Heavy Truck Driver (CDL) License Requirements, by State
Which states license this trade, what each one costs, how long it takes, and what the job pays there. Pick a state for the full step-by-step.
States licensing it
3 / 3
the rest have no state licence
Cheapest licence
$75
Florida
Highest median pay
$58,270
California
Time to license
—
fastest route we found
State by state
| State | Licence needed | Cost | Time | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | State licence | $146 | — | $58,270 |
| Florida | State licence | $75 | — | $52,760 |
| Texas | State licence | $122 | — | $54,550 |
The trade-off
The cheapest place to get licensed and the best place to earn are usually different states. Florida has the lowest total cost at $75; California pays the most at a median of $58,270. If your licence does not transfer, that difference is the price of moving — check the reciprocity terms on each state page before you plan around it.
What this trade pays
National occupational data for Heavy Truck Driver (CDL) (SOC 53-3032) is published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State medians on this site are pulled from the same program, so the pages are comparable.