citation string | condition string | credential string | derived_fields list | id string | occupation string | operation string | source string | source_quote string | url string | validity_period string | verified_fields list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 CFR 61.23 | Any age | first-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-commercial-pilot-certificate-other-than-a-commercial-pilot-certificate-with-a--any-age-first-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a commercial pilot certificate (other than a commercial pilot certificate with a balloon rating when conducting flight training), a flight engineer certificate, or an air traffic control tower operator certificate | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (1) A first-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medic... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-commercial-pilot-certificate-other-than-a-commercial-pilot-certificate-with-a--any-age-first-class-medical-certificate/ | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Age 40 or older | first-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-first-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (1) A first-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medic... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-first-class-medical-certificate/ | 24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Age 40 or older | second-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-second-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (2) A second-class medical certificate | (i) Any age | an airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges (other than the operations specified in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-61.23#p-61.23(d)(1)> paragraph (d)(1) of this section), a commercial pilot certificate (other than a comme... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-second-class-medical-certificate/ | 24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Age 40 or older | third-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-third-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (3) A third-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot cert... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-age-40-or-older-third-class-medical-certificate/ | 24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Under age 40 | first-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-first-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (1) A first-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medic... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-first-class-medical-certificate/ | 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Under age 40 | second-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-second-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (2) A second-class medical certificate | (i) Any age | an airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges (other than the operations specified in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-61.23#p-61.23(d)(1)> paragraph (d)(1) of this section), a commercial pilot certificate (other than a comme... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-second-class-medical-certificate/ | 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Under age 40 | third-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-third-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver's license as medical ... | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (3) A third-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot cert... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/a-recreational-pilot-certificate-a-private-pilot-certificate-a-flight-instructor-under-age-40-third-class-medical-certificate/ | 60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
46 CFR 10.301 | all other mariners | medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | all-other-mariners-medical-certificate | merchant mariner (US Coast Guard) | null | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-C/section-10.301 | ( 2 ) Medical certificates issued to all other mariners will be issued for a maximum period of 5 years. | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/all-other-mariners-medical-certificate/ | 5 years | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Age 40 or older | first-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-pilot-in-command-privileges-for-secon-age-40-or-older-first-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots, or for a pilot flightcrew member in part 121 operations who has reached his or her 60th birthday | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (1) A first-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medic... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-pilot-in-command-privileges-for-secon-age-40-or-older-first-class-medical-certificate/ | 6th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Under age 40 | first-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-pilot-in-command-privileges-or-for-se-under-age-40-first-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (1) A first-class medical certificate | (i) Under age 40 | an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medic... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-pilot-in-command-privileges-or-for-se-under-age-40-first-class-medical-certificate/ | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
14 CFR 61.23 | Any age | second-class medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-second-in-command-privileges-any-age-second-class-medical-certificate | pilot (FAA) | an airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23 | (2) A second-class medical certificate | (i) Any age | an airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges (other than the operations specified in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/section-61.23#p-61.23(d)(1)> paragraph (d)(1) of this section), a commercial pilot certificate (other than a comme... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/an-airline-transport-pilot-certificate-for-second-in-command-privileges-any-age-second-class-medical-certificate/ | 12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
49 CFR 391.45 | Any driver who does not satisfy, with the worse eye, either the distant visual acuity standard with corrective lenses or the field of vision standard, or both | medical examiner's certificate | [
"occupation"
] | any-driver-who-does-not-satisfy-with-the-worse-eye-either-the-distant-visual-acu-medical-examiner-s-certificate | commercial motor vehicle driver (FMCSA) | null | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-E/section-391.45 | ( f ) Any driver who does not satisfy, with the worse eye, either the distant visual acuity standard with corrective lenses or the field of vision standard, or both, in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.41#p-391.41(b)(10)(i)> § 391.41(b)(10)(i) and who has obtained a medical examiner's certificate unde... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/any-driver-who-does-not-satisfy-with-the-worse-eye-either-the-distant-visual-acu-medical-examiner-s-certificate/ | 12 months | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"validity_period"
] |
49 CFR 391.45 | Any driver who has diabetes mellitus treated with insulin for control | medical examiner's certificate | [
"occupation"
