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Feb 1, 2005 12:00 PM

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has established a range of fees for drivers applying or renewing hazardous material endorsements for commercial driver licenses. The fees vary according to whether the background checks are conducted by TSA or by states, and include charges for driver background checks and collecting and transmitting driver fingerprints and biographical information.

In the final rule published Jan 13, 2005, in the Federal Register, TSA said applicants who submit fingerprints and applicant information to a TSA agent will be charged $38 for information collection and transmission, $34 for threat assessment, and $22 for Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal records review, for a total of $94. In states that have opted to collect and transmit fingerprints and applicant information on their own, applicants will be required to pay the $34 threat assessment fee and an FBI fee of $22 or $24, depending on the amount charged by the state. TSA assumes that such applicants also will be required under state user fee authority to pay the state a fee to cover the state's costs of collecting and transmitting fingerprints and applicant information. That fee may vary from state to state. TSA did not estimate the state cost.

TSA has appoved Integrated Biometric Technology (IBT) of Nashville TN as the primary vendor to collect data required by the agency's fingerprint checks for transfer and renewal applicants.

Thirty-four states will allow the company to set up collection sites to obtain fingerprints and electronically transfer the prints to TSA, which would in turn transfer the prints to the FBI. Additionally, IBT is responsible for arranging a call center that would set up fingerprint collection appointments and provide status reports, take electronic applications, and provide payment processing.

According to TSA estimates, 2.7 million drivers now hold hazmat endorsements. The agency expects to receive a prorated total of 360,000 new and renewal applications in the first year after Jan 31, 2005. The rule (49 CFR Part 1572) is effective Jan 31, 2005, and drivers are required to renew the endorsement every five years. The rule stems from hazmat security concerns after the United States was attacked by terrorists in 2001.