Do You Need ELDT to Renew a Hazmat Endorsement?

Short answer

No. ELDT is a one-time requirement for your first Hazmat endorsement. Renewing an H endorsement, or moving it to another state, does not require ELDT under federal rules. You will need a new TSA security threat assessment at least every five years, and your state decides whether you retake the Hazmat knowledge test.

The one case to check is an endorsement that has expired. FMCSA leaves it to each state whether to reinstate it without ELDT.

Your situation at a glance

Your situation	Federal ELDT needed?
Adding H to your CDL for the first time	YesTheory, before the Hazmat knowledge test
Renewing a current H endorsement	NoNew TSA threat assessment required
Moving your CDL and H endorsement to a new state	NoThe new state may require the knowledge test
H endorsement issued before February 7, 2022	NoNot covered by the ELDT rule
H endorsement that expired	Ask your stateStates decide whether to reinstate without ELDT

Why renewal doesn’t need ELDT

The federal rule (49 CFR 380.603) applies to entry-level drivers: people getting a Class A or B CDL, an upgrade, or an H, P or S endorsement for the first time. Drivers who held the endorsement before February 7, 2022 are outside the rule for that endorsement.

FMCSA describes ELDT as “one and done.” Once you complete it, you don’t take it again, and your completion stays valid on the Training Provider Registry indefinitely.

What renewing does require

A new TSA security threat assessment. Federal rules require states to renew H endorsements at least every five years so that every holder is rescreened. Apply with TSA online or at an enrollment center. TSA recommends applying at least 60 days before you need it, because processing can take more than 45 days.
Your state’s renewal steps. Whether you retake the Hazmat knowledge test at renewal is set by your state. Check your licensing agency’s Hazmat page.

Your state must remind you to file your renewal no later than 30 days before your endorsement expires. Don’t wait that long: while the endorsement is expired, you can’t haul placarded loads.

Moving to another state

Transferring a CDL with an H endorsement isn’t a first-time endorsement, so ELDT doesn’t apply. According to TSA, you may not need a new threat assessment if your new state issues an endorsement that expires within five years of your last one.

Each state handles the transfer its own way. Georgia, for example, adds the H endorsement when your TSA assessment is current and can be verified electronically; otherwise you take the Hazmat knowledge exam. See ELDT requirements in Georgia.

If your endorsement expired

Federal rules don’t require ELDT for a driver who previously held the endorsement. But FMCSA has left it to each state whether to reinstate an expired endorsement without ELDT, and some states treat a long lapse like a first-time application. Ask the licensing agency in the state that issued it.

If your state tells you to complete ELDT, our online Hazmat theory course takes about 4 hours, and we report your completion within one business day.

Common questions

Do I need to retake Hazmat ELDT when my endorsement comes up for renewal?

Does my Hazmat ELDT certificate expire?

No. FMCSA says your completion stays valid on the Training Provider Registry indefinitely, and there is no deadline for taking the knowledge test after you finish.

My H endorsement expired. Do I need ELDT to get it back?

Federal rules don’t require it for a driver who previously held the endorsement, but each state decides whether to reinstate an expired endorsement without ELDT. Ask the state licensing agency that issued it.

Do you need ELDT to renew a Hazmat endorsement?