Obtaining Hazmat Endorsement

Does any one know if a hazmat endorsement can be obtained without physically going to the state of residence? Like online?

My state of residence is South Dakota and my CDL is from there but I don’t want to travel there to test for the endorsement if I don’t have to. Thanks.

That is probably state specific question. I know in Ga I can contact TSA anywhere for the fingerprint clesrance, but I have to take the written test in Ga. Then they give out a paper license while you wait for the plastic one to come in the mail.

I had to do the written and fingerprinting in NJ.

In Illinois it all has to be done in state at specific DMVd. Plus unlike some states, you have to wait for TSA approval letter to even test.

So I called SD driver licensing today.

Step one is to get TSA fingerprinted. (TSA.gov)

Then go through the ELDT program for hazmat

Then go to a DMV location in SD for the written test.

Quite the process. If my Time Machine wasn’t broken I’d go back and get the endorsement when I got my license back in 2018. Lol

I'm going through the renewal process now. Even though I just got my CDL and endorsements at the end of '22! They kept the same expiration from before I upgraded, so I have to redo the TSA threat assessment and HM written to retain that endorsement. Just got the approval from TSA so I just have to go take the written. Thanks Illinois! 😁

Yes it’s a process. Mine is due for renewal in May. Since I don’t have Hazmat authority I will probably drop it. I don’t see myself needing it any longer. I’ve had it 10 years. I’ll keep the tanker endorsement just in case I ever haul non haz totes.

I picked up at a Dow Chemical place in northern Illinois once. Security asked if I have HM and Tanker, I said yes. He said good, we turned away another driver from your company this morning for this load because he didn't have his endorsements.

When I talked to the loaders, they said security's wrong, it's not HM, just liquid totes. Made me wonder if that driver had his tanker endorsement but not hazmat and got turned down by security for no reason.

I'm renewing my HM for now just in case I look for other opportunities later this year, but it's not benefiting me much so far.

Sorry, slightly off topic but thought I'd share an interesting update for Michael. He's still working at Marten (coming up on 3 years) but moved to the Dallas, Texas area last November. He had to take his HazMat test in person in Texas which was a bit difficult to schedule around his limited home time. It seems that he's had more HazMat loads in the past three months than the prior time he was based out of California. Makes one wonder if they don't have many drivers with a HazMat endorsement so they give him loads even if they take him out of his regional area.

His most interesting load was taking three drums of a resin from Texas to New Hampshire to an aerospace firm. A worker at that firm said they make propellers with the resin and that the barrels were worth $300-500,000. It was a light load and weather was not good (delivered January 20th with snowy conditions). He then picked up his first load in NYC, something that made him say Southern California isn't quite so bad after all. He picked up a load of eggs headed to Minnesota. No reports of any broken eggs. He was glad to get back down to Texas.

Good luck getting back to South Dakota, Bruce.

Harvey Texas has a whole lot more chemical companies than Ca. Texas and Louisana are big in chemical companies, likely because of less intrusive gov’t regulation. Most of the tanker stuff I ever hauled out of Ca was non haz. Mostly resin or latex.