Hazmat and Tanker Endorsement (X): How to Get Both
Short answer: the X endorsement isn't a separate test. It's the code your state prints on your CDL when you hold both the Tanker (N) and Hazmat (H) endorsements (49 CFR 383.153). To get it, pass the Tanker knowledge test and the Hazmat knowledge test, and clear the TSA background check. Hazmat also needs ELDT theory first. Tanker needs no ELDT at all.
Tanker vs Hazmat vs X
| Tanker (N) | Hazmat (H) | X (both) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Liquids or gases in tanks of more than 119 gallons each, 1,000 gallons or more in total (49 CFR 383.5) | Hazardous materials that need placards | Hazardous materials in a tank, for example gasoline in a fuel tanker |
| Test | Knowledge test only | Knowledge test only | Both knowledge tests |
| ELDT? | No | Yes, before the knowledge test | Yes, Hazmat ELDT |
| TSA background check? | No | Yes, $88.25 | Yes, $88.25 |
| On a learner's permit? | Yes, empty tanks only | No, needs a CDL | No, needs a CDL |
The tests come from 49 CFR 383.93, which lists Tanker and Hazmat as knowledge tests only, with no skills test.
How to get the X endorsement, step by step
- Finish Hazmat ELDT theory from a provider on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Your state checks the registry before it lets you take the Hazmat test. Ours is Hazmat ELDT online, $20.
- Study for both tests. They come from the Tanker and Hazardous Materials sections of your state's CDL manual.
- Take both knowledge tests at your state's licensing office. You need 80% on each (49 CFR 383.135).
- Do the TSA background check: enroll, get fingerprinted and pay $88.25. TSA's goal is a status within 60 days, so start early (TSA). Some states give you a code to enroll with only after you apply in person.
- Get your new CDL. Once TSA clears you, your state issues the CDL with X, which stands for both endorsements.
Step-by-step guides for big states: Texas, California, Florida, or every state.
Do I need ELDT for a tanker endorsement?
No. Federal ELDT covers drivers getting a Class A or Class B CDL for the first time, upgrading to Class A or B, or adding Hazmat, Passenger or School Bus for the first time (49 CFR 380.605). Tanker isn't on that list. If a provider tries to sell you "tanker ELDT", you don't need it. For X, the only ELDT you need is Hazmat.
Can I get the tanker endorsement on my permit?
Yes, but only for empty tanks. A commercial learner's permit can carry the Tanker (N) endorsement once you pass its knowledge test, and you may only drive an empty tank vehicle that has been purged of any hazardous residue. Hazmat can't go on a permit at all, so X waits until you have your CDL (49 CFR 383.25).
Can I get Hazmat and Tanker at the same time?
Yes. Nothing stops you studying for both and taking both knowledge tests; the Tanker test needs no ELDT and no TSA check. Ask your licensing office whether you can take both on the same visit. Most of the wait for X is TSA, so the sooner you finish Hazmat ELDT and enroll with TSA, the sooner you have it.
How many questions are on the tanker and Hazmat tests?
Your state sets the number of questions; federal rules set the pass mark at 80%. Practice sites and drivers most often report 20 questions for Tanker (16 right to pass) and 30 for Hazmat (24 to pass), but check your state's manual or DMV. In Texas, for example, every CDL knowledge test is in English only since June 2026: see the Texas Hazmat test.
What's on the tanker test?
The federal topics for the Tanker endorsement (49 CFR 383.119) are:
- liquid surge: what causes it, how it affects handling, and how to prevent it;
- braking with full, partly full and empty tanks;
- baffled and compartmented tanks compared with smooth-bore tanks;
- tank types and how they are built;
- how liquids of different weights surge differently;
- how hills and curves affect a full, half-full or empty tank;
- emergency systems, and the retest and marking rules for DOT specification tanks.
The Hazmat test covers placards, shipping papers, labels and markings, loading and segregation, cargo tanks, driving and parking rules, and emergencies (49 CFR 383.121).
Practice for X
- Tanker practice test: 42 questions on surge, baffles and rollover, $15.
- Hazmat practice test: 100 questions, $15.
- Hazmat ELDT + Hazmat and Tanker practice tests: everything for X in one, $45.
- Starting from scratch? The Fuel Hauler bundle has CDL Class A ELDT, Hazmat ELDT and the Tanker practice test, $50.