Most states hand you a permit after one test and send you off to practice. If you are working out how to get a CDL in Pennsylvania, know that PennDOT adds a step in front: a Knowledge Test Authorization, or KTA, that comes before the permit. The sequence is easy once you see it, and the order matters because the 15-day clock and the one-year deadline both start at specific points.
How to get a CDL in Pennsylvania, step 1: a regular license and your documents
A new driver must hold a non-commercial driver's license before getting a commercial learner's permit. New CDL applications are handled in person unless you already provided the required documents. Bring proof of identity and citizenship, such as a birth certificate, passport or naturalization papers (non-U.S. birth certificates are not accepted), plus proof of Pennsylvania residency such as tax records, a lease, a mortgage document, a W-2 or a current utility bill. If you are moving here with a CDL from another state, you must surrender all valid out-of-state CDLs.
Step 2: Apply and self-certify
You submit the Commercial Learner's application (DL-31CD) and the Self-Certification form (DL-11CD). On the second form you choose one of four operation types:
- Non-excepted interstate
- Non-excepted intrastate
- Excepted interstate
- Excepted intrastate
If your type is non-excepted, you must submit a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate before the permit is issued. School bus applicants also need a qualified school bus driver's physical (DL-704).
Step 3: Pass the knowledge tests with your KTA
PennDOT issues a KTA for each class, endorsement or restriction removal you request. It is not a driving permit. It is valid for one year and gives you three tries to pass the tests on it. You can take the knowledge test the same day, depending on Driver License Center availability. Test lengths vary by credential:
- Class A: 70 questions. Class B and Class C: 50 questions each.
- Passenger: 20 questions. School bus: 25 questions, and you must hold the passenger endorsement.
- Doubles/triples and tank vehicle: 20 questions each. Hazmat: 30 questions.
- Air brake restriction removal: 25 questions.
Step 4: Finish entry-level driver training
Entry-level driver training (ELDT) applies to first-time Class A or B applicants, upgrades to Class A or B, and first-time passenger, school bus or hazmat endorsements. It must come from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. It is not retroactive: if your CDL or endorsement was issued before February 7, 2022, you are not subject to it. PennDOT does not list training hours itself and points to the federal curriculum.
Step 5: Practice during the 15-day wait
After you pass the knowledge tests, you receive the permit. There is a minimum waiting period of 15 days from permit issuance to the date of your Class A, B or C skills test, and you can schedule the test right after the knowledge tests. You get three tries on that permit for the skills tests. Adding an endorsement or restriction removal that needs a skills test restarts the 15 days, even for existing CDL holders.
Step 6: Pass the three-part skills test
PennDOT's modernized CDL skills test has three parts, and you must pass all of them: a pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic control skills and a road test. In the vehicle inspection you may be asked to identify up to 90 components and explain what to check, and you may use a checklist as a memory aid. The basic control skills test has four maneuvers: forward stop, straight-line backing, forward offset tracking and reverse offset backing.
Removing only the air brake restriction skips basic control skills, but you still do the inspection and the road test. Other restriction removals, such as C/N or O, include all three parts.
What are the one-year deadline and the farm exception?
You have one year to pass all knowledge and skills tests. If you run out of time, a DL-31CD can request an extension. Once the permit expires, you reapply, receive a new KTA and retake the knowledge tests, because the earlier results are more than a year old. Separately, Pennsylvania exempts farm vehicle drivers within 150 miles of the farm when the vehicle is not used for common or contract carriage.
How do I get a CDL in Pennsylvania?
Hold a regular license, apply for the learner's permit and self-certify, pass the knowledge tests on your KTA, complete ELDT if required, wait 15 days, and pass the three-part skills test.
What is a Pennsylvania Knowledge Test Authorization?
A KTA lets you take the knowledge tests for a class, endorsement or restriction removal. It is valid for one year with three tries and is not a driving permit.
How long must I wait to take the Pennsylvania CDL skills test?
At least 15 days from the date the permit is issued.
How many tries do I get on the Pennsylvania skills test?
Three tries on that particular permit.
Do I need a medical card for a Pennsylvania CDL?
If you self-certify in a non-excepted category, you must submit a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate before the permit is issued.
Procedures and forms change, so confirm the latest requirements with PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services before you apply.
