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New Jersey CDL Requirements
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires all New Jersey CDL holders to certify the type of commercial operation they’re engaged in.
Starting in July 2012, when you apply for a CDL you will be required to self-certify as to what type of commercial operation is applicable by signing a CDL Holder Self-Certification.
All current CDL holders should wait until they receive a notice from the MVC before they submit a Self-Certification.
Interstate Non-Excepted
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements.
Intrastate Non-Excepted
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements. New Jersey regulations require a medical certificate for intrastate drivers.
Submitting your Self-Certification and Medical Certificate to New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
Submit the following two documents:
- New Jersey MVC CDL Holder Certification – download the form here from New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
- Copy of your valid DOT medical card. Enlarge the copy to ensure that all information is legible.
All current CDL holders should wait until they receive a notice from the MVC before they submit a Self-Certification. It must be completed in full and mailed to the MVC in the enclosed self- addressed envelope.
By Mail:
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
CDL/Bus Unit
PO Box 685
Trenton, NJ 08666
Keep Your Medical Card Current with New Jersey MVC
In accordance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, New Jersey CDL holders must submit a valid (non-expired) medical certificate to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
Failure to submit a valid Medical Certificate or a Medical Variance may result in your CDL being disqualified. The MVC will notify you that you are no longer medically-certified to operate a CMV in non-excepted Interstate or intrastate commerce. If the MVC still does not receive a valid medical certificate, they will remove all your CDL privileges and downgrade your license to a basic driver license.
If your CDL is disqualified, you will not be legally permitted to operate a commercial motor vehicle. If your CDL is disqualified, you may also be required to retest prior to reinstatement of your CMV operating privileges.
Submit your renewed valid medical certificate to New Jersey MVC…
By Mail:
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
CDL Unit
PO Box 685
Trenton, NJ 08666.
Other Information:
Website: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
New Jersey Medical Certification Requirements FAQ
You can also call the MVC CDL Unit at 609-292-7500 (extension 5077) and someone will be able to assist you.
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.
Until that system is completed, which compliance date according FMCSA is June 23, 2025, 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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WHAT IS THE PROBLEM NJMVC??? I have both mailed(1) and faxed(2) my self certification form and copy of my medical card. I have done all this within the past four(4) days!! Now i am being told that they have not recieved ANYTHING!! Again i ask “WHAT IS THE. PROBLEM”???
i have class A with utility com and need to operate vehicle on call outs and everyday work. got med card and copy to co. everything goin fine then i recieved letter saying my commercial license downgraded? never recieved anything in mail before downgrade. it says to reinstate go to mvc with med card and self cert paper. did that at manahawkin mvc they said to mail? they didnt know if they could help. now they are closed till mon. if i im needed to work i can not because they didnt make sure i recieved letter. maybe cert mail would be better!!!! what now? how long ? this cant be right! never had to do this company always did. again never recieved anything!! thanks again! You can always trust the Government just ask the indians and whales! and Blue collar Americans payin for everybody else! Happy Easter!
This is sad & crazy sane thing happened to me. I mailed mines twice & still got a letter for downgrade. Then they say fax & the lune has been busy all day
If you thin that is bad I faxed my physical in after being told they had no record of them having it. I was trying to put my haz- mat endorsement on my license after fsxing it in I waited two weeks, returned to DMV and was told I could not put my haz- mat on because they still had not received it I had my physical on me so they sent it to Trenton. Now let me tell you Trenton had no record of me passing the test for haz-mat. Finally after several hours Trenton informs them that they had found where I had pass the test,but I had to purchase a permit. A permit I had my cdl for two years. When I asked why I had to purchase another permit they told be it was because I was supposed to get everything off the permit while i had It we are talking two years later. I f you finally got records say I pass. I thought it would be easy to just give me my endorsement. No that us not the case I had to buy another permit. I sm soooo confused
Hello, just curious……I just got my cdl permit, and want to take the knowledge test the next day. Do I need the medical forms prior to the written test or does that come before the road test?
