According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 42 states have met the requirements to integrate the driver’s Medical Certificate into the CDL Information System. Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma are not yet in compliance.

The purpose of the final rule, which was published in 2015 but delayed twice, is to facilitate the electronic transmission of examination results (medically qualified, medically unqualified, and voided) and additional information (e.g., corrective lenses, hearing aid, medical exemption, skill performance evaluation certificate, etc.) from examinations performed for CLP/CDL applicants or holders from FMCSA’s National Registry to the state Driver’s Licensing Agencies to be posted on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System driver motor vehicle record.

Under the new procedure:

• FMCSA will electronically transmit examination results (medically qualified, medically unqualified, and voided) from examinations performed for CLP applicants and CDL holders from FMCSA’s National Registry to the state Driver Licensing Agencies.

• CLP applicants and CDL holders will no longer be required to submit a paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, to their SDLA. Instead, their physical qualification examination results (medically qualified, medically unqualified, and voided) will be electronically transmitted from FMCSA’s National Registry to the SDLAs and posted on the driver’s record.

• Motor carriers may no longer use the paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, as proof of a CLP applicant or CDL holder’s medical certification. Instead, motor carriers must use the CDLIS driver MVR obtained from the current licensing state. The motor carrier must verify and document in the driver’s qualification file that the driver has a valid medical examiner’s certificate and any required medical variances before allowing the driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle.

In addition, CLP applicants and CDL holders will no longer receive the original/paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, from the medical examiner unless they request a copy for their records. The electronic results transmitted to the SDLAs will be the official proof of medical certification. A requested original/paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, from the medical examiner cannot be used by the driver as official proof of medical certification.

The FMCSA has provided the following information for drivers licensed in the eight states that have not implemented the CDL integration program:

• Drivers licensed in states that have not implemented National Registry II must continue to submit a paper copy of their Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876, to their SDLA. For questions related to the submission process, please contact the appropriate SDLA.

• Regardless of where the examination is performed, the driver must ensure that the certified medical examiner issues them an original/paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876.

• Drivers may print this informational page and bring it to their physical qualification examination to ensure that the certified medical examiner issues a copy of the original/paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876.