New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles
New Hampshire CDL practice tests
How New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire
New Hampshire in particular
New Hampshire spells out an unusually specific supervision rule for permit holders, the accompanying CDL driver must be at least 25 years old and, on a bus, must sit in the row directly behind the person driving on the permit.
The written exams themselves are federal
New Hampshire 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
New Hampshire's commercial driver learner permit is valid for 180 days, can be renewed once if the knowledge exams were passed within the past year, and the road test cannot be scheduled until 14 days after the permit was issued.
NH Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver Learner Permit, checked Aug 28, 2026Fees
The CDL learner's permit costs $20, charged in addition to the $60 fee for the underlying Class A, B, or C commercial license.
NH Division of Motor Vehicles, Licensing Fees, checked Aug 28, 2026Where you test
Both the knowledge test and the road skills test are given by appointment at any New Hampshire DMV office, with no third party testers involved in the process.
NH Division of Motor Vehicles, Commercial Driver Licenses, checked Aug 28, 2026New Hampshire CDL written exams, in the federal format.
145 cited questions, free, with nothing to sign up for. The permit rules above are New Hampshire's. The knowledge is 49 CFR Part 383.