The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption to allow motor carriers and drivers to rely on a paper copy of the medical examiner’s certificate (“MEC”), MCSA-5876, as proof of the driver’s medical certification until the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration final rule is fully implemented in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

FMCSA published the final rule in 2015 to integrate Medical Certification information into the CDL Information System electronically. The agency extended the original compliance date several times, most recently on June 22, 2021, with compliance ultimately being required as of June 23, 2025.

The rule modernizes how driver medical certification is shared, replacing the outdated paper-based process with a secure, electronic transmission system. The rule mandates that certified medical examiners use specific forms to document physical qualification examinations and issue medical certificates to qualified commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Among other changes that were implemented on June 23, 2025:

• Medical examiners are no longer required to issue the original/ paper MEC, Form MCSA–5876, to commercial learner’s permit applicants and commercial driver’s license holders.

• CLP applicants and CDL holders are no longer required to submit a paper MEC to their State Driver’s Licensing Agency.

• Instead, FMCSA electronically transmits examination results and medical variance information for CLP applicants and CDL holders from the National Registry to the SDLAs.

• SDLAs post the driver’s information on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System driver motor vehicle record.

• In addition, the provisions allowing motor carriers and drivers to rely on paper copies of the MEC for up to 15 days after the certificate was issued expired as of June 22, 2025.

Not every state has adopted these electronic protocols, however. The FMCSA is treating CVSA’s request for guidance as an application for exemption from the applicable regulations to allow motor carriers and drivers to continue to rely on a paper copy of the driver’s MEC as proof of the driver’s medical certification for 60 days from the date the certificate was issued.

If granted, this exemption would allow motor carriers and drivers the same flexibility as the current waiver while waiting for all states to complete implementation of the 2015 final rule. This exemption would exempt motor carriers and drivers from the end date of June 22, 2025, and the 15-day time period in 49 CFR 391.23(m)(2)(iii) and (m)(3)(i)(C), 49 CFR 391.41(a)(2)(i)(A) and (a)(2)(ii), and 49 CFR 391.51(b)(6)(ii) and would be valid for one year.