Entry-Level Driver Training requirements for a hazardous materials endorsement
The H endorsement is an entry-level driver training (ELDT) endorsement. Since February 7, 2022, an applicant must complete theory training from a provider registered on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry (TPR) before taking the H knowledge test. Kansas checks the TPR record before issuing the endorsement; a certificate from an unregistered school is not enough.
What the rule requires
ELDT for H is theory only. No behind-the-wheel training is required for the H endorsement itself. The training must cover the FMCSA H curriculum, including hazmat regulations, hazard communication, shipping papers, marking and labeling, placarding, emergency response information, loading and unloading, segregation, routing, parking, tunnels and bridges, railroad crossings, attendance, security awareness, incident reporting, and personal protective equipment. The provider must submit the driver’s completion record to the TPR; the driver then becomes eligible for the state knowledge test.
Who must complete it
Applicants seeking the H endorsement for the first time, including drivers adding H to an existing Class A, B, or C CDL, must complete the training. A driver who already held the H endorsement before the ELDT rule took effect is not required to repeat it merely to renew. The rule applies to the endorsement being added, not to every renewal.
Worked example: A driver has held a Class A CDL for ten years and now wants to add H. The driver must complete the H theory course from a TPR-registered provider, wait for the provider to report completion, and then take the Kansas H knowledge test. No CDL skills test is required for adding H.
Traps: assuming behind-the-wheel training is required for H; paying for a course whose provider is not on the TPR; taking the knowledge test before completion is reported; and treating a paper certificate as proof when the state cannot verify it in the TPR.