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How to Get a CDL in Missouri: Steps, Costs and Timeline

Now Hiring St. Louis Editorial TeamUpdated 2026-09-298 min read

Last verified: September 29, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the agencies linked below before you pay for anything. Missouri fees, ELDT and permit rules were rechecked against DOR and FMCSA pages on this date; the local BLS wage figures come from an interactive tool we could not re-open, so confirm them at the BLS link in the sources.

Truck driving is one of the few well-paid jobs you can reach in weeks instead of years, and St. Louis sits on the kind of freight crossroads that keeps drivers busy. But the path to a commercial driver license (CDL) has more steps than most people expect, and one of them changed a few years ago. Here is the order things happen in Missouri, what each step costs where we could confirm a number, and where people get stuck.

What a CDL pays in the St. Louis area

Start with the payoff, because it helps you judge the cost. In the May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (about 18,270 jobs) had a mean wage of $28.76 an hour, or $59,810 a year. The median was $28.00 an hour. The lowest-paid tenth earned $19.49 an hour or less, which is a fair picture of what a brand-new driver at a small company may see. Light truck drivers, who deliver in smaller vehicles and often do not need a CDL, averaged $25.27 an hour.

Nationally, BLS reports a median of $58,640 a year as of May 2025. It also warns that long-haul work means being away from home for days or weeks, and that the job has one of the highest injury and illness rates of any occupation. Those are real trade-offs, so decide with open eyes.

Step 1: Meet the basic requirements

According to the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR), you must be at least 18, hold a valid Missouri driver license, and meet the vision standard of at least 20/40 in either eye or both, with or without glasses. Commercial driving across state lines has its own age rule: federal regulation 49 CFR 391.11 requires drivers in interstate commerce to be at least 21, while FMCSA says the CDL rules do not require purely intrastate drivers to be 21, so Missouri's minimum of 18 applies to in-state-only work. In practice, if you are 18 to 20, expect to be limited to driving inside Missouri, and check with DOR and any employer before you pay for training.

Decide early which class you want. Class A covers combination vehicles such as tractor-trailers and is what most over-the-road jobs require. Class B covers single heavy vehicles such as straight trucks and buses. STLCC's requirements show the difference in practice: its Class A course asks for one year of driving experience and its Class B course asks for two.

Step 2: Get your DOT medical card

FMCSA says drivers who operate in non-excepted interstate commerce, which covers most trucking jobs, must get a Medical Examiner's Certificate (Form MCSA-5876, commonly called the DOT card) from a medical examiner on the FMCSA National Registry and give it to the state licensing agency. Missouri's DOR says applicants self-certify their driving category and, if applicable, submit a valid medical examiner certificate. FMCSA says the exam certificate is valid for up to 24 months. A regular family doctor may not be on the registry.

Price varies by clinic. As one data point, STLCC's page lists a $175 DOT physical for students in its Class B program. Call two or three clinics before you book.

Step 3: Pass the knowledge tests and get your commercial learner's permit

The commercial learner's permit (CLP) comes first. The DOR lists the fee as $44.00, made up of a $25 written test fee, a $10 permit fee and a $9 processing fee. The knowledge tests are given at Missouri State Highway Patrol driver examination stations, in English only, with no translators allowed. Study the Missouri CDL Manual that DOR links from its commercial page. For a Class A, expect general knowledge, air brakes and combination vehicles, which are the same three tests STLCC requires for its Class A students.

Two Missouri rules to remember:

  • The CLP is good for 360 days and cannot be renewed. If it lapses, you retake the knowledge tests.
  • You must hold the CLP for at least 14 days before you can take the skills test.

Step 4: Complete entry-level driver training (ELDT)

This is the step that catches people off guard. Under FMCSA's entry-level driver training rule (49 CFR Part 380), since February 7, 2022, first-time Class A or B applicants, people upgrading their license class, and people adding a school bus, passenger or hazmat endorsement for the first time must complete Entry-Level Driver Training before the skills test. Missouri's DOR states it plainly: the training has to come from a provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry.

Some people are exempt. Per the registry's FAQ, if you got a CLP before February 7, 2022 and earned your CDL before that permit expired, you skip ELDT. So does anyone who already held a CDL or the relevant endorsement before that date, and people who qualify for a federal skills-test exception, such as certain military drivers. Removing a restriction, such as an air brake or transmission restriction, also does not trigger ELDT.

