CDL Expiration Dates by State — Complete Reference Guide
Short answer: CDL renewal periods vary by state, ranging from 4 to 8 years. Most states issue CDLs valid for either 4, 5, or 8 years. If you're running drivers licensed in multiple states, you need to track different expiration timelines for each one.
CDL Validity Period by State
| State | CDL Valid For |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 4 years |
| Alaska | 5 years |
| Arizona | 5 years |
| Arkansas | 4 years |
| California | 5 years |
| Colorado | 5 years |
| Connecticut | 4 years |
| Delaware | 5 years |
| Florida | 8 years |
| Georgia | 5 years |
| Hawaii | 4 years |
| Idaho | 5 years |
| Illinois | 4 years |
| Indiana | 4 years |
| Iowa | 5 years |
| Kansas | 4 years |
| Kentucky | 4 years |
| Louisiana | 4 years |
| Maine | 5 years |
| Maryland | 8 years |
| Massachusetts | 5 years |
| Michigan | 4 years |
| Minnesota | 4 years |
| Mississippi | 4 years |
| Missouri | 6 years |
| Montana | 4 years |
| Nebraska | 5 years |
| Nevada | 4 years |
| New Hampshire | 5 years |
| New Jersey | 4 years |
| New Mexico | 4 years |
| New York | 8 years |
| North Carolina | 5 years |
| North Dakota | 5 years |
| Ohio | 4 years |
| Oklahoma | 4 years |
| Oregon | 4 years |
| Pennsylvania | 4 years |
| Rhode Island | 5 years |
| South Carolina | 5 years |
| South Dakota | 5 years |
| Tennessee | 5 years |
| Texas | 5 years |
| Utah | 5 years |
| Vermont | 4 years |
| Virginia | 8 years |
| Washington | 5 years |
| West Virginia | 5 years |
| Wisconsin | 4 years |
| Wyoming | 4 years |
Note: These are standard CDL validity periods. Some states may have different durations for CDLs with HAZMAT endorsements (typically shorter — often 5 years max regardless of the state's standard CDL period, due to the TSA security threat assessment requirement).
Why This Matters for Carriers
If you're running a fleet with drivers licensed in multiple states, their CDLs expire on different schedules. A driver with a Florida CDL has 8 years before renewal. A driver with an Illinois CDL has 4 years. You can't apply one blanket rule.
An expired CDL means the driver is immediately disqualified from operating a CMV — same as an expired medical card. If they keep driving, you're in violation of §391.11 and facing up to $16,000 in fines.
HAZMAT Endorsement Renewals
HAZMAT endorsements have their own renewal cycle — every 5 years — which is often shorter than the CDL itself. A driver with a Virginia CDL (8-year validity) still needs to renew their HAZMAT endorsement every 5 years, including a new TSA security threat assessment.
This means you may need to track two different expiration dates for the same driver: their CDL expiration and their HAZMAT endorsement expiration.
Track Every CDL Expiration Automatically
When you have drivers from different states with different renewal cycles, tracking this in your head or a spreadsheet is a recipe for a missed expiration.
RollCompliance lets you enter each driver's CDL expiry date and state. You get email alerts at 90, 60, and 30 days before any CDL in your fleet expires.
Free. Takes 5 minutes. Start tracking CDL expirations now →