Third Party Tester Qualifications

Thank you for your interest in becoming a state-certified CDL Third Party Tester. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) requires all applicants to satisfy certain requirements before a contract may be submitted for approval. The following overview will assist you with the certification requirements to become a third party tester.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 21 years of age;
• Possess a high school diploma or its equivalent;
• A valid CDL A, B or C equal to the class license authorized to test;
• Have no history of criminal conviction for offenses bearing on his or her ability to fill a position of trust as a CDL Third Party Tester, including but not limited to crimes of fraud, sexual offense and/or moral turpitude at any time, or other felonies or first degree misdemeanors within the past ten years;
• A valid CDL of A, B or C;
• Applicant is not an employee of FLHSMV or a county tax collector office
• Within the last three (3) years have had no driver license disqualifications, suspensions, revocations or court or FLHSMV-ordered driver improvement actions, excluding disqualifications, suspensions or revocations that are for non-moving violations including suspensions for financial responsibility compliance; and within the last five (5) years have had no alcohol-related traffic convictions; and
• Have at least three (3) years of experience as a commercial motor vehicle operator, or a minimum of one (1) year experience as a CDL skills tester and/or trainer of commercial motor vehicle operators.

Employment Status

Are you currently employed or under contract as an independent contractor with a certified Third Party Administrator?

• Yes:  You satisfy the employment requirement
• No:  To meet minimum qualifications you must be employed, or be working as an independent contractor, with a state-certified Third Party Administrator (a provider certified to offer the CDL skills test).

Fingerprint-based Background Check

All applicants seeking to become contracted Third Party Testers must undergo a federal level fingerprint-based FDLE background check. For additional information on the submission process and vendor locations, visit the FDLE website.

Required CDL Knowledge Tests

To ensure adequate knowledge on a variety of commercial motor vehicles, prospective Third Party Testers must pass specific CDL knowledge exams. Third Party Testers will be certified to test Class A, B and C applicants or B and C applicants. The required CDL knowledge tests relate to your individual testing authority. Knowledge tests deemed relevant to the specified class are listed below. The required knowledge tests must be successfully passed prior to attending the 50-hour training class.

The Florida CDL Handbook is an excellent resource and will assist you in passing the knowledge tests. You may reference the handbook by visiting our Handbooks and Manuals page.

Training Requirement

FLHSMV has partnered with four (4) vocational schools throughout the state to offer CDL skills test training. These vocational schools are certified to administer the 50-hour CDL Third Party Tester training class and certify, upon successful completion of training, testing proficiency.  The cost of the class is paid directly to the training institution.  See the table below for a listing of authorized training facilities.