Renewing Your CDL in Louisiana

CDL Renewal

A CDL is good for 6 years in LA. Once you receive your renewal notice in the mail, head to your local CDL Renewal Office and take:

You can renew your CDL up to 180 days before it's due to expire.

Online or Mail

Note that Louisiana doesn't allow online or mail renewals.

Expired CDLs

If you allow your CDL to expire for more than 10 days, you'll be charged a $15 fee. However, being caught operating a commercial vehicle without a valid CDL is a serious crime that could result in the revocation of your CDL privileges.

Hazmat Endorsement Renewal

If you're seeking to keep your hazardous materials (hazmat) endorsement, you'll need to retest at the time of CDL renewal. This can be done at your local full service CDL Issuing Office.

Your federal hazmat background check expires every five years. To renew this, you will have to submit to a new background investigation and fingerprinting through the TSA.

New Federal Requirements

You must self-certify your type of vehicle operation with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV). 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 OMV with a federal medical certificate.

Additional Information

For more CDL-related information, visit our FAQ section for commercial drivers.

Forms

649-F
Medical Examination Report for Commercial Driver Fitness Determination
Medical exam form you must provide to the Office of Motor Vehicles when applying for a LA commercial driver's license. Must be completed by a physician.
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