🚛 License Classes
Alabama issues three classes of commercial driver's licenses. The class you need depends on the type and weight of vehicle you'll be operating.
Any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 lbs or more, provided the towed vehicle exceeds 10,000 lbs GVWR.
- Tractor-trailers (18-wheelers)
- Tanker trucks with trailer
- Flatbed semis
- Livestock trailers
- Lowboy combinations
A single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 lbs or more, or towing a vehicle not exceeding 10,000 lbs GVWR.
- Straight trucks & dump trucks
- Large buses (city transit)
- Box trucks over 26,001 lbs
- Garbage / refuse trucks
- Delivery vehicles (large)
Vehicles not meeting Class A or B thresholds but designed to transport 16+ passengers or hazardous materials requiring placarding.
- Passenger vans (16+ riders)
- Small HazMat vehicles
- School buses (with P endorsement)
- Shuttle buses
- Paratransit vehicles
💡 Pro Tip
A Class A license allows you to drive Class B and C vehicles. A Class B allows you to drive Class C vehicles. If you're unsure, always aim for Class A — it opens the most job opportunities and is what most trucking employers require.
📋 Basic Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum Age | 21 years old for interstate (crossing state lines) or HazMat driving. 18 years old for intrastate (within Alabama only) driving. Note: most trucking employers require 21 regardless of state law. |
| Residency | Must be an Alabama resident with a valid Alabama driver's license or hold a valid CLP (Commercial Learner's Permit) from Alabama. Out-of-state residents must transfer their existing CDL or apply in their home state. |
| Regular License | Must hold a valid non-CDL Alabama driver's license (or a CDL from another state being transferred). Your regular license must not be expired, suspended, or revoked. |
| Knowledge Test | Must pass the CDL general knowledge test (50 questions, 80% passing score = 40 correct) at an ALEA Driver License office. Additional endorsement tests required for HazMat, Tanker, Doubles/Triples, Passenger, and School Bus. |
| Skills Test | Must pass a three-part skills test: pre-trip vehicle inspection, basic vehicle control, and on-road driving. Administered at an ALEA Third-Party Skills Test location. |
| Social Security Number | Must provide your Social Security Number (SSN). ALEA verifies SSN with the Social Security Administration. |
| English Language | Must be able to read and speak English well enough to understand highway signs, respond to official inquiries, and make entries in reports and records. |
🩺 Medical Requirements
All CDL holders must meet Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) physical standards and maintain a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC). This is a DOT physical — different from a regular doctor's visit.
DOT Physical Requirements
- ✓ Must be performed by a licensed FMCSA-registered Medical Examiner (listed on the National Registry)
- ✓ Covers vision, hearing, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and neurological function
- ✓ Typically valid for 24 months (2 years)
- ✓ May be valid for shorter periods if you have conditions like high blood pressure that require monitoring
- ✓ Must submit your Medical Examiner's Certificate to ALEA within 30 days of your physical (can be done online)
Blood Pressure Standards
| Blood Pressure Range | Certification Period |
|---|---|
| Less than 140/90 | 2 years (full certification) |
| 140–159 / 90–99 (Stage 1) | 1 year |
| 160–179 / 100–109 (Stage 2) | 3 months (conditional, must be treated) |
| 180/110 or higher (Stage 3) | Disqualified until controlled |
Conditions That May Affect Your Medical Certificate
The following conditions require medical examiner review and may result in conditional certification or disqualification. Each case is evaluated individually:
- ! Insulin-dependent diabetes (ITDM) — requires annual re-certification via FMCSA Diabetes Exemption Program
- ! Sleep apnea — must be treated and compliant with CPAP; documentation required
- ! Epilepsy / seizure disorders — typically disqualifying unless seizure-free for an extended period with exemption
- ! Mental health conditions — evaluated case-by-case; some conditions treated with certain medications may disqualify
- ! Missing limb or limb impairment — may qualify with a Skills Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate
📍 Finding a DOT Examiner in Alabama
Use the FMCSA National Registry at nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov to find a certified medical examiner near you. Many urgent care clinics, occupational health centers, and trucking-focused clinics in Alabama offer DOT physicals. Cost is typically $75–$150.
