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 Virginia DMV locations statewide.
Three simple steps to get your Virginia 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 VA DMV and you're done.
The order matters, and it is not the same in every state. This is Virginia'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.
Any TPR-registered provider. ELDT365 files your completion the moment you pass.
CLP valid 12 months.
14 with an approved driver-ed program, 30 without.
With a TPR-registered BTW provider; an approved program also earns the shorter hold.
At DMV or an authorized third-party school.
Age: 18 for in-state driving with a K restriction that lifts at 21; 21 to cross state lines or haul hazmat.
Hold your permit: 14 days if you complete an approved commercial driver education program, otherwise 30 days before the skills test.
Permit valid: 12 months.
Yes. Virginia authorizes CDL schools as third-party testers.
Hazmat knowledge test; TSA clearance before the H is issued.
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 Virginia adds for the school part: No state licensing layer for theory. Any TPR-registered provider is accepted. Completing an approved driver-ed program is what shortens the permit hold from 30 days to 14.
Sources: Virginia DMV: Commercial licenses. Checked September 2026.
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 Virginia 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 Virginia DMV.
Start Your Virginia ELDT →Common questions from Virginia CDL applicants.
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