Getting the Hazmat (H) endorsement takes three things: the FMCSA-required ELDT course, a TSA Security Threat Assessment, and your state knowledge test. No behind-the-wheel training, no skills test — it's the most paperwork-heavy endorsement but the least driving-heavy. Here's each requirement, in the order that wastes the least time.
Why hazmat is worth the hoops
Hazmat loads — fuel, chemicals, industrial gases — pay a premium because fewer drivers are qualified to haul them, and demand never stops. Carriers routinely pay more per mile or per load for H-endorsed drivers, and pairing H with the Tanker (N) endorsement (the "X" combination on your license) opens fuel-hauling work that's among the best-paying local driving there is.
Requirement 1: the ELDT course
Since February 7, 2022, first-time Hazmat applicants must complete Entry-Level Driver Training from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, following the 13-unit curriculum in 49 CFR Part 380, Appendix E — hazard classes, placarding, shipping papers, loading and segregation, emergency response, security awareness.
Two things make hazmat ELDT unusually convenient. It's classroom-only — the regulation requires no behind-the-wheel component. And the FMCSA allows that classroom portion online, which means the $20 ELDT HQ hazmat course is the entire federal training requirement, completable in a day. Pass with 80%+ and your completion is reported to the registry.
Requirement 2: the TSA background check
Because hazmat is a security-sensitive credential, the TSA runs a Security Threat Assessment on every applicant. You'll submit an application, fingerprints, and a fee, and the TSA screens your criminal history, immigration status, and other records.
- Start early: TSA processing commonly takes weeks — it's usually the slowest step, so begin it while you do everything else.
- Disqualifiers exist: certain felony convictions and other flags can bar the endorsement. If you have history you're unsure about, review the TSA's disqualifying-offense list before paying fees.
- Renewal: the assessment recurs when you renew the endorsement, on your state's cycle.
Requirement 3: the state knowledge test
With training reported and the TSA check underway or cleared, you take your state's hazmat knowledge test — a written exam on the same subject matter your ELDT course covered. Your state confirms your registry record before administering it. Pass, clear TSA, pay the state's endorsement fee, and the H goes on your license.
The efficient order
- Day 1: complete the $20 ELDT hazmat course online and submit your TSA application.
- Same week: do your fingerprint appointment; book your state knowledge test a few days out (registry reporting takes up to two business days).
- Following weeks: pass the knowledge test while TSA processing finishes; endorsement issues once both clear.
One more note: the ELDT requirement is tied to the endorsement, not your CDL class — Class A, B, or C holders all follow this same path. Ready for step one? Start the hazmat ELDT course for $20, or compare it against the other endorsements on the courses page.
People Also Ask
No. Hazmat is the one ELDT credential with no behind-the-wheel component — you complete classroom/online training, pass the TSA Security Threat Assessment, and pass your state's written knowledge test.
Commonly several weeks from application to determination, which makes it the slowest step. Submit your TSA application the same day you start the $20 course so the clocks run in parallel.
Three costs: the ELDT course ($20 at ELDT HQ), the TSA Security Threat Assessment fee (paid to TSA/its enrollment provider), and your state's knowledge test and endorsement fees. It's routinely recouped quickly — hazmat loads pay a premium.
No. The H endorsement attaches to Class A, B, or C CDLs alike — the ELDT requirement follows the endorsement, not the license class.