How to Get Your HazMat Endorsement in Texas: ELDT, Testing, and Fees

To get a HazMat endorsement in Texas, you need a valid Texas CDL, a completed entry-level HazMat theory course (for first-time applicants), a passing score on the DPS Hazardous Materials knowledge test, and TSA clearance through a fingerprint-based security threat assessment. Plan on 60 to 90 days from start to finish, mostly because TSA processing can run 45 days or longer.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement

Who Qualifies

You must already hold a valid Texas CDL and be at least 21, the federal minimum age for transporting hazardous materials in interstate commerce. You also need a current medical examiner’s certificate on file with DPS.2eCFR. 49 CFR 391.41 – Physical Qualifications for Drivers

Citizenship or lawful permanent residency is required, and TSA verifies it. Certain felony convictions bar you either permanently or for a set number of years; see the disqualifying offenses below before you spend money on training or fees.

One narrow exclusion: drivers who self-certified under Section A of the Texas CDL-5 (an intrastate category tied to pre-1989 operation) cannot add a HazMat endorsement, because that certification excludes placarded loads.3Department of Public Safety. Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) for Commercial Driver License (CDL)

Step 1: Complete the ELDT HazMat Theory Course

First-time applicants must complete federal Entry-Level Driver Training for the HazMat endorsement before taking the knowledge test.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) The course is theory only, and it has to come from a school listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. The provider uploads your completion to the registry, and DPS pulls it electronically when you apply.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Training Provider Registry

Renewals are exempt. If you already hold a HazMat endorsement, skip this step.

Step 2: Apply and Take the Knowledge Test at DPS

Texas runs this process in a specific order: DPS first, TSA second. You cannot start fingerprinting until after you’ve applied at a DPS Driver License office.3Department of Public Safety. Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) for Commercial Driver License (CDL)

Bring your current Texas CDL, proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency (unexpired passport, U.S. birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, or green card), and proof of Texas residency such as a recent utility bill, lease, mortgage statement, or vehicle registration.6Department of Public Safety. Texas Residency Requirement for Driver Licenses and ID Cards

At the office you’ll complete the CDL-1 application, a CDL-6 self-certification, and the CDL Medical Certification form, then pay the test fee. The Hazardous Materials knowledge exam is 30 multiple-choice questions, and you need 24 correct to pass. Section 9 of the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Handbook is what you study: hazard classes, shipping papers, placards, loading and unloading, and emergency response.

If you fail, you can retake it at a later visit. There’s no waiting period, but you pay the test fee each time.

Step 3: TSA Fingerprinting and Background Check

Once you’ve passed the knowledge test, DPS gives you the information you need to schedule a fingerprinting appointment at a TSA enrollment center run by IDEMIA (formerly IdentoGO). Pre-enrolling online cuts time at the appointment.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement

The TSA fee is $85.25, paid at fingerprinting, and it’s non-refundable no matter what the background check turns up.7TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment Program TSA recommends enrolling at least 60 days before you need the endorsement because processing can top 45 days during busy periods.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement

When TSA clears you, the result is sent to DPS electronically and your endorsement becomes active. DPS issues a temporary CDL showing the HazMat endorsement, and the permanent card arrives by mail.

Criminal Convictions That Disqualify You

The TSA background check is thorough, and this is where a lot of applicants get stopped. Federal rules split disqualifying offenses into two groups.8eCFR. 49 CFR 1572.103 – Disqualifying Criminal Offenses

Permanent Bars

A conviction for any of these disqualifies you for life:

  • Espionage, sedition, or treason
  • A federal crime of terrorism or a comparable state offense
  • A crime involving a transportation security incident
  • Improper transportation of hazardous materials
  • Unlawful dealing in explosives or explosive devices
  • Murder
  • Bomb threats or false information about explosives targeting public places or government facilities
  • RICO violations where a predicate act is one of the offenses above
  • Attempt or conspiracy to commit any of the above

Interim Bars (Seven or Five Years)

These offenses disqualify you if the conviction happened within the last seven years, or if you were released from incarceration within the last five:

  • Unlawful possession of or dealing in firearms or other weapons
  • Extortion, bribery, or robbery
  • Fraud, misrepresentation, or identity fraud (welfare fraud and bad checks don’t count)
  • Smuggling or immigration violations
  • Distribution of or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
  • Arson
  • Kidnapping or hostage taking
  • Rape or aggravated sexual abuse
  • Assault with intent to kill
  • Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the above

An outstanding warrant, active indictment, or wanted status for any felony on either list disqualifies you until it’s resolved. If you were arrested but never convicted, you have 60 days from TSA’s notification to send written proof that the case didn’t produce a conviction.

What It Costs

You pay two separate agencies. TSA charges $85.25 for the security threat assessment, collected at fingerprinting.7TSA Enrollment by IDEMIA. HAZMAT Endorsement Threat Assessment Program DPS charges a knowledge test fee plus any CDL issuance or renewal fees that apply to your situation; the current schedule is on the DPS website. First-time applicants also pay for the ELDT theory course, which varies by school.

Some states offer a reduced $41 TSA fee to drivers who already hold a valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC). Texas does not participate, so Texas applicants pay the full $85.25 whether they hold a TWIC or not.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement

Renewals

A HazMat endorsement expires on whichever comes first: your CDL’s expiration date, or five years from the date TSA approved your security threat assessment.3Department of Public Safety. Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) for Commercial Driver License (CDL) To renew, you take the knowledge test again and complete a new TSA threat assessment with fresh fingerprints and the full $85.25 fee.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement

Start 60 to 90 days out. If the endorsement lapses, you can’t legally haul placarded loads until new clearance arrives. If your CDL is also up for renewal, do both in one DPS visit.

Moving to Texas With a HazMat Endorsement

There’s no reciprocity. If you’re transferring in from another state, TSA treats the transfer as a new application: fresh fingerprints, full background check, full fee.1Transportation Security Administration. HAZMAT Endorsement You’ll also retake the Texas HazMat knowledge test at DPS and bring the same citizenship, residency, and CDL documents any first-time applicant brings.