The Online Hazmat Course That Is Not on the Registry
A 29-year-old driver has held a Class A CDL for four years and wants to add the H endorsement. In March he paid $249 for a 20-hour online hazardous materials theory course from an internet school; the school is not listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. In April he completed 12 hours of behind-the-wheel hazmat training with his cousin's trucking company; the company's safety director signed a certificate of completion, but the company is not a registered training provider. The driver scheduled his H endorsement knowledge test for May 2. On April 28 the state driver licensing office told him his training was 'in the system.' His current DOT medical examiner's certificate expires May 20. He has no drug and alcohol violations.
1. Has the driver completed valid Entry-Level Driver Training for the H endorsement?
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No. ELDT for the H endorsement must be provided by a training provider listed on FMCSA's Training Provider Registry. The provider must report the driver's completion to FMCSA, and the state must be able to verify it. An internet school that is not on the registry cannot provide valid ELDT, even if it issues a certificate. The cousin's trucking company is also not a registered provider, so its signed behind-the-wheel certificate does not count.
The H endorsement curriculum includes both theory and behind-the-wheel instruction, so both parts must come from a registered provider. The driver's statement that the training is 'in the system' is not enough. He should check the Training Provider Registry and confirm that a registered provider has actually reported completion before he relies on it.
2. What must happen before the driver can take the H endorsement knowledge test?
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Before the H knowledge test, the driver must complete the applicable ELDT with a registered training provider and have that completion reported to FMCSA. The state must be able to verify the training through the registry. The driver should not schedule or sit for the test based on the unregistered online course or the cousin's certificate.
The medical certificate is a separate issue. His current card is valid on May 2, so it does not block the knowledge test that day, but it expires May 20. If the state issues the H endorsement after May 20, he will need a new valid medical examiner's certificate. He should also expect the TSA security threat assessment process before the H endorsement is actually issued. Passing the knowledge test alone does not complete the endorsement.
3. Does the driver need to take the CDL skills test again to add the H endorsement?
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No. He already holds a Class A CDL. Adding the H endorsement requires the hazardous materials knowledge test and a valid TSA security threat assessment, but it does not require him to repeat the general CDL skills test. The H ELDT behind-the-wheel instruction is a training requirement, not the same thing as the state CDL skills test.
The distinction matters because the driver may confuse the 12 hours with his cousin with the state skills test. Even if he retakes ELDT properly, he still is not repeating the full CDL skills test. His path is: registered ELDT theory and behind-the-wheel, verification through the registry, H knowledge test, TSA clearance, and a current medical certificate when the endorsement is issued.