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Tennessee CDL Requirements
Updated: 3/23/22
Starting on January 30, 2012, all CDL Drivers will be required to self certify to a single type of commercial operation. You are responsible to provide TDOSHS with your self-certification of operating status by January 30, 2014.
Based on that self certification, you may need to provide the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS) with a current medical examiner’s certificate and show any variance you may have to obtain or keep your CDL.
Interstate Non-Excepted
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements.
Intrastate Non-Excepted
You must meet the medical requirements for the State of Tennessee.
If you do not provide TDOSHS with your self-certification and medical certificate by January 30, 2014, TDOSHS will notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a CMV in non-excepted Interstate commerce. TDOSHS will then remove all your CDL privileges from your license.
Submit your Affidavit Self-Certification and Medical Certificate Form MCSA 5876 to Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security
Submit the following two documents:
- SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION FOR COMMERCIAL DRIVER LICENSE – download the form SF-1480 (Rev11/18) here from Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
- Copy of your valid Medical Examiner Certificate – Form MCSA 5876 (the medical card, not the long form). Enlarge the copy to ensure that all information is legible.
By Mail:
Tennessee Dept. of Safety and Homeland Security
Commercial Driver License Division – Med Cert
1148 Foster Ave
Nasvhille, TN 37243
By Email:
DI.CDL.Medcert@tn.gov
If by email please send the scanned copies in a PDF.
Upload Self-Certification Affidavit and Medical Examiner’s Certificate:
TN Driver Services upload link
For questions please call 615-502-4179. Please have your commercial driver license number readily available.
Keep Your Medical Card Current With Tennessee Department Of Safety
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will be adding your medical certification status and the information on your medical examiner’s certificate to your Commercial Driver’s License System (CDLIS) record. CDL holders required to have a ”certified” medical status who fail to provide and keep up-to-date their medical examiner’s certificate with TDOSHS will become ”not-certified”.
It is the driver’s responsibility to maintain up to date medical certification notification to the state.
Before your medical card expires you must have a new medical examination and obtain a new medical certificate. You are responsible for providing your valid medical certificate to TDOSHS.
If your medical card expires, TDOSHS will notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a CMV in non-excepted Interstate commerce. TDOSHS will then remove all your CDL privileges from your license.
You may submit your new medical certificate by mail, email, or online as described above.
Other Information:
Tennessee official website Driver Services
Special Information Updates Pertaining To ALL STATES
June 23, 2025: FMCSA electronic reporting requirements for DOT Medical Certificates will be fully enforced.
See detailed information at FMCSA Medical Examiner Certificate Reporting Requirements for CDL Drivers
CDL Drivers
The good news:
• You no longer have to go through the hassles of updating your medical card with your SDLA.
• You no longer have to carry your medical card with you.
Is there ‘not so good’ news?
Safeguard your CDL! How does the new DOT Medical Certificate reporting process affect your CDL?
Non-CDL Drivers
The electronic reporting requirements do not affect non-CDL drivers.
• The medical examiner must give you a physical MEC Form MCSA-5876.
• You should keep your medical certificate available at all times whilst driving a CMV.
• You will still need to provide a copy of the MEC to the companies you work for.
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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Some help please. I recently retired after thirty (30) years of civil service, but have a desire to keep active. I want to earn my CDL with a class “P” endorsement to drive part time for a municipality for public transportation. I know that I need to take the knowledge and skills test, along with getting my DOT physical card. However, I see information relating to self registration forms, DOT specific physicians, etc. and I just need some guidance on what I need to do first, then the proper sequential steps from there on.
I live in Tennessee.
Thank you for any help!
@Eric
Looks like you’ve covered the basics in your research.
Start with your local DMV for your state requirements.
The self-certification affidavit indicates the type of commercial driving you do.
You will need to provide a copy of your medical certificate, along with the self-certification affidavit, to your state licensing agency / DMV.
To get your medical certificate/card, you will need to get a DOT physical exam done by a DOT certified medical examiner. All the doctors represented on this website are DOT certified doctors, aka CMEs. There are many others as well across the nation. These doctors all have to have an NRCME # to be DOT certified.
