New Mexico CDL Practice Test

New Mexico CDL Resources

Here are more resources related to getting your CDL in New Mexico:

• Learn what is required for getting your CDL in New Mexico

  New Mexico CDL Requirements

• Download the New Mexico CDL manual for free right here.

  New Mexico CDL Manual

• Find Paid CDL Training In New Mexico

  Paid CDL Training In New Mexico

CDL Permit Testing in New Mexico

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 New Mexico Commercial Driver License Manual, and New Mexico 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. There will be fees associated with the Commercial Learner’s Permit and any endorsements you will be adding.

Commercial Learner’s Permit Eligibility Requirements

In the state of New Mexico, you must be at least 21 years of age to be eligible to drive commercially intrastate (across state lines) or to transport hazardous materials. You must be at least 18 to obtain a CDL of any kind.

You must also meet driving record eligibility requirements. You can be disqualified for similar things as for an active CDL-holder. These include alcohol use, refusal to submit to alcohol testing, drug use, and traffic violations that occurred while you were operating any type of vehicle and in any capacity, and include leaving the scene of an accident or commission of a felony.

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.

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 Motor Vehicle Division CDL field office.

Find your CDL field office location

You will need to bring originals of all of the following documents with you to the CDL field office at the time of application:

• New Mexico regular driver’s license or out-of-state CDL
• Proof of Identification Number: Social Security card, W-2 form, SSA-1099 form, Non-SSA-1099 form, or pay stub listing Social Security number
• Your medical card/Medical Examiner’s Certificate
• Two proofs of physical residency in New Mexico: there are many acceptable forms of documentation to fulfill this requirement. Some common ones include recent pay stubs or utility bills bearing your address.

• One proof of identity and age: acceptable documents include original or certified copy of U.S. Birth Certificate, U.S. Passport or Passport Card, Consular report of birth abroad issued by the U.S. Department of State, Permanent Resident Card, or Certificate of Citizenship

  See detailed requirements for required and accepted documentation

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. Note that this is for CDL pursuit planning purposes only, as a hazardous materials endorsement is not possible for the Commercial Learner’s Permit, and you may not practice or take skills tests in Hazmat vehicles or vehicles that have ever been used to transport hazardous materials until after you have obtained your full CDL.

In addition to your medical examination, the CDL field office may also perform its own health screening questionnaire and 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 in each eye.

Commercial Learner’s Permit Knowledge Tests

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

New Mexico 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, Tank, Passenger, or School Bus); for the learner’s permit, passenger and tanker drivers will have restrictions that disallow driving with cargo or passengers prior to full licensing. Practice and testing will not be allowed in Hazmat or Doubles and Triples; learner’s permit holders are also barred from driving vehicles with air brakes.
• 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

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 New Mexico MVD website and New Mexico 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 Motor Vehicle Division CDL field office near you with the proper documents in hand; apply for your Commercial Learner’s Permit and meet physical screening and vision requirements
• 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; the CLP is valid for 180 days after issuance