Complete your FMCSA-required entry-level driver training 100% online. DMV-ready certificate auto-uploaded to the FMCSA registry. Self-paced.
All courses are FMCSA-registered and accepted at Arkansas DMV locations statewide.
Three simple steps to get your Arkansas ELDT certificate.
Create your account, choose your course, and pay securely. Takes less than 2 minutes.
Go through the self-paced online course on any device. Free retakes included.
Your ELDT certificate is auto-uploaded to the FMCSA registry. Show up to your AR DMV and you're done.
The order matters, and it is not the same in every state. This is Arkansas's order, from the DFA's own rules. Fees are on the DFA site; the steps below do not change often.
From a certified medical examiner.
Any TPR-registered provider. ELDT365 files your completion the moment you pass.
The CLP is issued through DFA and is good for up to a year.
Federal minimum before the skills test.
With a TPR-registered BTW provider.
Bring a CDL holder, wheel chocks, and an empty truck with a current DOT inspection sticker.
Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services (testing by the Arkansas State Police).
Age: 18 for in-state driving; 21 to cross state lines or haul hazmat.
Hold your permit: 14 days before the skills test.
Permit valid: Up to one year; once it expires you retake the general and endorsement knowledge tests.
The Arkansas State Police give the tests. Knowledge tests are at every troop testing site; skills tests only at six troop sites (Little Rock, Newport, Hope, Harrison, Russellville, Lowell) by appointment.
Hazmat knowledge test with the State Police; TSA security threat assessment (fingerprints and background check) before the H is issued. Plan on at least 90 days. Must be 21.
Federal rule 49 CFR 380.703(i) says that state qualification requirements for theory instruction do not apply to providers offering that instruction only online. So your state accepts theory from any provider listed on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry, including ELDT365, and no state can require the online theory portion to come from a state-licensed school. States can add their own rules for the behind-the-wheel part, and several do; those are listed below.
49 CFR 380.703(i) · FMCSA guidance on state-based training requirements
What Arkansas adds for the school part: No state licensing layer for theory. Any TPR-registered provider is accepted.
Sources: Arkansas DFA: CLP (Commercial Learner's Permit) · Arkansas State Police: Driver Examination · Arkansas DFA: Hazardous Materials Endorsement. Checked September and October 2026. Compare all 50 states ›
As of February 2022, the FMCSA requires all first-time CDL applicants to complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) from a registered training provider before taking their CDL skills test.
This applies to all Arkansas drivers applying for a Class A CDL, Class B CDL, or any endorsement including HAZMAT, Passenger, and School Bus.
ELDT365 is registered with the FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR) and fully accepted by the Arkansas DMV.
Start Your Arkansas ELDT →Common questions from Arkansas CDL applicants.
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