Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HM Safety Permit)
Since January 1, 2005, intrastate, interstate, and foreign motor carriers transporting certain types and amounts of
hazardous materials (HM) are required to hold a Federal Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HMSP)
issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
A Hazardous Materials Safety Permit is required when transporting extremely
dangerous and toxic materials as specified by the FMCSA and must be filed biennially according to the last two digits of the
DOT number. Failure to have this permit may result in fines and penalties as determined by state departments.
See the table below to find out if you are required to have a HM safety permit:
| Materials | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Class 7 Radioactive Material | Highway Route-Controlled Quantity |
| Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 Explosive Material | More than 55 lbs (25 kg) |
| Division 1.5 Explosive Material | Amount Requiring Placarding |
| Hazard Zone A – Material Poisonous by Inhalation | More than 1.08 quarts (1 L) |
| Hazard Zone B – Material Poisonous by Inhalation | More than 119 gallons (450 L) |
| Hazard Zone C/D – Material Poisonous by Inhalation | More than 3,500 gallons (13,248 L) |
| Methane/Liquefied Natural Gas | More than 3,500 gallons (13,248 L) |
To obtain a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit, you will need to submit Form MCS-150B and Proof of Required Insurance (DOT Form MCS-90) to the FMCSA. This can be done online, which will take 1-2 business days to process or by mail, which take 2-4 weeks to process.
REQUIRED HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRAINING
HazMat carriers must maintain a certain level of safety in their operations and certify they have programs
in place as required by the Hazardous Materials Regulations and the HM Permit regulations.
Proper HazMat training must be in place at all times. Initial training must be completed within 90 days after employment or
job function and employees must receive the required training every three years or any time there is a change in job function.
HAZMAT RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS
Proof of training must be maintained for 3 years and records must be produced upon request by an authorized employee of the Department of Transportation. Records may be in any format such as paper or electronic files as long as they contain the required information and are readily available.
See https://cms.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hazardous-materials for more information or contact TSNAmerica if you would like us to handle your filing for you.
