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Iowa CDL Requirements
Iowa law requires all CDL drivers to have a valid DOT medical card, unless the type of commerce you drive qualifies as ‘Excepted’.
Interstate Non-Excepted
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements.
Intrastate Non-Excepted
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements.
IMPORTANT: Drivers that are required to submit a Medical Examiner’s Certificate must submit a new certificate before the previous one expires to stay in compliance and avoid a downgrade of their CDL to a noncommercial license.
CDL Self Certification and Medical Examiner’s Certification
Self certify as a nonexcepted interstate or intrastate driver. Submit a copy of your valid DOT Medical Examiner’s Certificate. (Medical card only, not the long form.) Enlarge the copy to ensure that all information is legible.
Online:
If you are a current Iowa CDL holder, you may submit a self-certification by utilizing the following website: https://mymvd.iowadot.gov/Account/Login. The website will provide further information on submitting your Medical Examiner’s Certificate.
By Mail:
Office of Driver Services
PO Box 9204
Des Moines IA 50306-9204
By Fax:
515-239-1837
By Email:
CDLMedCert@dot.iowa.gov
Note: e-mail scan must be pdf format
In Person:
At any Iowa DL station or participating treasurer’s office.
Other Contact Information:
Website: Iowa Department of Transportation – Commercial Drivers
CDL Self Certification Reporting guide
Special Information Updates Pertaining To ALL STATES
MEDICAL EXAMINERS MUST CONTINUE TO ISSUE MEDICAL CERTIFICATES TO ALL DRIVERS
The FMCSA has requested that all medical examiners continue providing drivers with a paper copy of the Medical Examiner’s Certificate – Form MCSA-5876, so that Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holders can provide a copy to the State licensing agency, and the non-CDL drivers can provide the documentation to their employers and Federal and State enforcement officials.
The Agency is currently completing efforts to put into place an electronic system to enable medical examiners to transmit the medical certificate information from the National Registry system to the State licensing agencies. However, until that system is completed, medical examiners must continue to issue paper copies of the medical certificates to drivers who pass the medical exam.
ALL DRIVERS MUST CONTINUE TO CARRY A PAPER COPY OF THEIR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
Commercial Drivers – You still need to carry a paper copy of your medical card, until FMCSA announces that this is no longer necessary.
Your Feedback Is Welcome
Dealing with Federal DOT Regulations across the board is tough enough!
But when it comes to State Regulations — There are 50 different sets of rules. Someone could move the goal posts at any time…
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I am a transit driver driving an 18 passenger bus. My route is limited to one county (Lee) in Iowa and my passengers are all above 18 years of age. Am I required to have a D.O.T. physical?
@ Terry R
That would be determined by your state, check with your local drivers license department for your best answer.
If a employer has you get a new medical card upon hiring and give you the paper to self-certify and says they will send it in for you and doesn’t, do i need to get one after i get a letter stating a downgrade of my license or can i just send a copy of the current one in to get re-instated? (was issued 6/11/18 expires 6/11/20) letter said it expired in 12/13/19 (which was the old one)
@ John
Your cdl is state issued, so check with your state drivers license department for the best answer.
Do I need a dot medical card if I drive a cubevan that weighs 12.500 lbs in the state of Iowa? I have a class c license and I punch in and out daily and the truck doesn’t have air brakes and I never leave the 150 mile radius.
@ Dave
Check with your states DLD for the most appropriate answer.
Does an employee of the City of Omaha who resides in Iowa that holds an Iowa CDL need to carry and provide a medial card if occasionally driving in Iowa in a City of Omaha CDL vehicle?
@ Dawaune H
Any valid CDL requires a valid medical certificate, it’s federal thing not a state thing.
does a mouth apperatus qualify for sleep apnea instead of a mask type. I switched over to a mouth piece and was tolded by the dentist that it would qualify for me to get my medical card, but the doctor who gave me my exam said it would not.Is this true?
I got out of construction/truck in early 2015. My medical card expired in 2016. To my knowledge, my CDL is still valid; I have not downgraded to a “regular” license. Will I have to retake the CDL exam if I get a new medical card?
Can I scan a medical card an email or fax it to them?
@David
Yes. The details are in the information above.
I want to hire a cdl driver to run intrastate 20 mile radius. He is diabetic, takes insulin shots to control the sugar, he can’t get a medical certificate because of this condition,but yet he can drive a farmer owned truck,no questions asked. It’s still tractor-trailer,it’s still 80,000 lbs. how does that work?
@Gale
This driver falls under the states variances and not FMCSA.
He can aquire a medical certificate for intra-state only. The examiner should simply perform the medical examination and then complete the states certificate. The driver would then take the necessary paperwork to the state for them to issue the waiver for him to drive. Not a big issue, just a bit of running around to keep everybody happy, but he falls to the state’s restrictions.