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 Rhode Island DMV locations statewide.
Three simple steps to get your Rhode Island 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 RI DMV and you're done.
The order matters, and it is not the same in every state. This is Rhode Island's order, from the DMV's own rules. Fees are on the DMV site; the steps below do not change often.
From a certified medical examiner. The DMV wants it before the CLP is issued.
Any TPR-registered provider. ELDT365 files your completion the moment you pass.
Appointment only. General Knowledge is the minimum for a CLP.
The DMV requires it before the skills test.
With a TPR-registered BTW provider.
Then bring your passing result to the Cranston CDL office to be issued the license.
Age: 18 for in-state driving; 21 to cross state lines or add the hazmat endorsement.
Hold your permit: 14 days before the skills test.
Permit valid: One year, no renewal; after it expires you retake every knowledge test.
Skills tests are given at the state CDL test site in North Kingstown by appointment; after passing you apply for the CDL at the Cranston DMV.
ELDT hazmat theory and the TSA threat assessment both have to be done before you can sit the hazmat knowledge test. The DMV says the TSA result must be under one year old and the knowledge test result under 60 days old when the H is added.
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 Rhode Island adds for the school part: No state licensing layer for theory. Any TPR-registered provider is accepted.
Sources: Rhode Island DMV: Commercial Driving License (CDL) · Rhode Island DMV: Commercial Learner's Permit and Exams · Rhode Island DMV: CDL Skills/Road Tests. 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 Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island DMV.
Start Your Rhode Island ELDT →Common questions from Rhode Island CDL applicants.
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