How to Get Your Hazmat Endorsement in Missouri

To get a hazmat endorsement in Missouri, you pass a written knowledge test at a Missouri State Highway Patrol examination station, clear a TSA security threat assessment that includes fingerprinting and an FBI background check, then visit a Department of Revenue license office to have the “H” endorsement added to your commercial driver’s license.¹ Plan on 30 to 60 days total, almost all of it waiting on the federal background check.²

Before You Start: Eligibility

You need a valid Missouri CDL already in hand. Federal rules require hazmat drivers to be at least 21, whether the routes stay inside Missouri or cross state lines.³ You’ll also need a current DOT medical examiner’s certificate.⁴

Citizenship matters for the TSA side of the process. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents qualify, as do naturalized citizens, nonimmigrants in lawful status, asylees, and refugees.²

Entry-Level Driver Training for First-Timers

If you’ve never held an H endorsement, or you let one lapse that was issued before February 7, 2022, you must complete an Entry-Level Driver Training course for hazardous materials before Missouri will give you the knowledge test.⁵ The hazmat course is theory only, no behind-the-wheel component, and the provider has to be listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. The provider uploads your completion record, and the Highway Patrol confirms it before letting you sit for the exam.⁶

Drivers who already held the endorsement before February 2022 are exempt from ELDT, including at renewal.⁵

The Knowledge Test

Missouri’s hazmat knowledge test is given at Highway Patrol examination stations, not at Department of Revenue offices.⁷ It has 30 questions and requires an 80% score to pass. The material covers hazardous materials regulations, placarding and labeling, handling, emergency response, and loading procedures. Section 9 of the Missouri CDL Manual, available as a free PDF from the Department of Revenue, is the study source. The placarding rules are where most of the test lives, so give them the most time.

The TSA Security Threat Assessment

Every applicant for a hazmat endorsement — new, renewal, or transfer — has to clear a federal security threat assessment through the TSA.⁸ You start by filing an application online or by calling 855-347-8371. The vendor help desk walks you through the application, collects payment, and sends you to a fingerprint collection site.⁷

As of January 1, 2025, the TSA fee is $85.25, which covers the application, the TSA review, and the FBI fingerprint check. The Department of Revenue charges a separate fee when the endorsement goes on your CDL; the amount depends on whether you’re adding it mid-cycle or at renewal. TSA recommends enrolling at least 60 days before you need the endorsement, because determinations typically take 30 to 60 days.²

What to Bring to the Fingerprint Appointment

An unexpired U.S. passport by itself covers both identity and citizenship. Without a passport, bring a valid photo ID such as your current driver’s license plus proof of citizenship like a certified U.S. birth certificate. Permanent residents can use their Permanent Resident Card.⁹ Names must match across all documents. A middle name shown on one but not another can hold up your file.

Criminal Convictions That Disqualify You

The TSA fee is non-refundable, so it’s worth checking your record against the disqualifying offense list before applying.

Permanent Bars

A conviction, or a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity, for any of the following permanently bars you from the endorsement:

Espionage or conspiracy to commit espionage
Sedition or treason, including conspiracy
Federal terrorism under 18 U.S.C. 2332b(g) or a comparable state offense
Crimes involving a transportation security incident with significant loss of life, environmental damage, or economic disruption
Improper transportation of hazardous materials under federal law (minor roadside and placarding infractions don’t count)
Unlawful possession, use, sale, or distribution of explosives
Murder
Bomb threats or false reports involving explosives at public places, government facilities, or transportation systems
RICO violations where the underlying crime is on this permanent list

Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of these offenses is also permanently disqualifying.¹⁰

Interim Bars

A second group of felonies disqualifies you only if the conviction occurred within seven years of your application, or if you were released from incarceration within the past five years:

Unlawful possession or distribution of firearms or weapons
Extortion, bribery, or smuggling
Fraud, dishonesty, or misrepresentation, including identity fraud and certain money laundering (welfare fraud and passing bad checks are not included)
Immigration violations
Distribution or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Arson, kidnapping, robbery, or assault with intent to kill
Rape or aggravated sexual abuse
Voluntary manslaughter
Fraudulent entry into a seaport
RICO violations not already covered by the permanent list

Conspiracy or attempt counts here as well.¹⁰ If the time windows have passed, you can apply.

Adding the Endorsement to Your CDL

Once you pass the knowledge test and the TSA clears your background check, the Department of Revenue mails you a letter confirming the approval.¹ Take that letter to a Missouri license office along with your current CDL, proof of Missouri residency, and your medical examiner’s certificate, and apply for a full-term CDL with the H printed on it.

If you also hold the tanker (N) endorsement, you can ask for the combined X endorsement, which covers both hazmat and tanker on one credential.⁷

Renewals Every Five Years

The TSA threat assessment is good for five years, so renewal means another background check and another knowledge test.¹¹ The Department of Revenue recommends starting your TSA application and fingerprinting at least 30 days before the endorsement expires.¹

If you file in time, Missouri can issue a 90-day temporary CDL that keeps your hazmat endorsement active while the new assessment is pending, so you can keep hauling.¹ Let the endorsement expire without a pending renewal and that bridge goes away.

Transferring From Another State

Moving to Missouri with a hazmat endorsement on an out-of-state CDL doesn’t carry it over automatically. Missouri treats transfers like new applications for the background check: a fresh TSA threat assessment and a pass on the Missouri hazmat knowledge test at a Highway Patrol station. The same 90-day temporary CDL option is available while the previous state’s TSA record is verified, so file the application and get fingerprinted as soon as you establish Missouri residency.¹

1
Missouri Department of Revenue. How to Get a HazMat Endorsement in Missouri
2
Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement
3
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.121 – Requirements for Hazardous Materials Endorsement
4
FMCSA. What Medical Conditions Disqualify a Commercial Bus or Truck Driver
5
FMCSA. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
6
FMCSA. Entry-Level Driver Training SDLA Frequently Asked Questions
7
Missouri Department of Revenue. FAQs – Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME)
8
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 1572 – Credentialing and Security Threat Assessments
9
Transportation Security Administration. TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment Program Required Identification Documentation
10
eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses
11
FMCSA. TSA Threat Assessment Extension Notice