Online ELDT in 2025: Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Your Entry-Level Driver Training

Before enrolling in anything, confirm the provider is active on the FMCSA Training Provider Registry. Search them by name at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. If they're not listed as "Active," any theory certificate they issue won't count toward your ELDT requirement, and you'll have wasted time and money.

You can use one provider for online theory and a completely different one for in-person BTW training. Some students do exactly this: complete theory with a national online provider, then find a local school for the driving portion.

Online ELDT theory is typically self-paced, delivered as a series of video and reading modules covering vehicle systems, safe driving practices, regulations, and non-driving knowledge. Most students can move through it in anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how much time they put in per day and how the specific platform is structured.

You'll need to pass a graded assessment at the end. Most platforms allow retakes if you don't pass on the first attempt, but confirm this with your specific provider before enrolling.

Once theory is done, you'll need to arrange range and public-road training with an instructor. If your online provider doesn't offer this directly, they should be able to point you toward partner schools in your area, or you can independently find a local ELDT-registered school for this portion.

There's no federal minimum on BTW hours (see our theory vs. BTW breakdown for the full explanation), so ask any school you're considering what their typical range of driving hours looks like before committing.

Once both theory and BTW are complete, your provider(s) submit your completion status to the Training Provider Registry electronically. This is the step that actually clears you to schedule a CDL skills test with your state DMV, so don't assume you're done just because you finished driving; confirm with your school that the TPR submission actually went through.