The Fontana commercial drive test center at 10207 Poplar Ave. gives commercial driver’s license (CDL) skills tests by appointment, on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. (8:00 a.m. on Wednesdays) to 4:00 p.m. It’s the only CDL test site in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It isn’t a full DMV office, so get your commercial learner’s permit (CLP) and pass the knowledge tests at a field office first.
Fontana Commercial Drive Test Center Hours, Address and Contact Details
| Detail | Fontana commercial drive test center |
|---|---|
| Address | 10207 Poplar Ave., Fontana, CA 92335 (get directions) |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Wednesday 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; closed weekends |
| What happens here | CDL skills tests: the vehicle inspection, basic control skills and road test |
| Appointments | Required; the DMV doesn’t give skills tests without one |
| Not handled here | CLP and license applications, knowledge tests, REAL ID, titles and registration, and car or motorcycle drive tests |
| Phone | No direct line; DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133, Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (TTY 1-800-368-4327) |
| Payment | Cash, checks, money orders, cards and digital wallets, with a 2.1% fee on cards and wallets |
The center closes on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Thanksgiving (Nov. 26–27), Christmas (Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2027), and the DMV page for the test center shows the current week’s hours.
Looking for the Regular Fontana DMV Office?
The Fontana DMV field office at 8026 Hemlock Ave., about 3 miles north-northwest, is where to apply for a license or permit, take knowledge tests, get a REAL ID or register a vehicle, and it gives car and motorcycle drive tests. The next closest field offices to the test center are Rancho Cucamonga and Riverside (about 8.5 miles each) and San Bernardino and Norco (about 11 each).
Coming From Elsewhere in the Inland Empire
Fontana is the closest CDL test site for most of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In a straight line, it’s about 33 miles from the Victorville office, 37 from Hemet, 42 from Temecula, 56 from Palm Springs and 62 from Barstow. In the eastern desert, the El Centro test site at 233 N. Imperial Ave. is closer for Blythe and Needles and about as close for Indio (about 74 miles, compared with 75 to Fontana), so drivers there may want to compare appointment dates at both.
Before You Book: Permit, Training and Timing
The DMV’s CDL page sets out what has to be done before the skills test:
- A California Class C license. A temporary or interim license counts.
- A commercial learner’s permit, held at least 14 days. Apply online, then visit a field office with your Medical Examination Report (MCSA 5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MCSA 5876). The office verifies your identity, takes your photo and thumbprint and gives the knowledge tests.
- Entry-level driver training, if it applies. It’s required for an original Class A or B CDL, an upgrade from Class B to A and an S, P or H endorsement, and it must come from a registered training provider.
- Behind-the-wheel training for an original Class A or B. California requires at least 15 hours, certified on form DL 1236.
When that’s in place, book on the DMV’s appointments page or at 1-800-777-0133, choose the Fontana commercial drive test center, and pick a date at least 14 days after your permit was issued. Keep the name and phone number used for the booking, since you need both to change or cancel it, as our California DMV appointment guide explains. Until further notice, the DMV has paused issuing non-domiciled CLPs and CDLs, including renewals, upgrades and transfers.
What to Bring on Test Day
- The vehicle for the class you want, in working order. You do the inspection in the vehicle you bring, and if its equipment doesn’t work, the test is postponed.
- A CDL holder to accompany you. A permit holder can’t drive a commercial vehicle alone, and the person with you needs the right class of license and endorsements for it.
- A tire gauge. The DMV’s modernization supplement to the CDL handbook says to check tire inflation with one and that you must mention using it.
- Wheel chocks and a checklist, if you want them. The supplement recommends chocks for safety during the inspection, and you can use a vehicle inspection checklist while you do it.
What the CDL Skills Test Covers
Fontana is among the 22 of the DMV’s 25 CDL test sites set to use the modernized skills test, and the DMV’s truck drivers page says the version you take depends on the site, so confirm it when you book. The test has three parts:
- Vehicle inspection: name, touch or point to each item and say what you’re checking it for; you don’t need to explain why it matters. Explaining or demonstrating the air or hydraulic brake check incorrectly is an automatic failure. You inspect only one axle, but be ready to do any of them.
- Basic control skills: backing and maneuvering exercises inside marked boundaries. At the end of each one, set the parking brake, shift to neutral and sound the horn.
- Road test: a drive in traffic, passed with no more than 30 errors and no critical driving errors.
Other CDL Test Sites Near Fontana
If Fontana’s appointment dates don’t work for you, these are the next closest CDL test sites:
- Gardena commercial drive test center, 14825 S. Avalon Blvd., about 48 miles west-southwest
- Lancaster, 721 W. Avenue L6, about 56 miles northwest
- Arleta, 14400 Van Nuys Blvd., about 58 miles west-northwest
- Winnetka, 20725 Sherman Way, about 65 miles west
Our Fontana DMV offices page compares the test center with the Fontana field office, and our California DMV offices list covers every office in the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
The rest of the test is postponed. You get three tries to pass the vehicle inspection, basic control skills and road test, and each retest costs $46.
Yes, but your CDL will carry an E restriction, which bars you from driving commercial vehicles with a manual transmission. The DMV treats any transmission that doesn’t work fully on the gearshift-and-clutch principle as automatic, and testing in a vehicle without air brakes likewise restricts you to vehicles without them.
Conclusion
The Fontana commercial drive test center on Poplar Avenue is the Inland Empire’s only CDL test site, giving skills tests by appointment on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. (8:00 a.m. on Wednesdays) to 4:00 p.m. Get the permit and knowledge tests done at a field office such as Fontana’s on Hemlock Avenue, hold the permit 14 days, finish any required training, and arrive with a working vehicle for your class, a CDL holder and a tire gauge. If Fontana’s dates don’t suit you, Gardena and Lancaster are the next closest sites.
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