@Willie
You will need to check with your state Drivers License Department for that answer. It’s a state by state thing.
Hi, I’m a CDL driver for one of MUA in Jersey, and most of the time I drive inside the MUA perimeter hauling sludge, once in a while I go 60 to 80 miles to the landfill for disposal; am i still required to hold a valid medical card and to go to the exams since I’m operating once or twice a month in a intrastate commercial driving status? So far the Authority couldn’t figure this out yet so I’m turning to you for some advice
Thank you.
Respectfully
James
@James
Any class A driver has to have a valid medical card to maintain his class A drivers license. It does not matter what or where he is driving. If you have a lesser class license, then you would need to check with your state DLD to make the final decision. Most state still require a valid medical card to operate a commercial motor vehicle, no matter when or where or how often they operate the vehicle.
I am looking to return to work after having a heart defibrillator installed as a precaution due to low injection fraction rate of the heart. There are no blockages, there was no heart attack. The lower infraction rate was caused by undiagnosed pneumonia. Will I still be able to hold my CDL.
@David
The installation of a defib unit is going to raise many questions and in most cases will disqualify you as a class A driver. You may be down graded to operating intra-state only. Make sure you have your doctor fill out your medical release form first and then check with your state DLD to determine what the best action steps are going to be.
I am a School Bus Driver. Can I go to my local V.A Clinic to get my Medical Certificate, for my CDL. It will be a lot cheaper than going to a doctors office. I am a Army Vet. Thanks.
@Al
New rules since May 2014 – you can get a medical certificate only from a medical examiner who is FMCSA / NRCME certified. See FAQ to understand who you can go to to get a medical card.
Many VAs no longer do DOT physicals because their doctors are not FMCSA certified.
You’ll need to check with your local VA clinic to see if anyone there can do it.
I misunderstood when I got that letter in the mail I thought they were asking what I was driving now. At the time was a ladder truck Fire dept. I didn’t know it was for my commercial license. Could I take the dot physical now and submit it
I recently went blind in one eye from a tumor I need my cyl because I am a mechanic is there any exceptions
@Mark
Yes. You may check with your state, since you do not drive interstate, and see what the requirements are for your situation and what the process is for you to get a visual waiver from the state to drive intra-state. Good Luck.
I never received a letter in the mail saying I had to send a copy of my med card to Trenton. The only way I found out I had to was when the doctor that gave me the physical told me I had to send it in. So today I called the 1-888 # for the NJ DMV to get the address where I have to send it. WOW!! The women that I spoke with was very very disrespectful and absolutely RUDE to me she rambled on about some paper I have to send in along with my med card. I asked her if she could e mail or send me a copy of this “form” so I can get this process finished and her response was ” NO you can go on the website and print it out ” CLICK!!!!! No address no web site no clue smh but guess who’s fault it will be if this isn’t done in a timely manor?? Yup you guessed it MINE thanks for the help
@Shawn
Thanks for visiting and sharing your experience.
DOTPhysicalDOCTORS website is not affiliated with any state or federal agency. Drivers have shared their frustration with us about these new regulations. The challenge is the process differs from state to state. We published these State Requirement information pages to help as much as we can find available information.
There is a download link for the self-certification form in the information above and instructions on how to submit it for NJ. Hope this helps.
I would like to know, “how many points (based on the “6 point, ID Verification Program”) will the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission give me for having a Medical Examiner’s Certificate?
@Vernon
Only NJ MVC can answer that for you.
I did not receive the letter until June 20, 2014. I submitted the certification to MVC’s office in Eatontown, where the attendant faxed it to Trenton; Is this enough to satisfy the requirement?
@Debell1214
Sorry, can’t help you here. DOTPhysicalDOCTORS is not affiliated with any state agency.
If you went to MVC, that should be enough. If you don’t get a letter from them warning they will downgrade you because they do not have your information, you should be okay.
