The new FMCSA medical certification requirements affect all CDL holders.
Many CDL holders are still confused as the deadline approaches.
The Federal Requirements
If you’re a CDL holder, here’s what you need to know about the new FMCSA medical certification requirements:
Deadline – January 30, 2014
- Self-Certification Affidavit: You must self-certify the type of commercial motor vehicle operation you drive
- Medical Examiner’s Certificate: If you operate in certain types of commerce, you must also provide a current medical examiner’s certificate.
- Variance Document: If your medical examiner’s certificate is only valid with a vision, diabetes or a skills performance evaluation variance granted by FMCSA, you may also be asked by your SDLA to provide a copy of that variance document.
You Must Report This Information To Your SDLA
You must provide this information to your State Driver License Agency by the January 30, 2014 deadline or your CDL is at risk.
Each State is responsible for reporting the information into the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS), which is a nationwide computer system based on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
Once provided, your certified medical status will be kept as part of your driving record.
The Responsibility Falls On The CDL Holder
Confusion abounds because each State has its own process for collecting this information and getting it into the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS).
Some States have been preparing for this reporting requirement since January 30, 2012.
If you’ve had a CDL transaction such as a new CDL, a renewal, upgrade, endorsement, or transfer since 2012, you may already be in the system. If you’re not sure, then it’s best to check with your SDLA.
Many States have mailed notices to drivers. If you have a different mailing address than the address recorded on your license, you may have missed the notice.
The bottom line is that the responsibility falls on the CDL holder to make sure their driving record is updated with this information by the deadline, January 30, 2014, or they risk their CDL being downgraded or suspended.
Reports such as an Ohio news story, late September 2013, show that a large number of CDL holders (120,000 according to Ohio BMV) have not self-certified and risk losing their CDL privileges.
Some drivers are aware that “something’s up” and have heard about it, but don’t really know what “it” is, and have no idea how it impacts them, or what they’re supposed to do.
How To Provide This Information To Your SDLA
The process for providing this information to your SDLA differs from State to State.
DOTPhysicalDOCTORS has compiled information to assist both commercial drivers and DOT doctors, on a state-by-state basis.
Check these links for instructions for your SDLA.
Please leave your feedback on the State page to help other drivers.
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
What Self-Certification Means
The Federal requirement focuses on Interstate Commercial Driving. If you drive interstate, unless you fall into ‘excepted’ categories, you must meet the Federal DOT medical certification requirements. Most CDL holders who drive CMVs in interstate commerce fall within the Interstate Non-Excepted category.
You must self-certify in one of these four categories:
- Interstate non-excepted: You are an Interstate non-excepted driver and must meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.
- Interstate excepted: You are an Interstate excepted driver and do not have to meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.
- Intrastate non-excepted: You are an Intrastate non-excepted driver and are required to meet the medical requirements for your State.
- Intrastate excepted: You are an Intrastate excepted driver and do not have to meet the medical requirements for your State.
For more information go to US DOT FMCSA official website.
How to determine what type of CMV operation you should self-certify:
Step 1. If you operate in both intrastate commerce and interstate commerce, you must choose interstate commerce.
Step 2. Decide from the Federal and State regulations if you fall into a non-excepted or excepted category.
TIP
Because you must decide on a single type of commerce category to certify, a recommendation would be to certify the category that keeps your driving options as open as possible.
- If you can pass the DOT medical exam and meet the FMCSA requirements, then certify Interstate Non-Excepted to give yourself the most commercial driving opportunities.
- If you cannot meet these requirements, you will have to certify in another category.
Why do commercial drivers have to do this?
This statement from Washington State Department of Licensing sheds light on this question:
In 2007, federal and state authorities found over 100,000 commercial vehicle drivers were operating illegally without valid medical certificates. Commercial vehicle crash data also shows that more than 3,000 truck crashes per year result from the driver having a heart attack or other physical impairment. Requiring self-certification and valid medical certificates will help to prevent medically unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles on our highways.
What If You Do Not Self-Certify and/or Meet The Medical Requirements By The Deadline?
If you don’t meet the new requirements by January 30, 2014 your SDLA will notify you that your CDL has being downgraded or suspended.
What this means to your CDL depends on your State requirements. The status on your CDLIS driver record will be changed to “not certified”. Each state differs in the number of days until the downgrade process is implemented. Each state differs on the time period at which you lose your CDL and are required to retest. Each state has their own requirements and fees to get back your CDL privileges.
Keep Your Medical Certificate Up To Date With Your SDLA
As of January 30, 2014 your SDLA will be monitoring the medical certificate expiration dates of all CDL holders. If your SDLA does not have a current medical examiner’s certificate in your CDLIS record, they will downgrade you to “not-certified”, and your CDL license may be downgraded or suspended.
Your SDLA will notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a CMV in non-excepted commerce. Make sure that they have a valid mailing address so you are aware if this situation arises.
