FMCSA Medical Certification Update Coming June 23, 2025
If everything goes according to plan, Starting June 23, 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will implement a new process for updating medical certifications to commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). This change is designed to streamline medical certification reporting, reduce administrative burden, and improve data accuracy.
Current Process: Manual Submissions and Verifications
Under the current system, drivers must manually submit their updated Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT medical card) to their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Each state has its own submission process, which may include walk-in visits, fax, email, or mailing the document.
Motor carriers are also responsible for verifying that the medical provider who performed the DOT physical is certified by the FMCSA. This involves checking the provider’s National Provider Identifier (NPI) number against the FMCSA’s National Registry to ensure the medical card is valid.
New Process: Direct Electronic Submissions
Beginning June 23, 2025, certified medical examiners will be required to submit DOT physical results directly to the FMCSA’s National Registry by the end of the next calendar day. The FMCSA will then forward the medical certification information to the appropriate State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA), which will automatically update the driver’s CDL record.
This electronic process eliminates the need for drivers to personally submit medical cards to their DMV and significantly reduces the chances of a license downgrade due to a missing or expired medical certification.
No More NPI Verification by Employers
With this change, motor carriers will no longer be responsible for verifying the NPI number on the medical card submitted by a driver. Since the entire submission and verification process will occur electronically through the FMCSA and the National Registry, companies can be confident that the medical certification on file has been completed by a qualified, FMCSA-certified medical examiner.
What This Means for Drivers and Carriers
Drivers will no longer need to worry about physically submitting their medical cards or tracking multiple state-specific processes.
Motor carriers can eliminate manual verification and reduce compliance-related paperwork.
Both parties benefit from a more secure and automated system that helps ensure CDLs remain valid and up to date.
