Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
Nebraska CDL practice tests
How Nebraska handles the commercial learner permit, the fees and the skills test.
- General Knowledge24 questions, required of every applicant
- Air Brakes20 questions, skip it and an L restriction applies
- Combination Vehicles18 questions, needed for Class A
- Hazardous Materials20 questions, endorsement H
- Tank Vehicles16 questions, endorsement N
Every knowledge area
The 145 questions are the same in every state. Start with general knowledge, then sit the areas Nebraska will write onto the permit.
General Knowledge
Required of every applicant: inspection, control, space and speed management, hazard perception, emergencies and hours of service.
Air Brakes
Air brake knowledge and vehicle checks for applicants who may drive vehicles with air brakes.
Combination Vehicles
Coupling, the fifth wheel, off tracking and trailer swing. Needed for Class A.
Hazardous Materials
Placards, shipping papers, segregation and the security threat assessment.
Tank Vehicles
Liquid surge, baffles, outage and why a tanker rolls over so readily.
Doubles and Triples
Rearward amplification, converter dollies and coupling a second or third trailer.
Passenger Transport
Bus inspection, standee lines, passenger supervision and railroad crossings.
School Bus
Danger zones, loading and unloading, student crossing and evacuation.
What is different in Nebraska
Nebraska in particular
Nebraska charges just $15 for the learner permit itself, a flat fee built from a $10 permit charge plus a small security surcharge, well below what several neighboring states bill for the same first step toward a CDL.
The written exams themselves are federal
Nebraska decides the permit rules, the fees and who runs the skills test, but the knowledge you are tested on comes from 49 CFR Part 383 and is the same in every state, which is why the 145 questions here work wherever you apply.
What changes in this state
Commercial learner permit
Nebraska requires an applicant to hold the commercial learner permit for at least 14 days before taking the skills test, and the permit stays valid for one year from the date it is issued.
Nebraska DMV, Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP), checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
An original commercial learner permit costs $15 total, made up of a $10 permit fee and a $5 security fee.
Nebraska DMV, Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP), checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
Knowledge and skills tests are given at state driver licensing offices around Nebraska and through approved third party testers, with skills test appointments booked through the state's own scheduling system.
Nebraska DMV, Commercial Driver's License (CDL), checked Aug 28, 2026Nebraska CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are Nebraska's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.