CDL Age Requirements: Can You Get a CDL at 18?

The two ages that matter

There are two federal ages, and they apply to different things. 49 CFR 383.71(a)(1) says a person must be 18 or older, and prove it, before getting a commercial learner's permit (CLP). 49 CFR 391.11(b)(1) says a person is qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle only if he or she is at least 21 years old. The 21 rule sits in the federal driver qualification part, which applies to interstate operations (49 CFR 390.3(a)). The CDL standards in part 383 apply to both interstate and intrastate driving (49 CFR 383.3(a)). So 18 gets you started on a permit, and 21 is the federal line for hauling across state lines.

• CLP: 18 or older (49 CFR 383.71(a)(1) and 383.25(a)(4)).
• Driving a CMV in interstate commerce: at least 21 (49 CFR 391.11(b)(1)).
• Driving a CMV only inside your state: the state sets the age, so check with it.

Interstate versus intrastate, in plain terms

Interstate means crossing a state line, and it can mean less than you think. 49 CFR 390.5 defines interstate commerce as trade, traffic or transportation between a place in a State and a place outside it, between two places in a State through another State, or between two places in a State as part of a trip that began or ends outside the State. Intrastate is everything that is not interstate. That last part catches people. A load that never leaves your state can still count as interstate if it is part of a shipment that started or ends in another state. The federal rules we checked do not set a separate CDL age for purely intrastate driving, which is why many states let 18-year-olds drive within the state. Whether yours does, and under what conditions, is your state's call.

Hazmat and passenger vehicles

For hazmat and passenger work the practical answer is 21, with one firm limit on permits. Under 49 CFR 390.5, a commercial motor vehicle includes one used to carry hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placarding, one designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation, and one designed or used to carry more than 15 passengers, including the driver, when not for compensation. When those run in interstate commerce, the 21 rule in 49 CFR 391.11(b)(1) applies. If you only hold a CLP, 49 CFR 383.25(a)(6) says you cannot operate a commercial motor vehicle transporting hazardous materials, and 383.25(a)(5)(iv) says all federal endorsements other than P, S and N are prohibited on a CLP. A CLP holder with a passenger or school bus endorsement may not carry passengers other than inspectors, test examiners, other trainees and the supervising CDL holder (383.25(a)(5)(i)-(ii)).

• Hazmat: no hauling on a CLP, and 21 for interstate runs.
• Passenger vehicles in interstate service: 21.
• School bus: see below, because the rules differ.

School buses and other exceptions

States set their own extra rules on top of the federal floor, so the federal numbers are a starting point, not the whole answer. The federal CLP rule requires only that you be at least 18 (383.71(a)(1)), but the state issues the permit and the CDL, and it decides who can drive intrastate. Before you pay for anything, call or check the website of your state licensing agency (DMV, BMV or similar) and ask three things: the minimum age for a CLP, the minimum age for an in-state CDL, and any restrictions on a CDL held under 21. An employer can also require stricter safety standards than the federal minimum (49 CFR 390.3(d)), so a company may set its own age floor above the legal one.