Minnesota CDL Practice Test

Minnesota CDL Resources

Here are more resources related to getting your CDL in Minnesota:

• Learn what is required for getting your CDL in Minnesota

  Minnesota CDL Requirements

• Download the Minnesota CDL manual for free right here.

  Minnesota CDL Manual

• Find Paid CDL Training In Minnesota

  Paid CDL Training In Minnesota

CDL Permit Testing in Minnesota

To get a CDL Learner’s Permit, which you need to have in order to enter attend a trucking school and to undergo CDL testing, you will need to independently study for and pass permit testing (in addition to meeting all eligibility and fitness requirements). To study, you will utilize the Minnesota Commercial Driver License Manual, and Minnesota CDL practice tests that you can find online or in books. The CDL Manual will cover everything you need to know for testing, but it’s necessary to learn which parts will be emphasized the most and that you need to memorize in order to pass. You might need to use other sources to aid in your understanding of the manual’s contents.

The exam will only be a written test, not a driving test, as you need to obtain the learner’s permit before you can operate a commercial vehicle and be tested on driving skills. In trucking school, the permit will allow you to complete all of the in-vehicle instruction needed to go through the full CDL test. The fee to get the Commercial Learner’s Permit is $10.50.

Commercial Learner’s Permit Eligibility Requirements

In the state of Minnesota, you must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible to obtain a CDL. You must be at least 21 to drive interstate or transport hazardous materials.

You must also meet driving record eligibility requirements. You can be disqualified for the same things as for an active CDL-holder. These include alcohol use, drug use, and traffic violations that occurred while you were operating any type of vehicle and in any capacity. You must have a valid regular Minnesota driver’s license.

You must also meet medical and physical requirements, and have already been examined by an FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) certified medical examiner and obtained a Medical Examiner’s Card. Costs for the exam vary, but it will usually be less than $150 and greater than $35. The exam will cover things like hearing, vision, blood pressure, and medical conditions such as epilepsy and diabetes. Note that as of 2018, drivers with diabetes are no longer required to obtain a federal exemption. Their condition will be assessed like any other as part of the medical fitness exam.

Locate a certified medical examiner in your area

After you have obtained your medical card, to begin the process of getting your Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP), you must visit a Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services office.

Find your DVS office location

You will need to bring the following to the Driver and Vehicle Services office:

• Minnesota driver’s license
• Social Security Number

• Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency: documents that fulfill this requirement are: a valid, unexpired U.S. passport or passport card; certified copy of birth certificate from any U.S. state; consular report of birth abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State; Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship issued by U.S. Department of Homeland Security; valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card or unexpired employment authorization document issued by USCIS or an unexpired foreign passport accompanied by an approved I-94 form.

  See detailed requirements for eligibility requirements

• Your completed Commercial Driver’s License Medical Self-Certification form--this is required to inform the department of what type of driving you intend to do (intrastate or interstate), and whether you are subject to or exempt from medical examination requirements

  Self-Certification Form

• A valid Medical Examiner Certificate, after being examined by an FMCSA certified medical examiner

• If you intend to drive hazardous materials vehicles and add a Hazmat endorsement, you must also present your TSA (Transportation Security Administration) background and fingerprint approval and proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence. The TSA background check costs $86.50.

  Get your TSA background check for Hazmat endorsement

In addition to your medical examination, the Driver and Vehicle Services office will also perform its own health screening questionnaire, and will administer a vision test, similar to the process for getting a regular driver’s license. The vision requirement for unrestricted driver’s licenses is 20/40 acuity, with allowable peripheral vision of at least 70 degrees.

Other health factors that will be taken into consideration include:

• Inability to tightly grip a steering wheel, reduced physical strength, inability to easily move foot from gas to brake pedal, or inability to look over shoulder
• Loss of limb
• Reduced ability to react quickly and decisively to traffic conditions and confusion
• Lessened ability to focus on object and shift focus quickly, lessened ability to focus on fine details, reduced peripheral vision, poor night vision, sensitivity to glare, or weakened depth perception
• Medication side effects/drug interaction(including over the counter) that cause drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, muscle relaxation

Read more about Minnesota’s physical and vision standards

Commercial Learner’s Permit Knowledge Tests

You won’t know exactly what is on the Minnesota learner’s permit test until you are taking it, so it’s necessary to thoroughly study the CDL Manual.

Minnesota Commercial Driver’s License Manual

Common topics that are likely to be on the permit tests include, but are not limited to the following, specifically as they relate to commercial vehicles:

• Questions specific to your intended CDL Class (A, B, or C)
• Questions specific to your intended CDL Endorsement (Double and Triple Trailers, Passenger, Tank, Hazmat, Hazmat combined with Tank, or School Bus); note that for the learner’s permit, passenger and tanker drivers will have restrictions that disallow driving with passengers or tankers that have previously been used to haul hazardous materials or that have cargo in them, prior to full licensing; it is also prohibited in Minnesota for a CLP holder to operate double or triple trailers
• Vehicle inspection
• Vehicle and speed control
• Shifting gears
• How to see or anticipate hazards
• Signaling, communication, and spatial proximity with other drivers
• Railroad crossings
• Hazards of distracted and drunk driving
• Staying alert and physically fit to drive
• Driving at night
• Driving in various weather conditions
• Emergencies on the road and accident procedures
• Braking
• Skid control
• Transporting cargo safely
• Air brakes

After you have completed the entire CLP process, you must wait 14 days to be eligible to undergo full CDL testing. An education program in the interim is necessary to be able to learn and practice the skills needed for that testing, as well as in-depth training on governmental regulations and being successful in a career and lifestyle in trucking.

Commercial Learner’s Permit Timeline

• Review eligibility requirements using the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services website and Minnesota Commercial Driver License Manual and make sure you meet them
• Locate an FMCSA Certified Medical Examiner near you and complete your medical examination to obtain your medical card
• Thoroughly study the Commercial Driver License Manual and become prepared for the written knowledge tests for the Commercial Learner’s Permit
• Go to a Driver and Vehicle Services office near you with the proper documents in hand; apply for your Commercial Learner’s Permit and undergo a physical screening and vision test
• Complete your written knowledge tests for the Commercial Learner’s Permit
• Upon obtaining the CLP, you may enter an education program to get the in-vehicle and other experience necessary to pass the full CDL exams
• You cannot take the CDL exams until at least 14 days after obtaining the CLP; it is valid for 180 days after issuance