The third phase of the Transportation Security Administration’s Hazmat Threat Assessment Program is now under way.

As of June 1, drivers who want to renew or transfer their current hazardous materials endorsement must now undergo a fingerprint-based security threat assessment.

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, hazmat drivers are required to renew their HMEs at least once every five years. State regulations may require more frequent renewals.

The threat assessment program came about as part of the USA PATRIOT Act, which authorized the TSA to run security background checks on hazmat drivers.

The agency came under fire from the trucking industry, however, when it announced that private, third-party vendors would be involved in the collection of fingerprints and other sensitive information for the program.