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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
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.
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ON THE DESIGNATED PORTAL TO RENEW TN CDL MEDICAL CERTIFICATION I CANNOT FIND ANY WAY TO ATTACH MY TWO REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MED EXAM CERT AND SELF CERT) REQUIRED. PLEASE ADVISE. IS THERE A SEPARATE EMAIL THAT I CAN USE TO SEND THE PDF DOCUMENTS? THANKS
@ Jo E
This is a state related question and will be best answered by your states drivers license department.
In TN all you need to do is go to the driver e-services link, then down to the section for CDL drivers and click submit self-certification affidavit and medical certification. It will walk you thru verifying your identify, completing the self cert affidavit and uploading your docs. I just finished this process for my husbands renewal for his med card about 20 minutes ago. I do it every 2 years for him. Hope this helps!
I am off work with an illness that will prevent me from doing my dot med certification in Tennessee.
What do I need to do to prevent loosing my cdl as there is no extension in such casses?
I really don’t want to have to go back to a cdl truck driving school to get my cdl back over an illness?
@ Pete
Speak with your local drivers license department and explain your situation. Then follow their process.
My drivers license is close to expiring. i have not had my medical certificate for a couple of years. am i able to get a medical certificate before my license expire so i can keep my CDL’s?
@ Phillip D S
In most cases, yes. Do confirm with your local drivers license department that you still have a cdl. You may have been downgraded since it has been a couple years without a med card.
In TN all you need to do is go to the driver e-services link, then down to the section for CDL drivers and click submit self-certification affidavit and medical certification. It will walk you thru verifying your identify, completing the self cert affidavit and uploading your docs. I just finished this process for my husbands renewal for his med card about 20 minutes ago. I do it every 2 years for him. Hope this helps!
Does Tennessee require annual med card renewals? As a private bus company we operate with the federal 2-year, but a new location in TN says they must be every year.
@ Glen
DOT/FMCSA still operates on a two year certification, unless the driver has other conditions which require a yearly follow-up. If the new location is stating TN law, then you need to confirm with TN DOT.
I have a current CDL, but had heart surgery last year. I now have a defibrillator, so will have to get an InTRAstate certification just for the state of TN. How would I go about this?
@ MDonahoe
If you are a class A driver, then you get your regular DOT/FMCSA medical cert exam. Then take the results to your state, so they can issue the intra-state only license.
My wife was terminally ill a year and a half ago and has since then passed away my medical certification expired can I get my medical certification renewed and get my CDL privileges reinstated.
@ Donald G
Since your cdl is a state issued document, you will need to check with your local DLD for guidance.
I have employees that need to get there CDL medical cards renewed, but they do not expire until December and January. what is the time frame they can start getting a renewed medical card before it expires?
@ Rachel C
New medical cards can be done at any time. The new medical cards over-ride the old ones and have a new beginning and expiration date, so they lose the last couple months on their existing cards.
If I let my medical card expire and they revoke my cdl. Will the State of Tn send me a updated license or do I have to go to the dmv?
@ Matt
Probably best to go to the DMV and downgrade. May save you from having to retest, if you want your cdl back.