Renewing Your CDL in Maryland

Renew Your CDL

To renew your commercial driver license (CDL), you must appear in person at a full-service MVA office.

Along with your expiring license, you will be asked to provide a current (and valid) copy of your Department of Transportation (DOT) medical card.

The final step in the process is the successful passing of a vision check. You take this regardless of how good the medical card claims your eyes to be.

The fee for the renewal is $50.

The Hazmat Factor

Owning a hazardous materials (hazmat)endorsement allows you to take on often risky (but high-paying) trucking jobs, but when it comes to extending the benefit each year, you must go through some hoops. Regardless of how many times you have taken the hazmat test and undergone a federal background check, if you want to keep the endorsement then you will have to go through the process again every time you renew.

There are only a few MVA offices (five to be exact) that handle hazmat duties, and none on a walk-in basis, either. Thus, you will need to call (800) 950-1MVA (1682) if calling from MD, DC or VA to schedule an appointment. Please call (301) 729-4555 if outside of the MD, DC or VA areas.

MVA Hazmat Office Locations

• Glen Burnie― MVA Headquarters

• Bel Air

• Frederick County

• Salisbury

• Waldorf

On the day of the appointment you will first meet with MVA personnel who will evaluate and update your renewal application electronically. You do not need to fill out the application beforehand, but it is always a good idea to be aware of what information you will be asked to provide.

After the process is complete, you will be volleyed over to the Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services (DPSCS) for fingerprinting and the background check. It takes anywhere from three to six weeks for the check to come back, at which time you will either receive your endorsement or be required to relinquish your license.

As of May 2010, the fee for the hazmat background check and fingerprints is $89.25.

New Federal Requirements

You must self-certify your type of vehicle operation with the Maryland MVA by January 2014. This means you must self-certify one of the following driving categories:

• Non-Excepted Interstate
• Excepted Interstate
• Non-Excepted Intrastate
• Excepted Intrastate

If you choose Non-Excepted Interstate, you must provide the MVA with a federal medical certificate.

Submit a completed self-certification application by:

• Faxing to (410) 787-7959
• Scanning the application and e-mailing to cdlmedcert@mva.maryland.gov
• Mailing to:
  • Maryland MVA
  • Attn: CDL Med Cert
  • 6601 Ritchie Highway N.E.
  • Room 145
  • Glen Burnie, MD 21062

Find more commercial-related information at Applying for a New CDL, Replacing a Lost CDL,
Commercial Driver Education, and Commercial Driver FAQs.

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