ELDT Requirements for CDL: What You Must Complete
Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) is federally required training you must complete, through a provider listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry, before you can take the CDL skills test, if you’re getting a Class A or B CDL for the first time, upgrading a Class B to Class A, or adding a passenger (P), school bus (S), or hazardous materials (H) endorsement for the first time. The rule took effect February 7, 2022 and applies nationwide; it isn’t a state-by-state option.
ELDT isn’t retroactive. If you already held a CDL, or already had a P, S, or H endorsement, before February 7, 2022, you don’t need to go back and complete training for it. The requirement only kicks in for people obtaining these credentials for the first time on or after that date, plus a specific carve-out for people who already held a CLP before the deadline and got their CDL before that permit expired.
CDL is the name of a real license category issued by state driver-licensing agencies. This page is not affiliated with FMCSA or any state DMV.
Who actually has to complete ELDT?
Four groups: first-time Class A CDL applicants, first-time Class B CDL applicants, drivers upgrading an existing Class B CDL to Class A, and anyone obtaining a passenger, school bus, or hazardous materials endorsement for the first time (FMCSA, Entry-Level Driver Training). Note what’s not on that list: drivers who already hold a Class A or B CDL and are simply renewing it, or adding an endorsement they’ve held before, don’t trigger ELDT again. It’s tied to being a first-timer for that specific credential, not to every CDL transaction.
Who is exempt from ELDT?
Three exemptions exist. First, the rule isn’t retroactive: anyone who held a CDL, or a P, S, or H endorsement, before February 7, 2022 is exempt for that specific credential (FMCSA, Entry-Level Driver Training). Second, if you obtained your CLP before February 7, 2022 and got your full CDL before that CLP (or a renewal of it) expired, you’re exempt from ELDT for that CDL. Third, anyone who meets one of the skills-test exceptions listed in 49 CFR Part 383 (certain military drivers, for example) is exempt from ELDT as well, since the training exists to prepare someone for a test they’re not required to take.
What does the training actually have to cover?
ELDT applies at two levels. Section 380.609(a) requires driver training from a Training Provider Registry provider for anyone getting a first-time Class A or B CDL, or upgrading Class B to Class A. Section 380.609(b) separately requires endorsement-specific training for anyone getting the passenger, school bus, or hazardous materials endorsement for the first time (eCFR, 49 CFR 380.609). The two requirements stack: a first-time Class A applicant who also wants a hazmat endorsement needs both the Class A training and the hazmat-specific training, each completed through a registered provider. Unlike many older state driver-ed programs, FMCSA’s ELDT rule is proficiency-based rather than built around a fixed hour count, so the training provider certifies you’ve met the standard, not that you sat in a seat for a set number of hours.
How does ELDT interact with the hazmat endorsement specifically?
Hazmat carries an extra sequencing rule: ELDT training for the hazmat endorsement has to be completed before you’re even allowed to take the Hazardous Materials knowledge test, not just before the skills test (NY DMV, Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL)). That’s different from the Class A/B and passenger/school bus tracks, where ELDT clears the way to the skills test specifically, after the knowledge test has already been passed.
Where does the Training Provider Registry fit in?
The FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR), at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov, keeps the official record of who has completed ELDT and through which registered provider. States check the TPR before scheduling a CDL skills test for anyone the ELDT rule applies to; if your training provider isn’t listed on the registry, or your completion record hasn’t posted yet, the state can’t move you forward to testing. The TPR and the ELDT regulations were both mandated under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), and the final rule drew on recommendations from FMCSA’s Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee, a negotiated rulemaking group that met through 2015 (FMCSA, Entry-Level Driver Training).
ELDT requirement by scenario
| Situation | ELDT required? | What has to happen first |
|---|---|---|
| First-time Class A CDL | Yes | TPR-registered training before the skills test |
| First-time Class B CDL | Yes | TPR-registered training before the skills test |
| Upgrading Class B to Class A | Yes | TPR-registered training before the skills test |
| Adding P, S, or H endorsement for the first time | Yes | Endorsement-specific TPR-registered training (hazmat: before the knowledge test) |
| Renewing an existing CDL, no new class or endorsement | No | N/A |
| CDL or endorsement held before February 7, 2022 | No | N/A, not retroactive |
| CLP issued before February 7, 2022, CDL obtained before it expired | No | Exempt under the transition provision |
Source: FMCSA, Entry-Level Driver Training; eCFR, 49 CFR 380.609.
Once your ELDT record is posted to the Training Provider Registry, run through the CDL Practice Hub CDL practice quiz to make sure the knowledge side is solid too, since ELDT covers the training requirement, not the written test itself.
Does ELDT replace the CDL knowledge and skills tests?
No. ELDT is a prerequisite, not a substitute. You still have to pass the same state knowledge test and skills test everyone else takes; ELDT just has to be completed and posted to the Training Provider Registry first, for the specific credential it applies to, before a state will let you schedule that test.
If a study guide that lines up with what ELDT training actually prepares you for sounds useful, that’s what the CDL Practice Hub CDL study guide is built around.
FAQ
Does ELDT apply if I already have a CDL and I’m just renewing it? No. ELDT is triggered by getting a credential (a CDL class or a P, S, or H endorsement) for the first time. A straightforward renewal with no new class or endorsement doesn’t require it.
What happens if my training provider isn’t on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry? The state can’t credit the training. ELDT only counts if it’s completed through a provider actually listed on the TPR at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov; unlisted providers won’t get you cleared for testing.
Is ELDT the same as the CDL skills test? No. ELDT is training you complete beforehand. The skills test is a separate, state-administered exam you still have to pass after ELDT is done and posted to the registry.
Does ELDT require a minimum number of training hours? No fixed hour count. FMCSA’s ELDT rule is proficiency-based, meaning the training provider certifies you’ve met the required standard rather than logging a set number of hours.
If I got my hazmat endorsement in 2019, do I need ELDT to renew it now? No. ELDT isn’t retroactive, so an endorsement held before February 7, 2022 isn’t affected by the rule, including at renewal.