The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established federal regulations requiring drivers to complete entry-level driver training (ELDT) when they are seeking a Class A or B CDL for the first time, upgrading to a Class A or B CDL, or obtaining a passenger (P), school bus (S) or a hazardous material (H) endorsement for the first time. Entry-level driver applicants must obtain training from a training provider listed on the Training Provider Registry (TPR). The requirements do not apply to individuals holding a valid CDL or an H, P, or S endorsement issued prior to February 7th, 2022.

The TPR lists all ELDT providers that are approved by FMCSA and allows providers to submit ELDT completion information. The completion information maintained on the TPR serves as proof that the entry-level driver applicant has completed the required ELDT. Training providers can include but are not limited to, training schools, educational institutions, rural electric cooperatives, motor carriers, state/local governments, school districts, joint labor-management programs, owner-operators, and individuals. These examples are not intended to be a finite list; FMCSA adds them to illustrate the range of entities that could potentially be eligible for listing on the TPR. In addition, FMCSA notes that eligible providers may provide training either on a "for-hire" or "not-for-hire" basis. Examples include motor carriers who provide ELDT at no cost to current or prospective employees, independent training schools charging tuition, and individuals who train family or friends. Only training providers listed on the TPR can provide ELDT.

To be eligible for listing on the TPR, you must apply to and be approved by the FMCSA. Training providers must also comply with all applicable state requirements and be licensed driving schools. Visit Open a Driving School for information about applying for a driving school license. For a complete list of federal requirements, visit the FMCSA’s ELDT main page and Rule Implementation Checklist for details. For more information regarding required training, visit the FMCSA’s ELDT Curriculum Summary.  

If a training provider needs to make updates or corrections to ELDT Training Type results already in TPR, they should should delete the original record and then enter in a new record with the updated Training Type, instead of editing the original record.

Entry-level drivers attempting to take a CDL skills test to receive a Class A CDL, Class B CDL, passenger (P) endorsement, or school bus (S) endorsement must successfully complete a mandatory theory (knowledge) and a behind-the-wheel (BTW) training provided by a training provider listed on the TPR. To obtain a Hazardous Materials (H) endorsement, the entry-level driver must complete mandatory theory (knowledge) training provided by a training provider listed on the TPR prior to taking the knowledge test for the Hazardous Materials (H) endorsement. For more information regarding required training, visit the FMCSA’s ELDT Curriculum Summary.
New York State accepts ELDT completion if the training provider is on the TPR. To confirm that a training provider is part of TPR visit the FMCSA’s ELDT main page. Before DMV allows drivers to move forward with testing DMV will verify that the required training has been completed.

For questions or concerns please contact dmv.sm.ELDTSupport.dmv.ny.gov