The only other way to know is to speak with someone at MVC to confirm.
What should you do if a person copies your medial card..alters it with their name.. then laminates it? How can this effect my cdl license? I had a previous employer do this.
@Cathy
It does not really affect your medical card.
But I wouldn’t want to be the guy who gets caught with a falsified medical certificate. It could be jail time and big ass fines.
The letter from mvc about med examiner cert. states all data fields must be complete, my cert, from last October is missing info in the National registry box,the doctor filled in everything else.The letter states you risk rejection if not complete,My company hr said come to this site,What should I do ?
@Greg
If the examination was completed before May 21, 2014 then there is no need for the NRCME # to be there. This only went into effect on May 21, 2014, so you should be OK.
I am a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic that’s wears an insulin pump and is under great control. Is there any possible way I can obtain a cdl in New Jersey with a medical exemption from a doctor.
@Anthony
If you are looking at driving interstate, you would also need a federal insulin waiver from FMCSA.
If you are looking to drive just within the state, I would check with your state DMV to see what the requirements are for an intrastate CDL driver.
I’m currently on worker’s compensation and my cdl medical card needs to be updated, how can I get it done, had shoulder surgery
@ Douglas
You can’t. Once you are fully recovered and released to return to work, without restrictions or limitations, you will need a new DOT/FMCSA medical certification examination.
I just drive a car and motorcycle and a boat with my cdl and my dot card has expired because I am retired. I do not want to give up my cdl in case I want to go back to work in the future. Why do I have to get a dot card if I am only driving non com. vechicles?
@Sal
I’m not the one telling you you have to have a DOT medical card.
You might want to ask FMCSA or the DOT and your state this question.
The only answer I have ever gotten was that a class A driver “might” decide to drive a CMV, and would not have a valid medical card.
Here in Utah you can downgrade intentionally and be able to reinstate his class A if needed. Check with your state and see if that is the case for you.
I just received a letter threatening license suspension due to my medical exam being expired or my self-certification not being returned. My medical exam is still good for another 13 months, and I mailed them a copy the day after the physical was done in July 2013. I returned the completed self-certification and mailed ANOTHER copy of my physical earlier this year, the day after it was mailed to me. I followed every instruction and rule, and I’m still being punished. Not to mention, where are my mishandled papers going? They have personally protected information like name, address, ssn, dl number, etc. This is a case of identity theft waiting to happen…I absolutely don’t trust MVC with this information anymore.
I have not received a letter from the mvc and the dead line is tomorrow also my medical card is expired, what should I do?
I haven’t received a letter and I hold a cdl from April 2011 but haven’t been working since a year now. Am out seeking jobs now and my medical has expired. What should I do. Thx
I still have not received a letter from the state to self certify.
@Tom
We suggest you call the MVC CDL Unit at 609-292-7500 (extension 5077) and check with them, as time is running out.
We’ve been answering questions for drivers across the nation and it looks like this process is a nightmare for many. All we can do is try to help with the information we have (as DOTPhysicalDOCTORS is in no way affiliated with FMCSA or any state DMV).
We hope you can get this worked out.
Hi, I am a diesel mechanic, I have always had a class A CDL and I need this to perform my duties. I have also in hard times used my class A CDL to fall back on when I needed a part time job. It is then that I would obtain a medical certificate for driving part time or full time, I am now not driving a commercial vehicle part time or full time but want to retain my CDL class A if I should need it. What do I need to do and why the change?
Thank You
Dennis Cashin
P.S. the letter DMV sent me for self certification had a wrong DL number on it form over 20 yeas ago.
@Dennis
You need to keep a valid copy of your medical certificate on file with NJ MVC, or your license will be downgraded and you will lose your CDL privileges.
The deadline to get your self-certification to MVC / DMV is January 30, 2014, and you’ll need to include a copy of your current medical card.
Looks like you need to call DMV to sort out the DL number problem first.