, suspended or invalidated for more than three years, you must pass all applicable tests as a first-time applicant.

Requirements change, so confirm everything with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles before you apply.