The requirement for state driver licensing agencies to verify an applicant’s skills or knowledge testing in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) Training Provider Registry is Feb. 7, 2022.

There are important steps that the state driver licensing agencies need to take now to ensure they are prepared to comply with the ELDT regulations and to help drivers, training providers and jurisdictions understand what is required.

Mandated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 Century Act, also known as MAP-21, the ELDT final rule published in 2016 set a minimum standard for the required training of entry-level drivers. These ELDT requirements will improve safety on our nation’s roads by:

• Setting a national baseline for entry-level driver training to ensure drivers have the knowledge and skills they need to safely operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs)
• Ensuring that only drivers who have successfully completed the required training will receive a Class A or Class B commercial driver’s license (CDL) or school bus, passenger or hazardous materials endorsement
• Requiring jurisdictions to verify that a driver has completed the applicable entry-level driver training before administering the CDL skills or knowledge tests
• Setting qualification standards for training providers and ELDT instructors
• Providing drivers with the knowledge and experience they need to operate CMVs safely and meet their operational responsibilities

The ELDT final rule established the Training Provider Registry, which is administered by FMCSA. By receiving and retaining driver certification information from training providers and relaying it to each jurisdiction, the Training Provider Registry will enable jurisdictions to meet their ELDT requirements.

What is Required of Jurisdictions Starting on Feb. 7, 2022?

Beginning Feb. 7, 2022, jurisdictions must verify that applicants for the CDLs and endorsements listed above have successfully completed the relevant entry-level driver training before administering the required CDL skills or knowledge test for the H endorsement. Jurisdictions will verify this electronically by using their IT systems to access information stored in the Training Provider Registry. Beginning Feb. 7, 2022, jurisdictions must also notify FMCSA if they become aware that a training provider does not meet the applicable jurisdictional requirements for CMV instruction.

Individuals who have obtained a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) before Feb. 7, 2022, are not subject to the ELDT requirements, so long as they obtain a CDL before the CLP or renewed CLP expires.

The Training Provider Registry will only verify whether a driver has completed the Federal minimum standard required by the ELDT regulations—it will not verify whether a driver has met state or local driver training requirements that exceed the federal minimum requirements.

What Should Jurisdictions Do Now?

To prepare for the Feb. 7, 2022, compliance date, jurisdictions should take the following actions:

• Obtain authority: Enact state legislation and/or regulations, as necessary, to implement the ELDT regulations.
• Connect to the Training Provider Registry: Implement an IT solution to retrieve and display data from the Training Provider Registry. States may choose to either set up a direct connection to the Training Provider Registry Web Service, provided by FMCSA, or connect via CSTIMS or ROOSTR (contact Philip Hadwin, Senior Business Analyst at AAMVA, at phadwin@aamva.org).
• Educate staff: Train staff and skills examiners, including third-party skills examiners, on the new requirements and how to access data from the Training Provider Registry for entry-level drivers who apply and test for their CLP or CDL.
• Spread the word: Help driver applicants, training providers and SDLA staff understand ELDT requirements and the Training Provider Registry. FMCSA has developed a customizable PowerPoint presentation template to help states spread the word about ELDT and the Training Provider Registry. Contact your state’s CDL coordinator for access to the SDLA Outreach PowerPoint template.

States play a critical role in helping to improve safety on our nation’s roadways. By preparing now, jurisdictions can contribute to a smooth implementation of an important safety initiative.

To learn more about how you can prepare for ELDT and the Training Provider Registry, contact your state’s CDL coordinator or FMCSA Division Office representative, or visit FMCSA.