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Kentucky CDL License Requirements

To start a career in truck driving in Kentucky, you must first earn a Kentucky commercial driver’s license (CDL). In Kentucky, a CDL is required to drive the following types of commercial vehicles:

Class A: Combination vehicles with a total weight of 26,001 pounds or above, where the towed vehicle(s) is over 10,000 pounds.
Class B: Vehicles weighing 26,001 pounds or more, where the towed vehicle(s) is less than 10,000 pounds.
Class C: Vehicles weighing under 26,001 pounds, used for transporting sixteen or more passengers or hauling hazardous materials.

To obtain a Kentucky CDL, you must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Kentucky driver’s license, pass a vision exam and obtain a medical certificate. Transportation of cargo across state lines is regulated by the federal government and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). USDOT requires all drivers who transport materials across state lines to be at least 21 years old. Applicants then need to take a general knowledge exam and a skills test. The three part skills test includes a pre-trip vehicle inspection, a basic vehicle control test, and an on-road driving test. For the driving test, applicants must test in the class of vehicle for which they would like to obtain a CDL license.

Depending on the type of truck you wish to drive or the cargo you intend to transport, additional endorsement may be required. For example, endorsements are needed to drive a truck with air brakes, a tanker truck, a school bus or a truck with double/triple trailers. Endorsements are also needed to transport passengers or to haul hazardous materials. A background check by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required for transportation hazardous materials (Hazmat endorsement). Truck driving schools will provide the training and education needed to pass the Kentucky CDL requirements.

Resources for Kentucky CDL Requirements

Visit the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Driver Licensing (DDL) website for more information.

Directory of Kentucky Truck Driving Schools

Ashland: Ashland Technical College Truck Driver Training
Address: 4818 Roberts Dr Ashland, Kentucky 41102
Phone: 800-928-4256

Bowling Green: International Truck Driving School LLC
Address: 421 Greenwood Ln Bowling Green, Kentucky 42104
Phone: 888-780-5539

Elizabethtown: C.D.L. Training Services & Consulting Inc
Address: 311 Cardin St Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701
Phone: 270-234-0431

Elizabethtown: Elizabethtown Community & Technical College
Address: 620 College St Rd Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701
Phone: 270-706-8689

Elizabethtown: Lake Cumberland CDL Training School Inc
Address: 610 College St Rd Elizabethtown, Kentucky 52701
Phone: 877-308-9638

London: Career Development
Address: 1190 Hwy 472 E London, Kentucky 40741
Phone: 606-864-3411

Louisa: Mid-American Driving Academy
Address: 20857 US 23 Louisa, Kentucky 41230
Phone: 606-686-1243

Louisville: Kentucky Community & Technical College System Truck Driving School
Address: 109 E Broadway Louisville, Kentucky 40202
Phone: 502-213-5333

Madisonville: Madisonville Community College
Address: 2000 College Dr Madisonville, Kentucky 42431
Phone: 270-824-8571

Maysville: Lake Cumberland CDL Training School Inc
Address: 1755 US Hwy 68 Maysville, Kentucky 41056
Phone: 877-308-9638

Middlesboro: Southeast Community College
Address: 1300 Chichester Ave Middlesboro, Kentucky 40965
Phone: 606-242-2145

Mount Sterling: Delta Truck Driving Academy
Address: 2070 Winchester Rd Mount Sterling, Kentucky 40353
Phone: 859-498-9988

Mt Sterling: Allied CDL School
Address: 50 Fairground Dr Mt Sterling, Kentucky 40353
Phone: 859-497-0012

Paducah: C.D.L. Training Services & Consulting Inc
Address: 2020 N 10th St Paducah, Kentucky 42001
Phone: 888-503-5151

Paducah: Kentucky Community & Technical College System Truck Driving School
Address: 4810 Alben Barkley Dr Paducah, Kentucky 42001
Phone: 270-554-9200

Prestonsburg: Kentucky Community & Technical College System Truck Driving School
Address: 1 Bert T Combs Dr Prestonsburg, Kentucky 41653
Phone: 606-886-3863

Russell Springs: Lake Cumberland CDL Training School Inc
Address: 597 Maple St Russell Springs, Kentucky 42642
Phone: 877-308-9638

Shepherdsville: Truck Training America
Address: 364 Ferguson Ln Shepherdsville, Kentucky 40165
Phone: 502-955-6388

Somerset: Lake Cumberland CDL Training School Inc
Address: 808 Monticello Rd Somerset, Kentucky 42501
Phone: 877-308-9638

Somerset: Super Service Truck Driver Training
Address: PO Box 3070 Somerset, Kentucky 42564
Phone: 800-347-5263

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