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 Iowa DMV locations statewide.
Three simple steps to get your Iowa 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 IA DMV and you're done.
The order matters, and it is not the same in every state. This is Iowa's order, from the Iowa DOT's own rules. Fees are on the Iowa DOT site; the steps below do not change often.
From a certified medical examiner, if your self-certification category requires one.
Any TPR-registered provider. ELDT365 files your completion the moment you pass.
At an Iowa DOT service center or county treasurer office, by appointment. General Knowledge is 50 questions, 10 misses allowed.
Federal minimum before the skills test, and the CLP only lasts one year.
With a TPR-registered BTW provider.
Pre-trip, basic control, and road test at a DOT location, county treasurer office, or third-party tester.
Age: 18 for in-state driving; 21 to cross state lines, drive a school bus, or haul hazmat.
Hold your permit: 14 days before the skills test.
Permit valid: One year from issue, and the Iowa DOT says there is no renewal period, so finish testing inside the year.
Skills tests at Iowa DOT service centers, select county treasurer offices, and Iowa DOT-authorized third-party testers, who may also give the knowledge tests.
Hazmat knowledge test at the DMV first, then the TSA threat assessment and fingerprinting. The H is not issued until both are done.
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 Iowa adds for the school part: No state licensing layer for theory. The Iowa DOT says ELDT is an FMCSA program it does not administer; any TPR-registered provider is accepted.
Sources: Iowa DOT: how to get a CDL · Iowa DOT: CDL testing · Iowa DOT: 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 Iowa 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 Iowa DMV.
Start Your Iowa ELDT →Common questions from Iowa CDL applicants.
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