Washington is a beautiful state with summers that simply can’t be beat. Adding the Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) endorsement to your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) will help you unlock more job opportunities and potentially higher pay that you can spend on Washington State apples, its amazing coffee, and top spots like the Space Needle and Pike Place Market!
The HazMat endorsement allows you to transport cargoes classified as hazardous by the U.S. government. These include explosives, certain fuels, industrial chemicals, radioactive materials, and infectious substances. There are three major hurdles before obtaining it. This process is much more demanding than other endorsements as it is designed to protect you, the public, and the environment.
Step one is to ensure that all requirements of the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) have been fulfilled. Once verified, your next step is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) fingerprinting and background check. While waiting (sometimes weeks!) for results, you should prepare for the third and final step: the DOL HazMat Knowledge Test. This test covers federal regulations, handling procedures, packaging, quantity limits, and transport configurations. To pass, you must answer 24 or more questions correctly for a minimum 80% score (Washington CDL Handbook 2025).