{"id":1821,"date":"2021-03-16T13:57:34","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T13:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hazmatuniversity.com\/news\/?p=1821"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:04:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:04:32","slug":"when-is-a-hazmat-endorsement-required-on-a-cdl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hazmatuniversity.com\/news\/when-is-a-hazmat-endorsement-required-on-a-cdl\/","title":{"rendered":"When is a Hazmat Endorsement Required on a CDL?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"hazmat
\n\u00a0A common question among <\/span>CDL<\/span><\/a> drivers is when a hazmat endorsement is required.\u00a0 Many drivers seek the endorsement as a means to provide flexibility in the loads they can carry and thus the opportunity to make more money.\u00a0 While the requirement for having a hazmat endorsement on a CDL may seem complicated, it is pretty straightforward: no placard required, no CDL endorsement required.<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing when a load needs to be placarded requires some knowledge of the US Hazardous Materials Regulations, but let\u2019s start at the very beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how do you know if you need a hazmat endorsement on your CDL?<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Hazmat Endorsement?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (<\/span>FMCSA<\/span><\/a>) sets forth the requirements for commercial motor vehicles, the companies that own them, and the drivers that operate them.\u00a0 FMCSA defines \u201can <\/span>endorsement<\/span><\/a> as an authorization to an individual’s CLP or CDL required to permit the individual to operate certain types of commercial motor vehicles.\u201d\u00a0 Drivers must pass specialized tests to receive the desired endorsement.\u00a0 <\/span>49 CFR 383.93(b) <\/span><\/a>requires a knowledge test be taken by anyone that wishes to receive a hazmat endorsement on their CDL.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are required to placard the load you are hauling, you must have a hazmat endorsement.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Having a thorough understanding of the Department of Transportation\u2019s placarding rules is critical when you want to obtain an endorsement on your CDL. In fact, it\u2019s equally important if you\u2019re planning to accept a cargo where hazardous materials are in the mix. Unfortunately, the DOT placard rules can be confusing, and they have a lot of exceptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The regulations state that a driver must obtain a State-issued endorsement to a CDL to operate a motor vehicle that is used to transport a hazardous material as defined in 49 CFR 383.5.\u00a0 A hazardous material, for the purposes of a hazmat endorsement on a CDL, is defined as \u201cany material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR part 172 or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR part 73\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all cargo bearing hazardous materials labels on the packages requires a placard.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is It Possible to Haul A Hazmat Load Without A Hazmat Endorsement?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Drivers can haul cargo that falls under the definition of a hazardous material even if they don\u2019t have an endorsement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The general placarding requirements are found in <\/span>49 CFR 172.504<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 The section starts with the statement that any vehicle containing any quantity of hazardous materials must be placarded.\u00a0 Quickly following that statement are several exceptions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loads of less than 454 kg (1,001 lbs) of a hazardous material covered by Table 2 in the placarding section are not required to be placarded.\u00a0 Hazard classes listed in Table 2 include:<\/span><\/p>\n