Major changes are coming to the medical certification process for commercial vehicle drivers as a long-delayed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule goes into effect in June.
The compliance date for the FMCSA’s Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration rule will go into effect nationwide on June 23, 2025, resulting in significant changes for Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) Holders in terms of medical qualification reporting.
The rule is intended to digitize and streamline the medical certification process for commercial vehicle drivers, eventually eliminating the need for drivers to present a paper copy of their Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC) to show that they meet physical qualifications to operate a commercial vehicle to state licensing agencies.
Starting on June 23, Certified Medical Examiners (MEs) will be required to submit all commercial vehicle driver medical exam results directly to the FMCSA and State Driver’s Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) through the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Results of exams must be submitted by midnight of the calendar day following the exam, per the rule.
The FMCSA will then electronically transmit driver identification, examination results, restriction information, and medical variance information to SDLAs, a provision meant to reduce errors and streamline the medical certification process. This means that drivers would no longer be required to submit an MEC to SDLAs themselves.
Additionally, after the June 23 compliance date, motor carriers will no longer be required to verify that CLP/ CDL drivers were examined by a certified ME listed on the National Registry.
The Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration Final Rule was adopted in 2015. The compliance date was initially set for June 22, 2018. It was pushed to June 22, 2021, and then to June 23, 2025, due to IT system issues.
Drivers should continue to carry a paper copy until the June 23 deadline and after in case of any issues with the implementation of the online system.
According to the FMCSA website, states including Maryland, Minnesota, Utah, and Texas have already started implementing the new rule. From March 23, 2025, to June 23, 2025, Texas will accept both paper medical certificates and electronic submissions through the National Registry. After June 23, 2025, Texas will only accept medical certificates submitted electronically through the National Registry.