Thank you for your assistance.
You are very welcome. Good luck!
I just talked with the state of TN asking why the medical card I sent to them on a driver was not posted. They informed me that every medical card update must have a new self-certification with it even though one was submitted previously. A self-certification form has to be submitted every time you submit a medical card no matter if you have alreday self-certified.
@Teresa
YES. Excellent point. Thank you Teresa!
Yes, we do the same thing at our DOT doctors office here in Utah. The driver completes a new self-certification form and we fax it together with a copy of their medical card to Utah DMV for the driver. Saves the driver a trip to DMV, and DMV loves that the process is so quick and efficient.
We recommend everyone SUBMIT A NEW SELF-CERTIFICATION FORM TOGETHER WITH A NEW MEDICAL CARD TO YOUR STATE DMV.
The State of Tennessee is not doing a very good job getting the message out clearly. My employers have told me I have a 15 day self certification grace period to accomplish compliance each time I renew my Medical card. I went Feb 8 for physical and new card. Old card expires Feb 12. On Feb 13th Tenn. mailed me a notice that my CDL is downgraded. I had self certified on the 18th. The state takes up to 10 days to process this info. but can’t wait to scare you and threaten you to pay $75 for CDL reinstatement. I have a receipt for all this, and my MVR pulled today, (Feb) 20 is clean, however the state has not got my new Med card info updated. I would advise you stay on top of this over and over. get used to it. It will never be “their” fault. now we have to live with a new hoop to jump through or pay twice.
If you don’t submit by jan 30, 2014 and your license is demoted is there a way to get it back to the CDL-A without redoing CDL test.
@Tim
You should get a letter from DMV, and it will likely have a warning and grace period for you to submit this information, before your license is downgraded.
This differs from state to state. Some states are charging an immediate reinstatement fee. Most states will reinstate your CDL without requiring a retest. Check with your DMV for Tennessee specific rules.
I’m thoroughly outraged about this too my wife done all the faxing and today I got the same letter telling my CDL have been downgraded to class D and I will have to pay 75. dollars of my hard earned money and that’s not counting the money lost a work and maybe my job. Thank to all the ones who helped to put this all together. That’s one way to put the truck drivers off the road .
Is there a website or contact to verify the self cerificaton has been processed and handled properly ? Please e-mail or call phone 423-553-1082 Brian Henegar
Mr. Henegar you can call 866-903-7357 and they can tell you if your cdls have been updated
@Jerry
Thank you so much for this information. At this stage your experience is the best way to help other drivers. Much needed across all states, and much appreciated.
Yes I know after talking with all the people at the DMV I learned that the Medcert. office is a long way from having this together and a whole bunch of drivers are going to lose their cdl’s like me. I learn that all the things on my card wasn’t on it but nobody took the time to tell me the only thing I can tell everyone is to make sure the doc. office gets in right !!
ok im having a very serious problem with this i personally mailed my boyfriend letter and copy of his medical cert card and he received a letter stating that his cdl has been revoked and when i try calling we dont get a call back i trying calling again and the mailbox is full………i mailed these papers over a month before they stated that they were due and now i cant even get an answer or a call back this is unprofessional or a very unorganized program or processes
I’m thoroughly outraged to have recently received a letter informing me that my driver’s license has been cancelled. I followed all of your regulations by faxing your office a copy of my medical certification 24 days before it was due. The requirements in your letter to me were “EITHER by FAX to (615)401-7674, OR email to DI.CDL.Medcert@tn.gov(.pdf files only) OR mail to the below listed address(must be received before DECEMBER 14, 2013). Now I’m told that to reinstate my license I have to pay you $75.00 before you will act. I’ve tried calling the number you have listed in your letter (615.687-2312) to which there is no response. I’ve done everything as requested by the state of Tennessee but the state of Tennessee has SEVERELY dropped the ball and is now trying to charge me money to which is hard earned money. i feel i’m being victimized by greedy government.