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 South Dakota DMV locations statewide.
Three simple steps to get your South Dakota 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 SD DMV and you're done.
The order matters, and it is not the same in every state. This is South Dakota's order, from the DPS's own rules. Fees are on the DPS site; the steps below do not change often.
From a National Registry examiner. Send a copy to Driver Licensing in Pierre with your self-certification.
Any TPR-registered provider. ELDT365 files your completion the moment you pass.
You need a valid South Dakota driver license first.
The state requires 14 days on the CLP before the drive test.
With a TPR-registered BTW provider.
Then return to Driver Licensing to be issued the CDL.
South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing.
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.
Third-party testers only. The state does not give CDL skills tests at Driver Licensing offices; testers send results to the state.
Hazmat knowledge test with the state, plus a TSA threat assessment at an enrollment center before the H is issued. You 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 South Dakota adds for the school part: No state licensing layer for theory. Any TPR-registered provider is accepted.
Sources: South Dakota DPS: Commercial Driver's License · South Dakota DPS: CDL FAQs · South Dakota Truck Info: CDL Qualifications. 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota DMV.
Start Your South Dakota ELDT →Common questions from South Dakota CDL applicants.
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