How to do the TSA background check for HAZMAT
Step by step
- Apply. Start the application online at tsa.gov/hazmat or by phone at 855-347-8371. You can also schedule your appointment there. Walk-ins are taken, but appointments go first.
- Visit an application center. Bring your documents, give your fingerprints and pay the fee.
- Wait for TSA. TSA sends the result to your state licensing agency, not an approval letter to you. You can check your status online.
- Go to the DMV. Once TSA clears you and you pass the HAZMAT knowledge test, your state can add the endorsement.
Eight states do it through the DMV
If your license is from Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia or Wisconsin, you do not apply through the TSA center. Your DMV runs the process, sets its own fee and tells you where to get fingerprints. In those states you also cannot check your TSA status online, so ask the DMV.
What to bring
The simple option is a current U.S. passport. The other common option is your driver license plus your birth certificate. TSA accepts other documents too, so check the list on tsa.gov before your appointment if you have neither. You must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or in another lawful status TSA accepts, and some states are stricter than TSA.
Fee as of 2026, and the TWIC rate
The fee listed on tsa.gov is $86.50 for a new applicant. If you already hold a valid TWIC card and your license state accepts the TWIC check in place of a new one, the fee is $41. Some states want at least one year left on your TWIC, others want four. The fee is not refunded if you are denied, and the amount can change, so confirm it when you book. A HAZMAT endorsement based on your TWIC cannot last longer than the TWIC.
How long it takes
TSA says to enroll at least 60 days before you need a decision. Its goal is to give a status within 60 days, and some applications take more than 45 days. Bad fingerprints or missing information slow it down. Many states tell drivers to plan on 30 to 60 days.
What can disqualify you
Permanent: convictions for things like espionage, treason, terrorism, murder, unlawful dealing in explosives, or illegally transporting hazardous materials. Interim: offenses like kidnapping, arson, robbery, fraud, drug distribution, smuggling, or illegal weapons, if you were convicted in the last 7 years or released from prison in the last 5. You are also blocked while you are wanted or under indictment for one of these. If TSA finds something, it sends a letter explaining how to respond, and waiver and appeal options exist.
When to do it, and how often
Order matters at the DMV: finish your ELDT HAZMAT theory before the HAZMAT knowledge test, and the state cannot issue the endorsement until TSA clears you. Since TSA is the slow part, apply for it first or the same week you start theory. The full path is on our how to get a HAZMAT endorsement page. The check is generally renewed every 5 years with new fingerprints each time, and some states renew more often.
Questions drivers ask
Will TSA mail me an approval letter?
No. TSA notifies your state licensing agency, and the state checks it when you apply for the endorsement. You can check your status online, except in the eight states that run the process through the DMV.
Can I do the TSA check before my ELDT theory?
Yes. They are separate. Many drivers apply to TSA first because it takes the longest, then finish theory while they wait.
Do I get my money back if I am denied?
No. TSA fees are not refundable. If you have a past conviction, read the disqualifying offense list before you pay.
I am moving to another state. Do I need a new TSA check?
Maybe not. If the new state can issue your endorsement to expire within 5 years of your last check, you may not need a new one. Ask the new state's DMV.
Practice free before the DMV: practice test · all courses