USA Banner
  U.S. flag
              An official website of the United States government Here's how you knowOfficial US Government Icon
              **Official websites use .gov**A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            Secure Site Icon
              **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                  A **lock** ( A locked padlock ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
 U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation
 Search DOT
            Search
                        About FMCSAAbout FMCSA
  

        
              Who We Are
                Mission
                Leadership
                Speaker Request Form
                Field Offices
                Policy
                Career Center
                Contact UsResources
  

        
              Frequently Asked Questions
                Grants
                FMCSA Advisory Committees
                Resources for State and Local Partners
                Reports to Congress
                National Training Center
                Motor Carrier Safety Planner
                Information Systems Overview
                ITD
                PRISM
                Your Roads. Their Freedom. (Stop Human Trafficking)RegulationsRegulations, Rules, & Notices
  

        
              FMCSA Guidance
                Regulations and Interpretations
                Rulemakings Documents
                Federal Register NoticesEnforcement
  

        
              Adjudication Decisions
                Civil Penalties
                Uniform Fine AssessmentTopics
  

        
              Medical
                National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners
                Exemptions
                Petitions for Rulemaking
                Petitions for Reconsideration
                Drug & Alcohol Testing
                Hours of Service
                New Entrant Safety Assurance Program
                Electronic Logging Devices (ELD)
                ADA Requirements for Over-the-Road Bus Companies
                Cargo SecurementRegistrationRegistration
  

        
              Do I Need a USDOT Number?
                Daily Register / Certificates / Letters
                Learn About Registration RequirementsMain Menu - Registration - Registration 2
  

        
              Apply for a New USDOT Number and/or Authority
                Update My USDOT Number and/or Authority
                FMCSA Contact CenterCDLCommercial Driver's License
  

        
              Licensing Overview and Resources
                Military Driver ProgramsMain Menu - CDL - CDL 2
  

        
              Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP)
                State ResourcesSafetyMain Menu - Safety -1
  

        
              Passenger Carrier and Bus Safety
                Our Roads, Our SafetyR
                Household Goods - Protect Your Move
                Report a Violation
                Company Safety Data
                CertificationMain Menu - Safety -2
  

        
              International Safety
                Hazardous Materials Safety
                Driver Safety
                Carrier Safety
                Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety
                Coercion/HarassmentResearchAnalysis, Research, & Technology
  

        
              Overview
                Tech-Celerate Now
                Crash Causal Factors Program (CCFP)
                Active Research Projects
                Reports and PublicationsData and Statistics
  

        
              Safety Progress Report
                Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics
                Large Truck and Bus Crash FactsNewsNews
  

        
              Newsroom
                Emergency Declarations
                Press Releases and AnnouncementsConnect with us
  

        
              FMCSA on Facebook
                FMCSA on Handshake
                FMCSA on Linkedin
                FMCSA on Medium (Blog)
                FMCSA on X (formerly Twitter)
                FMCSA on YouTube
                DOT on YouTubeMenu Home
                        FMCSA Registration
                        Commercial Drivers LicenseIn This Section
        CDL Overview
                Getting Started
                Drivers
                Motor Carriers
                Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT)
                Military Driver Programs
                Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) Program
                Law Enforcement and Judiciary
                States
                Compliance
                Medical
                Human Trafficking
                Rulemaking
      
   Related Links
          Skill Performance Evaluation Program
                                                        Medical Requirements FAQs
                                                        Medical Program
      
      
      
        Contact Us
      Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
      
                    
            Medical Program
      
                          
            1200 New Jersey Avenue SEWashington, DC, DC 20590United States
      
          
    **Email:**FMCSAMedical@dot.gov**Phone:** (202) 366-4001**Business Hours:**9:00am-5:00pm ET, M-F
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
                
                Medical
    

    
    
          **Overview**

All commercial drivers of vehicles in interstate commerce with a maximum gross vehicle weight rating of over 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms) are required to obtain and maintain a valid Medical Examiner's Certificate (ME Certificate) Commercial drivers who drive vehicles requiring a CDL have two additional requirements. On or before January 30, 2014, all CDL holders must declare to their State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA) that they only operate or expect to operate commercially in 1 of 4 possible categories with their CDL. This process is called self-certification. For more information on the self-certification categories see the Self-Certification FAQ's.