Two useful details from the registry site:

  • You can search it by training type (Class A, Class B, passenger, school bus, hazmat), by location or by provider name. Search it yourself instead of trusting an ad that says "approved."
  • Providers must report your completed training to the registry by midnight of the second business day after you finish. If your school is slow, the skills test can be delayed, so ask when they submit.

The federal rule does not set a minimum number of hours for Class A or B training. It requires that you pass the theory portion and show proficiency behind the wheel, so course lengths vary a lot from school to school.

Step 5: Take the skills test and get your CDL

Missouri skills tests are by appointment only at Missouri State Highway Patrol CDL test sites, and the DOR requires that your ELDT completion is on file first. The test has the usual three parts: a pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic control skills and an on-road drive. The DOR lists a first-time CDL cost of about $83 when you already hold a CLP: a $25 skills test fee, a $40 license fee for a three-to-six-year term and an $18 processing fee. The fee changes with the term of the license.

What training costs, using a real local example

Prices vary widely, so use this only as a benchmark. St. Louis Community College's Transportation Education Center at 5475 Highland Park in Forest Park lists these programs for 2026 to 2027:

  • CDL-A: $6,500. The day program runs 4 weeks, Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The night program runs 5 weeks, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
  • CDL-B: $3,500 plus the $175 DOT physical, over seven days.
  • Hazmat endorsement: $129, one morning.

To enroll, STLCC lists these requirements: a valid license, a good driving record, a commercial learner's permit, a negative DOT drug test, a passed DOT physical and attendance at an information session held on Thursdays. It says funding may be available for those who qualify. Contact the program at 314-644-9740 for current details. Private schools also exist in the metro, and any of them should show up in the FMCSA registry search. We did not verify their prices, so compare quotes.

A realistic timeline for a motivated person: a week or two to get the medical card and pass the permit tests, the 14-day minimum permit hold running alongside your classes, a training program of four to eight weeks, then a skills test appointment. Somewhere between two and three months from decision to license is common, though that is our estimate from these requirements, not an official figure. BLS notes that traditional truck driving school can take 3 to 6 months.

Company-paid training: read the fine print

Some carriers train new drivers themselves. One national carrier's page, for example, describes paid training at its own facilities, a three-to-four-week paid orientation and tuition reimbursement for outside schools. That can be a real way to start with no upfront cost.

The catch is what you sign. A 2023 CFPB report on employer-driven debt found trucking training repayment agreements in which drivers owed $6,000 to $8,000 if they left early. In one example the company charged workers over $6,000 while paying the driving school only $1,400 to $2,500. Ask these questions before you sign:

  1. How long do I have to stay, and what exactly do I owe if I leave sooner?
  2. Is the debt reduced month by month, or is it all due at once?
  3. What will I be paid during training and after?
  4. Can I get the agreement in writing to take home and read?
  5. What happens if the company cuts my miles or lays me off?

Paying for your own training costs more up front but leaves you free to compare employers. Company training removes the up-front cost but can tie you to one employer. Neither is wrong. Know which one you are choosing.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Paying a school before checking the registry. If the school is not listed for the class you want, the training may not count.
  • Letting the permit expire. You get 360 days and no renewal.
  • Using the wrong medical examiner. Confirm they are on the FMCSA National Registry.
  • Skipping the driving record check. Serious violations can block or delay a CDL, so pull your record first.
  • Signing a repayment agreement without reading it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to go to a school to get a CDL in Missouri? For most first-time applicants, yes, in the sense that you must complete ELDT from a provider on the FMCSA registry before the skills test. That provider can be a college, a private school or a carrier that is itself registered.

How long is the Missouri CLP good for? 360 days, and it cannot be renewed, per the Department of Revenue.

Can I take the skills test right after getting my permit? No. Missouri requires a minimum 14-day hold on the permit, and your ELDT must be completed and reported first.

Is there financial help? STLCC says funding may be available to those who qualify. Also see our guide to free job training in St. Louis, and ask the Missouri Job Center about workforce funding before you pay out of pocket.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Requirements and fees are set by the Missouri Department of Revenue, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and FMCSA, so confirm current details with them.

Sources

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