How to Get Your HazMat Endorsement in Louisiana

To get a HazMat endorsement in Louisiana, you need to clear a TSA security threat assessment, complete entry-level driver training if this is your first HazMat endorsement, pass the HazMat knowledge test at a Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles location, and have the “H” added to your Commercial Driver’s License. Budget at least 30 to 60 days for the TSA background check alone, so start early if you have a deadline.

Who Can Apply

You need a valid Louisiana CDL and a current DOT medical examiner’s certificate on file with the OMV. If your medical certificate lapses, your CDL drops to a lower status and you cannot add or keep a HazMat endorsement. You must also be at least 21 years old to haul hazardous materials across state lines.

Every applicant clears a federal security threat assessment before the state issues the endorsement, whether it’s your first time, a renewal, or a transfer from another state.¹

Check for Disqualifying Convictions First

The TSA fee is nonrefundable, so review the disqualifier list before you pay. Some convictions block you permanently: terrorism-related offenses, unlawful handling of explosives, murder, improper transport of hazardous materials, RICO violations tied to those crimes, and attempts or conspiracies to commit any of them.

Other felonies block you if the conviction is within seven years of your application, or if you were released from incarceration within five years. That list includes unlawful firearms offenses, arson, robbery or extortion, drug distribution or importation, related fraud or money laundering, kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, assault with intent to kill, smuggling or immigration violations, and voluntary manslaughter. An outstanding warrant or indictment for any listed offense disqualifies you until it’s resolved.²

TSA can also deny applicants with extensive criminal histories, serious unlisted convictions, or foreign imprisonment exceeding 365 consecutive days.²

Step 1: Clear the TSA Security Threat Assessment

This is the longest step, so start here. TSA runs a background check covering your criminal history, immigration status, and any connections to terrorism. You cannot take the knowledge test or receive the endorsement until TSA clears you.³

Pre-enroll online through TSA’s Universal Enrollment Services website or by phone, then book a fingerprinting appointment. Bring two forms of ID: one photo ID and one proof of citizenship or immigration status. A U.S. passport covers both. If you don’t have one, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license plus your birth certificate works.¹

The fee is $85.25 for new and renewing applicants as of January 1, 2025. If you already hold a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential and Louisiana accepts TWIC comparability, the fee drops to $41.00. You can pay by credit card, money order, or certified check.⁴

Expect roughly 30 to 60 days for a determination. TSA sends the result directly to the state, and Louisiana updates your CDL record within 15 days of receiving it.⁵ A disqualifying finding triggers immediate denial or revocation.

Step 2: Complete Entry-Level Driver Training (First-Timers Only)

If you’ve never held a verifiable HazMat endorsement, federal rules require you to finish a hazardous materials theory training course before you can sit for the knowledge test. This has been the rule nationwide since February 7, 2022.⁶

Your provider must be listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. Search at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov for approved providers offering hazardous materials theory instruction. When you finish, the provider reports your completion to the registry, and the OMV checks it before letting you test.

If you held a HazMat endorsement before February 7, 2022, ELDT does not apply to you, even at renewal.¹

Step 3: Pass the HazMat Knowledge Test

Once TSA clears you, and you’ve completed ELDT if it applies, you can take the written knowledge test at an OMV office. It covers hazardous materials regulations, placarding, safe handling and loading, and emergency response. Section 9 of the Louisiana CDL Manual is devoted entirely to hazardous materials and is your main study source.⁷

The test has 30 questions. You need 80% to pass. The questions go beyond common sense into specific regulatory details, like which placards go on which hazard classes, so work through practice tests after reading the manual. If you fail, you can retake it, though the OMV may impose a waiting period between attempts.

The knowledge test is required for first-time applicants, renewals, and CDL transfers into Louisiana. There is no exemption at renewal.¹

Step 4: Apply at the OMV

With TSA clearance and a passing test on file, visit an OMV office to have the endorsement added. Bring your current CDL and proof of Louisiana residency. The OMV confirms the TSA result and your test score, then issues an updated CDL carrying the “H” endorsement.

The OMV charges a separate fee for adding the endorsement and issuing the new license, apart from the $85.25 TSA fingerprinting fee.¹ Check with your local office or expresslane.la.gov for the current amount.

Renewals

The endorsement is valid for five years.⁴ Renewal means a fresh TSA threat assessment, new fingerprints, the $85.25 fee, and another passing score on the HazMat knowledge test.¹ Because the background check can take up to two months, start at least 90 days before expiration. A lapse means you cannot legally haul placarded hazardous materials until the new endorsement is issued.

Transferring In From Another State

Your existing HazMat endorsement doesn’t automatically carry over when you transfer your CDL to Louisiana. You’ll complete a new TSA threat assessment, pass the Louisiana knowledge test, and apply at an OMV office, following the same path as a new applicant or renewal.⁴ If you’ve never held a verifiable HazMat endorsement, ELDT is required before you can test.¹

If TSA Denies You

An Initial Determination of Threat Assessment gives you 60 days to appeal. You can request copies of the materials TSA relied on, then submit a written reply. TSA must issue a final decision within 60 days of receiving that reply.⁸

If the final determination still denies you, two paths remain. You can request a waiver by submitting additional information to TSA, either during the process or within 60 days of the final determination. Or you can request review by an administrative law judge within 30 days of the final denial. Miss those deadlines and the denial becomes permanent.⁸

1
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. CDL Renewal
2
Transportation Security Administration. Disqualifying Offenses and Other Factors
3
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 – Credentialing and Security Threat Assessments
4
Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement
5
eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.13 – State Responsibilities for Issuance of Hazardous Materials Endorsement
6
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
7
Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Louisiana Commercial Driver’s License Manual
8
U.S. Government Publishing Office. 49 CFR Part 1515 – Appeal and Waiver Procedures for Security Threat Assessments