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.