CDL Permit Test Facts by State: Pass Mark, Fees, Waits

The federal pass mark is 80% on every CDL knowledge test, and question counts run from about 20 to 70 depending on the test and state. Find your state in the table below. FirstTry CDL offers exam-style practice tests built from the official CDL manual, a 7-day plan and a Readiness Score that tells you when to book.

CDL permit test facts, all 50 states and DC

Compiled 2026-10-23 from state sites and CDL manuals we read and verified in October 2026. Every cell comes from the state's own site or CDL manual. "Not published" means the official pages we read do not say. We never guess. Questions are for the General Knowledge test. "80% (federal rule)" means the state names no number, so the federal minimum applies. Fees and rules change, so open the source link before you book.

How to read this table

• GK questions is the General Knowledge test. Air brakes, combination and endorsement tests have their own counts, which are often 20 to 30. Our how many questions are on the CDL test guide has one state's full list.
• Retake wait is the time before you can try a failed knowledge test again. Some states also cap tries or charge a fee for each retest. See what to do after a failed CDL permit test.
• CLP fee is the permit fee. Some states charge a test fee on top, and a few have no separate permit fee. Our CDL permit cost by state guide has the full fee list, and CDL test language by state covers languages and interpreters.
• CLP valid is how long the permit lasts. After it ends, many states make you retake the knowledge tests. A federal rule also says you must hold a CLP for 14 days before the skills test (49 CFR 383.25).
• Want the federal facts for each test in one place? See CDL test facts.

3 tips from the numbers

1. Know your misses. At 80%, a 50-question test lets you miss 10. A 30-question test lets you miss 6. A 25-question test, like air brakes in many states, lets you miss 5. A 20-question test lets you miss only 4. Short tests leave less room, so study the short endorsement tests as hard as the long one. Our guide to the questions you can miss on the CDL permit test has the full table.
2. Plan around the wait. In states with a 7-day wait, like New Jersey, Rhode Island and West Virginia, one failed test costs you a week. Spend that week on your three weakest topics, not on re-reading everything. In next-day states, do not rush back the same night. Fix the topics you missed first.
3. Start the permit clock when you are ready. Some permits last 180 days and some last a year. Book your first knowledge test when you can score 85% or better on practice tests, so the permit time goes to practice on the road, not to waiting. Try our CDL practice tests to check.

What this page is not

This table is a study guide, not an official source. FirstTry CDL is not part of any DMV or government agency. Rules change, and some states publish little. Check your state's CDL manual before test day. Nothing here is legal advice.

How complete is this table

Of 51 rows, 9 have a value in every column. The rest have at least one cell marked Not published. The General Knowledge question count is the most common gap, because many states do not print it on the pages we read. We will fill a cell only when we can read it on an official page.

Sources

Federal rule: 49 CFR 383.135 and 49 CFR 383.25.

Every page and manual we used, by state, read in October 2026 and re-checked where each state's site allowed on 2026-10-23:

• Alabama: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Alaska: 1, 2, 3
• Arizona: 1, 2, 3
• Arkansas: 1, 2, 3
• California: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Colorado: 1, 2, 3
• Connecticut: 1, 2, 3
• Delaware: 1, 2
• District of Columbia: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Florida: 1, 2, 3
• Georgia: 1, 2, 3
• Hawaii: 1, 2
• Idaho: 1, 2, 3
• Illinois: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Indiana: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Iowa: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Kansas: 1, 2, 3
• Kentucky: 1, 2, 3
• Louisiana: 1, 2, 3
• Maine: 1, 2, 3
• Maryland: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Massachusetts: 1, 2, 3
• Michigan: 1
• Minnesota: 1, 2, 3
• Mississippi: 1, 2
• Missouri: 1, 2, 3
• Montana: 1, 2
• Nebraska: 1, 2, 3
• Nevada: 1, 2
• New Hampshire: 1, 2, 3, 4
• New Jersey: 1, 2, 3, 4
• New Mexico: 1, 2, 3
• New York: 1, 2, 3
• North Carolina: 1, 2
• North Dakota: 1, 2, 3
• Ohio: 1, 2, 3
• Oklahoma: 1, 2
• Oregon: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Pennsylvania: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Rhode Island: 1, 2, 3, 4
• South Carolina: 1, 2, 3
• South Dakota: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Tennessee: 1, 2, 3
• Texas: 1, 2, 3
• Utah: 1, 2
• Vermont: 1, 2, 3, 4
• Virginia: 1, 2
• Washington: 1, 2, 3
• West Virginia: 1, 2
• Wisconsin: 1, 2, 3
• Wyoming: 1, 2, 3, 4

Try 10 exam-style questions built from the official CDL manual.