] | any-driver-who-has-diabetes-mellitus-treated-with-insulin-for-control-medical-examiner-s-certificate | commercial motor vehicle driver (FMCSA) | null | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-E/section-391.45 | ( e ) Any driver who has diabetes mellitus treated with insulin for control and who has obtained a medical examiner's certificate under the standards in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.46> § 391.46 , if such driver's most recent medical examination and certification as qualified to drive did not occu... | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/any-driver-who-has-diabetes-mellitus-treated-with-insulin-for-control-medical-examiner-s-certificate/ | 12 months | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"validity_period"
] |
49 CFR 391.45 | Any driver who has not been medically examined and certified as qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle during the preceding 24 months | medically examined and certified as qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle | [
"occupation"
] | any-driver-who-has-not-been-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-ope-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-operate-a-commercial-motor-vehi | commercial motor vehicle driver (FMCSA) | null | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-E/section-391.45 | ( b ) Any driver who has not been medically examined and certified as qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle during the preceding 24 months, | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/any-driver-who-has-not-been-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-ope-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-operate-a-commercial-motor-vehi/ | 24 months | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"validity_period"
] |
46 CFR 10.301 | All persons employed or engaged onboard vessels to which STCW applies | medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-all-persons-employed-or-engaged-onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-medical-certificate | merchant mariner (US Coast Guard) | onboard vessels to which STCW applies | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-C/section-10.301 | ( 1 ) All persons employed or engaged onboard vessels to which STCW applies will be issued a medical certificate valid for 2 years unless the mariner is under the age of 18, in which case the maximum period of validity will be 1 year. | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-all-persons-employed-or-engaged-onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-medical-certificate/ | valid for 2 years | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
46 CFR 10.301 | the mariner is under the age of 18 | medical certificate | [
"occupation"
] | onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-the-mariner-is-under-the-age-of-18-medical-certificate | merchant mariner (US Coast Guard) | onboard vessels to which STCW applies | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-C/section-10.301 | ( 1 ) All persons employed or engaged onboard vessels to which STCW applies will be issued a medical certificate valid for 2 years unless the mariner is under the age of 18, in which case the maximum period of validity will be 1 year. | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/onboard-vessels-to-which-stcw-applies-the-mariner-is-under-the-age-of-18-medical-certificate/ | 1 year | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
49 CFR 391.45 | Any driver authorized to operate a commercial motor vehicle only within an exempt intracity zone | medically examined and certified as qualified to drive in such zone | [
"occupation"
] | operate-a-commercial-motor-vehicle-only-within-an-exempt-intracity-zone-any-driver-authorized-to-operate-a-commercial-motor-vehicle-only-within-an-exemp-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-drive-in-such-zone | commercial motor vehicle driver (FMCSA) | operate a commercial motor vehicle only within an exempt intracity zone | https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-E/section-391.45 | ( c ) Any driver authorized to operate a commercial motor vehicle only within an exempt intracity zone pursuant to <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.62> § 391.62 , if such driver has not been medically examined and certified as qualified to drive in such zone during the preceding 12 months; | https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/operate-a-commercial-motor-vehicle-only-within-an-exempt-intracity-zone-any-driver-authorized-to-operate-a-commercial-motor-vehicle-only-within-an-exemp-medically-examined-and-certified-as-qualified-to-drive-in-such-zone/ | 12 months | [
"citation",
"condition",
"credential",
"operation",
"validity_period"
] |
How long medical certificates last for pilots, commercial drivers and merchant mariners — by class, age and service type
Canonical, always-current version: https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/ Machine-readable: https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/data.json — this mirror is a point-in-time copy.
- Last verified: 2026-08-11
- Stale after: 2027-08-11 (past this date, prefer the canonical copy — it re-verifies on a cadence this snapshot does not)
- Records: 17
How long a federally required medical certificate remains valid for each regulated transport occupation, and what it depends on. FAA pilot medicals (14 CFR 61.23) cascade by class and age — a first-class certificate carries first-class privileges to the 12th month for pilots under 40 but only the 6th month at 40 or older, then downgrades to second- and third-class privileges on a schedule; commercial drivers need a medical examiner's certificate on a cycle set by 49 CFR 391.45; merchant mariner medical certificates run 2 years for STCW service but 5 years for national-only credentials, and only 1 year for mariners under 18 (46 CFR 10.301). Same question — 'how long is my medical good for?' — three regulators, three completely different answer structures. Answers 'how long is a first class medical valid for a 45-year-old pilot?', 'how often does a truck driver need a DOT physical?', 'why is my mariner medical certificate only valid two years?'
Provenance — what every record carries
Every record carries source (the URL the value was read from) and
source_quote (a verbatim quote from that page stating it). A value you
cannot check against its page is indistinguishable from an invented one;
these can all be checked. Each record is also individually addressable on
the canonical site at its url.
Licence position
All sources are eCFR (US government work, public domain). We take facts plus short attributed quotes linking back.
Facts are not copyrightable; what this dataset takes from each source is a fact plus a short attributed quote linking back to the page that states it.
Sources
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-61/subpart-A/section-61.23
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-46/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-C/section-10.301
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-391/subpart-E/section-391.45
Fields
See any record in data/records.jsonl — field names are self-describing,
and the canonical page for each record renders them with labels:
https://referencesource.org/medical-certificate-validity-by-occupation/
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