The hazmat TSA background check
Every hazmat applicant has to clear a TSA Security Threat Assessment. Here’s how to apply, what to bring, and how long it really takes.
The hazmat TSA background check — officially the Security Threat Assessment — is a federal criminal-history, immigration, and terrorism-database review required of every hazmat endorsement applicant. You pre-enroll online, get fingerprinted in person, and pay $85.25. Clearance usually takes four to eight weeks and lasts five years.
How to apply for the TSA hazmat background check
Most states use TSA’s national enrollment vendor. Start it as early as you can — it’s the longest wait in the whole endorsement process.
STEP 1
Pre-enroll online
Apply through TSA’s Universal Enroll portal and select the HME (Hazardous Materials Endorsement) program. You’ll get a registration number at the end — print it or write it down, because you’ll need it at your appointment.
STEP 2
Book a fingerprinting appointment
Schedule at an enrollment center near you. Some locations accept walk-ins, but appointments are faster and guarantee a slot. There are enrollment sites nationwide, and in most states you can be printed at any of them.
STEP 3
Get fingerprinted and pay the fee
Bring your documents to the center for digital fingerprinting — a short appointment, usually 15–30 minutes. You’ll pay the $85.25 federal fee here, which covers both the background check and the fingerprinting.
STEP 4
Wait for TSA to clear you
TSA reviews your criminal history, immigration status, and terrorism databases. Expect four to eight weeks. Once you’re cleared, your state is notified and you can finish adding the endorsement at the DMV.
Ten states run their own program.
Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin don’t participate in the national agent program — if you’re licensed in one of these, apply through your state’s own process instead. Check your state DMV before enrolling.
What does the TSA check look at?
The Security Threat Assessment is broader than a standard employment background check. TSA reviews:
- Your criminal history, against the list of permanent and interim disqualifying offenses
- Your immigration and lawful-status records
- International and terrorism-related databases
- Whether you have any outstanding warrants
- Mental capacity determinations that would bar eligibility
To be eligible you must be a U.S. citizen, naturalized citizen, lawful permanent resident, or a lawfully present non-immigrant, asylee, or refugee. Your state may apply stricter citizenship or lawful-presence rules than TSA does, so check locally before you apply.
See the full requirements and disqualifying offenses →
Your hazmat clearance gets you TSA PreCheck
Here’s something a lot of drivers never find out: if you hold an active hazmat endorsement, you’re eligible for TSA PreCheck at the airport without enrolling — or paying — separately.
You won’t get a separate Known Traveler Number. Instead, when you book a flight, enter your two-letter state abbreviation followed by your CDL number in the Known Traveler Number field — for example, NY123456 for a New York-issued CDL. You’ve already passed the security vetting, so TSA extends the benefit without a second enrollment.
Three conditions apply:
- You’re a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident
- Your endorsement was approved outside TSA’s waiver process — drivers who received an HME by waiver aren’t eligible
- You’re not under investigation through TSA’s recurrent vetting
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