Obtaining Your Commercial Driver's License In Ohio

Napier > Blog > Obtaining Your Commercial Driver’s License in Ohio Obtaining Your Commercial Driver’s License in Ohio

The Steps to Take in Getting Your CDL

July 19, 2017 Last Updated: May 21, 2025

Making the decision to obtain an Ohio CDL or commercial driver’s license is an important step in opening up a wide range of career opportunities and providing a stable source of income for you and your family. Your CDL training is important for setting you up to have a successful career as a trucker. If you are 18 years or older and already have a non-CDL drivers license,  follow these steps to learn how to get a CDL in Ohio:

1. Study for a commercial learner’s permit or CLP, which will allow you to train for an actual CDL by practicing in a commercial motor vehicle. (You can find practice tests here)
2. Pay the $27 commercial learner’s permit fee at the time you take your test.
3. Sign up for a CDL training course like Napier’s, especially if you plan to drive a semi or work as an OTR driver (over-the-road or long-distance truck driver)
4. Schedule an appointment with a CDL-certified doctor for a fitness examination (Form 649-F). You will receive a medical examiner’s certificate that you must keep on you at all times while driving a commercial vehicle.
5. Pass an eye examination, which can be done with or without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Your normal or corrected vision must be a minimum of 20/40 in each eye.
6. Submit to a driving record check that covers your driving history for the past 10 years, across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
7. After course completion, Napier will help schedule your CDL exam and will continue to work with you until you pass.
8. Before the exam, be sure to have the proper identification documents such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, and social security card at the time you take your test to prove your:
   • Full legal name
   • Date of birth
   • Lawful U.S. presence
   • Social Security Number
   • Ohio street Address

Contact us to learn more about an exciting, and well-paying career as a CDL truck driver. Our quality instructors and guided classroom training will qualify you to pass the CDL test and drive tractor-trailers across the country or delivery trucks in your area.

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