How to obtain a Hazardous Material (HazMat) or Tanker endorsement on a CDL

As of February 7, 2022, the Department of Transportation issued new rules to the Entry Level CDL Driver Training requirements:

  • To obtain a Hazardous Material (HM) endorsement, the driver will have to attend a truck driving school that is registered with the FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. The driver will have to complete the required classroom training (or in some cases on-line training) and pass the written test with a score of at least 80% before going to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to start the background check including fingerprints. Once that is cleared, the driver will then have to go to the State Department of Motor Vehicles to take the hazardous material test. Upon passing this exam, an “H” endorsement will be listed on the CDL.
  • To obtain a tanker endorsement, go to the State Department of Motor Vehicles to take the Tanker Endorsement Knowledge Test and pay the applicable fee. There are two types of tanker endorsements: a N endorsement that is the standard tank vehicle endorsement to haul liquids or gas over 1,000 gallons and an X endorsement, which is a combination of N and H endorsements. Drivers must pass both the tanker and hazardous material application separately before getting an X endorsement, including following the new ELDT protocol to obtain the H endorsement as stated above. Airgas tanker driver roles require transporting hazardous materials; therefore, a X endorsement is required for these specific roles.

If a CDL driver with a Class B CDL wants to upgrade to a Class A CDL, the driver will be required to attend a truck driving school that is registered with the FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. The driver is required to complete both the required classroom training and also the required behind the wheel training before going to their State’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to take the tests to upgrade to a Class A CDL. Depending on the state and what truck driving school the driver attends, the truck driving school may be able to issue a CDL upon completion of the training.