CDL holders must provide their SDLA with a copy of their ME Certificate. This information is only being added to the State driving records of CDL holders. Non-CDL holders are not required to self-certify or submit a copy of their ME Certificate to their SDLA. CDL holders, who are found driving in a category other than one to which they self-certified, are subject to suspension or revocation of their commercial driving privileges. CDL drivers, who do not update the expiration date of their ME Certificate with their State, will have their commercial driving privileges downgraded, and will not be eligible to drive a commercial motor vehicle that requires a CDL.

Instructions on how your State is collecting your ME Certificate information:

State-by-State Instructions for Submitting Medical Certificates to the State Driver Licensing AgenciesThe Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has reviewed each State's commercial driver’s license motor vehicle record (CDLIS MVR) for compliance with the Medical Certification (Med Cert) requirements. Effective January 30, 2015 FMCSA has verified that every State is posting the basic, minimal medical certification information which allows a motor carrier to validate if a driver is medically qualified. The basic information consists of the driver’s medical status and the expiration date of the medical examiner’s certificate. In addition, most States are posting the complete medical certification information. All States are working to produce the complete CDLIS MVR with all the required MedCert information. In the interim, FMCSA has advised both its staff and roadside enforcement personnel to accept proof of a  driver’s medical certification status and expiration date on a CDLIS MVR, as the basic information required to substantiate that a driver is medically qualified.

Self Certification FAQs

What is changing?

State driver licensing agencies (SDLAs) will be adding your medical self-certification status and the information on your medical examiner's certificate to your Commercial driver's license system (CDLIS) record.

When did this change occur?

This change became effective on January 30, 2012, with full compliance due by January 30, 2014.

What is not changing?

The federal standards for driver physical qualification requirements are not changing.

What are CDL holders required to do?

You must determine whether you operate in interstate or intrastate commerce, and are excepted or non-excepted from either the Federal or State requirements. You must certify to your SDLA that you fall into one of the four operation categories listed below:

**Interstate non-excepted:** You are an Interstate non-excepted driver and must meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements (e.g. – you are "not excepted").
	**Interstate excepted:** You are an Interstate excepted driver and do not have to meet the Federal DOT medical card requirements.
	**Intrastate non-excepted:** You are an Intrastate non-excepted driver and are required to meet the medical requirements for your State.
	**Intrastate excepted:** You are an Intrastate excepted driver and do not have to meet the medical requirements for your State.If you are subject to the USDOT medical examiner certification requirement, provide a copy of each new USDOT medical examiner certificate to your SDLA prior to the expiration of your current medical examiner certificate. The medical examiner certificate is often referred to as your "medical card."

Physical Impairments

Drivers with physical impairments, which affect their ability to safely operate CMVs, must obtain a "variance" from their State in order to be approved to drive commercially. The variance document must be carried with the commercial driver whenever they are operating a commercial motor vehicle.  A Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) is a special type of "variance" required for drivers with impaired or missing limbs (e.g., a hand or finger, an arm, foot, or leg). Drivers with missing limbs, if eligible, must obtain an SPE certificate. The commercial driver must always carry the SPE certificate at all times.

Hearing Impairment ResourcesThe document contains the requirements for any special equipment that the driver must be wearing or the commercial vehicle must possess in order to be operated by that driver. Click on the link below for more information.

Skills Performance Evaluation
              medical illustration
      
    
          Last updated: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

**Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration**

1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

1-800-832-5660Subscribe to email updates
                    About
  

        
              About FMCSA
                Regulations
                Safety
                Analysis
                FMCSA PortalNews and Events
  

        
              FMCSA Newsroom
                Press Releases
                Emergency DeclarationsResources
  

        
              Career Center
                Resources for Carriers
                Resources for Consumers
                Resources for Drivers
                Forms
                Contact Us
                Trending TopicsPolicies, Rights, Legal
  

        
              About DOT
                Budget and Performance
                Civil Rights
                FOIA
                Information Quality
                No FEAR Act
                Office of Inspector General
                Privacy Policy
                Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
                USA.gov
                Web Policies and Notices
                Web Standards