The Transportation Safety Administration, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, has granted an exemption for Hazardous Material Endorsement (HME) holders.

States can now grant an extension of up to 180 days for any TSA security threat assessments (STAs) for HMEs that expired or will expire between March 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020. This covers drivers who have been unable to initiate or complete the required STA before the expiration date. According to the TSA notice, if a state grants the extension, the HME holder must start the STA renewal process “no later than 60 days before the end of the state-granted extension.”

Depending on the status of the COVID-19 crisis, TSA may extend this exemption at a future date.