The DOT Medical Exam Forms for CMV Drivers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is now requiring medical providers to use an updated version of both the Medical Examiner's Certificate and the Medical Examination Report Form. The compliance deadline was January 16, 2024.

The changes to the forms were part of a release of corrections to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) issued on November 17, 2023. The medical forms required a minor revision to remove a checkbox indicating that the driver was qualified under a vision waiver program that no longer exists. Because this change was so minor, the FMCSA allowed continued use of the old version of the forms until stocks are depleted, but advised that the new versions should be used as soon as possible.

The new forms retained the 3/31/2025 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) expiration date, an indication that the documents will be revised again in 2025.

OMB EXPIRATION

Current OMB approval is due to expire on March 31, 2025 for both the medical long form and certificate. The expiration date in the upper corner indicates when FMCSA will lose its authority from the OMB to require the use of the form. Typically, that authority must be renewed every few years, which results in a new, mandatory version of both forms.

DO YOU NEED THE 'LONG' FORM?

Medical examiners must provide a copy of a driver's medical exam certificate to a driver's prospective or current motor carrier employer. It is NOT mandatory, however, that medical examiners provide a copy of the long medical exam form. This long form, MCSA-5875, must remain on file in the examiner's office but isn't required by the FMCSRs to be in a carrier's files. Release of the long form to a motor carrier must be done in compliance with federal privacy laws.

ALL CMV DRIVERS MUST BE CERTIFIED

All persons who drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) ‑ including occasional drivers ‑ must be medically certified and be able to prove it. This includes supervisors, mechanics, or anyone else who drives a CMV on a public road. Drivers can verify their certification with a Medical Examiner's Certificate carried on their person. In addition, drivers holding a commercial driver's license (CDL) or commercial learner's permit (CLP) must provide their medical card to the state licensing agency and should have a certified status noted in their current driving record, indicating that they are medically certified. There is no grace period for renewing a medical certificate. It will expire on the expiration date noted on the certificate.

NATIONAL REGISTRY

Motor carriers and drivers may only use medical examiners listed in the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. The National Registry is an online registry of medical examiners who've completed the specified training and exams necessary to become certified to perform medical exams on commercial drivers. The National Registry is available online.

The carrier must validate that the medical examiner who conducts the exam is listed on the National Registry. A note must be added in the driver's file to document that the carrier performed the verification.

MVRS FOR CDL DRIVERS

A carrier may use a copy of a CDL driver's new medical certificate as proof of qualification for up to 15 days after the certificate was issued. Within those 15 days, the carrier must obtain an updated motor vehicle record (MVR) showing the new medical certification information. This process is due to change in June 2025, when medical certificates will be transferred electronically.

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