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Texas CDL Requirements
All Texas CDL holders are required to certify the type of commercial operation they’re engaged in. CDL holders operating in non-excepted interstate and non-excepted intrastate are required to submit a current medical examiner’s certificate and any variance they may have to the Department.
Non-Excepted-Interstate Commerce (Form CDL-4)
You must meet the Federal DOT medical certificate requirements.
Non-Excepted-Intrastate Commerce (Form CDL-5 part B)
You must meet the Texas medical certificate requirements.
Submit Your Self-Certification Affidavit and Medical Certificate to Texas Department of Public Safety
Submit the following two documents:
- Texas Commercial Driver License Self-Certification Affidavit – Form CDL-4 or Form CDL-5.
- Copy of your valid DOT medical card (not the long form) and any variance you may have. Enlarge the copy to ensure that all information is legible.
By Mail:
Texas Department of Public Safety
License and Record Service
Attention: CDL Section
P.O. Box 4087
Austin, Texas 78773-0320
By Fax:
512-424-2002 Attn: CDL Section
By Email:
CDLMedCert@dps.texas.gov
Documents must be in PDF format
Keep Your Medical Card Current With Texas Department of Public Safety
Drivers are required to keep a current medical variance or medical examiners certificate on file with DPS, and failure to do so will result in the downgrade of the individual’s CDL.
You must provide a copy of each new DOT medical card to the Department prior to the expiration of the current DOT medical card.
To prevent your commercial driver license from being downgraded, you will need to send a copy of your new DOT medical certificate to the Department within 15 days of the DOT medical certificate issuance date.
You may submit your new medical certificate by mail, fax, or email, as described above.
You can review a driver’s current CDL medical certification status by accessing driver eligibility.
Other Information:
Texas DPS official website: Driver License
Texas CDL Medical Certification Requirement
Texas DPS/CVE – Locate a commercial vehicle office – address and phone number
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…
To help us all avoid the black eye experience — AARGH! —
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Texas how long it’s take to put medical card on record
@ Noe Torres
I emailed my card to them, a copy of it in PDF format as they state to send it. I received an email confirmation that they received it and updated it. So I would assume it’s as soon as they get it they “call it good” at the very least. I received the confirmation email a couple days after I emailed the card to them.
Hi, my father is a truck driver for TDCJ for the last 22 years and he went to have his DOT physical and was told they could not renew due to his heart defibulator. His license is good until mid-August so he is still driving but I’ve seen in various other states they offer waivers. These waivers state that if the device has not been alarmed in 6 months they grant the waiver. My father has had it since 2003 and never had anything happen, so does Texas have a similar program?
@Kally
My best advice here is to check with the Texas DPS to determine if there is such a thing for your dad.
Trying to get my medical card to drive but was denied because I had blood in my urine that isn’t detectable by the naked eye. Told to get an mri by my doctor but who has the money without insurance and out of work. Is it true that they can deny me because of the blood. Couldn’t that be something that could be checked out after I get back to work. What does blood in urine have to do with driving a truck?
@David
Blood in your urine is an indicator that there is a problem.
You should have yourself checked out by a urologist long before you have an MRI. It may be nearly nothing or it can be serious. Proper testing will answer the questions. But an MRI first? Get it checked out first then follow your doctors recommendations.
Thanks for your reply but I still don’t understand why I can’t get my card to drive. I could understand if it was something to do with my heart and I might would have a heart attack while driving and cause an accident. But this is just unseen blood in my urine. I passed every other part of the physical and this could be cleared up after I go back to work. I can’t understand how blood in my urine would affect my ability to drive or cause any danger to the public if I went back to driving while I was having it checked out by a urologist. Even a temporary 3 month card would give me the chance to go back to work while having it checked out but they wouldn’t even give me that.
@David
I don’t understand why you can’t get a three month card so you can get this condition checked out and still be working.
So ask the examiner for his line of reasoning for no 90 day medical card. That’s my only suggestion at this point.
Who or where can I get a PHONE # so I can call and see where/ what the statics my Health Card is at.
I sent it off three weeks ago!!! I need to get to work????
@Mark
See the information above. We’ve added a link to a page on Texas DPS that lets you look up the address and phone number of a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement office by city.
Hope this helps.
if the form was returned for the self certification but haven’t heard anything what do I do
I went in for a recertification for my dot cdl medical card and was only given a 3 month certification. The doctor said this was due to my high bmi and the circumference of my neck which he says should be 16 inches and lower for a woman. Mine was 16 1/4 inch. He stated because the results that this indicated a high risk of me falling asleep behind the wheel. He advised me that I would have 3 months to complete a sleep study for sleep apnea. Is this true? Back in 2012 when I went for the first time for my dot cdl medical card and my neck was not measured. Nor was my bmi a problem. My weight remains the same as the last time. Please help me with my question. Provide for me a website that shows this is a new requirement for dot physicals.
@Roxanna
The simplest answer to your question is NO, it’s not true.
This issue is coming up a lot. Refer to our FAQ on sleep disorders for more information.
Just ask the examiner to show you the law/regulation. There isn’t one. There is a lot of misinformation being spread around by people and organizations that stand to profit from telling the same old story over and over.
Just politely ask: “Show me the regulation / law?”
I am not applying for a CDL license but the company I am inquiring requires I take a DOT exam. What are the rules for getting a DOT card if I do not nor will I have/get a CDL license.
@Jerry
If you will be operating a vehicle that weighs more than 10,001 lbs. or is being used for commerce, then you need medical certificate. Not a cdl, just a medical certificate to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
My medicable card expierd may4 but i havent renewed my medicable card do i have a grace piriod to register the needs one or iam going to be down graded
@Isidro
You’ll need to check with Texas DPS if they have a grace period.
If not driving a truck for the next year or two, do I (or can) I get a card when I start back to driving. Do I need to keep a current medicial card even though I am not driving?
@Kenneth
Texas regulations state that you need a medical card for both interstate and intrastate, so you can’t even get around this by changing the category of commerce you self-certify.
If you don’t have a medical card you will be downgraded to non-CDL. You may have to test again when you reapply to get upgraded.
Check with your local DPS to be sure.
IS THERE A PLACE TO FIND OUT IF A CDL IS STILL ACTIVE OR BEEN REVOKED DUE TO DIABETES? ALMOST 3 MONTHS AGO WENT IN FOR RANDOM AND WAS TOLD THAT TESTED FOR DIABETES AND HAD A PERIOD OF TIME TO GET IT UNDER CONTROL AND ON THE PROPER MADS ANDTHEN GO BACK AND GET A MED CARD RENUED HOWEVER NOW BEING TOLD THAT IT WAS REVOKED BECAUSE OF BLOOD SUGER LEVELS DURING ANOTHER RANDOM THAT WAS JUST TAKEN 3 DAYS AGO
@Alyssa
There is no such thing as a random test that looks for sugar in your urine. So I have no idea about your testing.
To find out about your license, you’ll need to call your DMV in your home state and check with them.