👁 Vision Requirements
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Visual Acuity | At least 20/40 in each eye separately and both eyes combined, with or without corrective lenses |
| Field of Vision | At least 70 degrees in the horizontal meridian in each eye |
| Color Recognition | Must be able to distinguish traffic signal colors (red, green, amber) |
| Monocular Vision | Driving with vision in only one eye may qualify through the FMCSA Federal Vision Exemption Program |
✓ Glasses & Contacts Are Fine
You can wear corrective lenses and still qualify. If you wear glasses or contacts, your CDL will carry a restriction code requiring you to wear them while driving. If you fail the vision test without correction, you'll need to visit an eye doctor and return with updated lenses before being certified.
📝 Driving Record Requirements
Alabama and FMCSA regulations require a clean-enough driving record to obtain and maintain a CDL. Your record is reviewed at both the knowledge test stage and before your CDL is issued.
Key Rules
- ✓ You may only hold one driver's license at a time — if you have licenses from multiple states, you must surrender all but one before a CDL is issued
- ✓ Your regular (non-CDL) license must be valid and in good standing
- ✓ Out-of-state CDL holders transferring to Alabama must surrender their previous state CDL
- ! A suspended, revoked, or cancelled license in any state disqualifies you from receiving a CDL until the underlying issue is resolved
- ! Active court-ordered suspensions or DUI-related revocations in any state must be cleared first
🚫 Disqualifying Offenses
Certain offenses permanently or temporarily disqualify you from holding a CDL. These apply whether the offense was committed in a commercial or personal vehicle.
Permanent Disqualifiers (Lifetime Ban)
- Using a commercial vehicle to commit a felony involving controlled substances (manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing)
- Two or more serious traffic violations resulting in a CDL disqualification within a 3-year period (may result in permanent loss)
- Causing a fatality through negligent operation of a CMV (in some cases)
1-Year Disqualifiers (First Offense)
- DUI / DWI in any vehicle (BAC 0.04% or higher in a CMV; 0.08% in a personal vehicle)
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving a CMV
- Using a CMV to commit a felony
- Driving a CMV while your CDL is revoked, suspended, or cancelled
- Refusing a blood alcohol or breathalyzer test
- HazMat-related violations may result in a 3-year disqualification
⚠️ The 0.04% BAC Rule
CDL holders are held to a stricter standard than non-commercial drivers. While the legal limit for regular drivers is 0.08%, the legal limit for CDL holders operating a commercial vehicle is just 0.04%. Even off-duty DUI convictions in a personal vehicle can trigger a 1-year CDL disqualification.
💰 Alabama CDL Fees
The following are the current ALEA fee schedule for CDL-related transactions. Fees are paid at the time of testing or issuance.
Fees are approximate and subject to change. Skills test fees may vary by third-party testing site. CDL training school fees ($3,000–$8,000) are separate and not included above. Always verify current fees with ALEA before visiting.
📄 Self-Certification Requirement
Federal law requires all CDL applicants and holders to self-certify their type of commercial driving. This determines whether you must maintain a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC) on file with ALEA.
| Category | Description | MEC Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Excepted Interstate (NI) | Drive across state lines in commerce or transport HazMat requiring placards | Yes — must file MEC with ALEA and keep it current |
| Non-Excepted Intrastate (NTI) | Drive only within Alabama and are subject to Alabama's medical standards | Yes — must file MEC (Alabama standards apply) |
| Excepted Interstate (EI) | Drive across state lines but are exempt from federal medical requirements (rare farm/private use exemptions) | No |
| Excepted Intrastate (ETI) | Drive only within Alabama and are exempt from state medical requirements | No |
✓ How to Submit Your Self-Certification
Alabama allows self-certification to be submitted online through the ALEA Driver License Online portal at alabamainteractive.org/alea. You'll need your driver's license number, the last four digits of your SSN, and your date of birth. Your medical certificate can also be submitted online — no office visit required.