TIP – Renew Your Medical Card Before It Expires
Your SDLA may take some time to update your records. To ensure that you maintain your CDL current, it’s probably best to renew your medical card a few weeks before it expires, and get this new information to your SDLA.
TIP – Not Driving But Want To Keep Your CDL
If you are not currently driving a CMV, and you want to maintain your CDL but are not in a position to certify for a medical certificate, or do not want to keep your medical certificate current, check with your SDLA. Your SDLA may allow you to self-certify in a category that does not require a medical certificate, if you state allows it.
Its currently 11/19/23 my medical card expired on 11/18/23 WHAT do i do now? Am i in big trouble?
@ Milton C
No, you need to move with haste and get your medical examination done and get a copy to your local DLD ASAP before they downgrade your cdl.
I have a Florida CDL and a Medical Examiner’s Certificate but recently stopped by Law Enforcement and they say that I have not registered my certificate. Where do I have to register?
@ Richard W
At your local drivers license department (DLD).
Medical expired today will my license be downgraded or how much time do I have to renew in Texas
@ Jorge
There was a grace period from DOT/FMCSA, but the states have their own requirements. We recommend you get your medical card done ASAP and get it in. Texas is not known for grace periods, before they invalidate drivers license.
My dot health expired on the 12 th of February 2021will I have any trouble renewing my card for not renewing it on time ?
@ Ace p
You should be fine, just get it done ASAP and get it turned in.
my cdl expires 2/28/21 I live in the state of tn if I take my physical this week will it be too late the clinic I was suppose to go too last week was closed because of snow storm its a free clinic im unemployed and cant afford to go to any other clinic because I don’t have money to pay so what is your advice to me thanks in advance for your cooperation
@ marshel w
Do the best you can with what you got, you’ll probably be OK. Do it al ASAP.
If I am not currently driving a truck and I do not plan to do it for 2 or 3 years.Do I need to renew my medical examination certificate in order to keep my CDL license?
@ Libor
Check with your state drivers license department, most states require a valid medical card to maintain an active cdl.
my MD cdl physical card needs renewed. are we given a extension for the coronavirus . we are asked to stay up to date ?
@ James D
Most states are extending expiration dates on cdl’s. The federal government has not and medical card still expire on the cards expiration date, no extended grace period at this time from the fed.
I never received any paperwork from motor vehicles for my medical card like I usually get every year how do I go about getting this information
Did New Jersey motor vehicles extend the expiration date on medical cards
@ Jack w
Not sure about states requirements, FMCSA did extend medical card expiration dates.
@ Joseph p
You will need to check with your local drivers license department for the answer.
This is by far the most bone headed thing I have seen the government pull yet. The law clearly states that if you operate a cmv for hire you MUST have a valid DOT Medical on you at all times. If a driver is stupid enough to not follow the law, then they are liable for fines and possible revocation of their license. It’s the law and there is not a single driver out there who can tell you they dont know it. Now, wearing g a seat belt is also a law, do we have to take a this is how you buckle up class every year? No because they would be linched if they tried to pull it. So other than being another sorce of revenue for our greedy government, this is the biggest scam pulled on the hard working drivers of the United states. If a pilot loses or fails to keep their DOT medical up to date they dont loose all the time and money invested to get their license, so why do we allow it? Stand up people and stop rediculas and repetitive laws like this that cost us millions if not more every year.
I am between driver jobs and so I paid my own 2 year physical exam fees and when I presented the paperwork to my local DMV office they noticed a doctor’s signature was entered in a space incorrectly where another doctor’s signature should have been. A slight technicality but nonetheless, I was instructed to have it corrected before resubmitting the forms again. My 2 year medical was just ending but the DMV informed me that it was okay since I was not employed and thus not driving a commercial vehicle. So I revisited the medical clinic and they fixed the mistake and corrected the paperwork. It has been nearly 4 months and I have not presented my revised medical paperwork back to the DMV yet…. (California). So my medical card expired October 15th, 2018. I still am not driving a commercial vehicle yet but plan to soon. Is this a problem for me yet? Thanks….
@ Steven H
California has very strict regulations and your drivers license may already be suspended. Check with them as soon as possible to correct the issues.
If I have a current self-certified DOT physical, that will not expire for a year, and I go to a new company and they make me get a new physical, and pass. I need to self-certify my new physical. Some states say it can take up to 10 days for it to be in the system. My question is can I still drive if I have a copy of my new physical but the state has not updated it yet? OR Do i have to wait till the states system is updated?
@ Randy S
As long as you have a valid medical certificate, you are good. If stopped, simply explain the time delay between your self cert and bureaucratic paper work.
I recently renewed my medical card. Paid $35.00 for the new physical by a certified examiner. My employer says that I must go to their doctor and pay $135.00 or lose my job. Do they have that right? Seems illegal to me. And definitely has ethical implications.
@ Joe
Companies have their own policies, but if they demand then they should pay, pass or fail