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CDL Medical Certification

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CDL Medical Certification
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Overview

If you have a commercial driver license (Class A, B, or C) or CDL permit issued by the New York State DMV and are driving under a Non-Excepted driving type (see below to determine your driving type) you will need to keep a current United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Medical Examiners Certificate on file with DMV. Federal regulations require that every commercial learner permit CLP holder or CDL holder certify the type of commercial driving they currently perform (or expect to perform). You will lose your commercial driving privileges if you do not comply.

Self-Certify Your Driving Type

Commercial Drivers must self-certify to the type of driving they intend to do with their license or permit and provide DMV with a copy of their USDOT Medical Examiner's Certificate, if applicable.

 

Interstate and Intrastate Driving

The first step to determining your driving type is to decide if you drive, or expect to drive, a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) in Interstate or Intrastate commerce. Interstate commerce is when you drive a CMV:

  • from one state to another state or a foreign country, or
  • between two places within a state, but during part of the trip, the CMV crosses into another state or a foreign country, or
  • between two places within a state, but the cargo is part of a trip that began or will end in another state or foreign country.

Intrastate commerce is when you drive a CMV within New York State only and your driving does not meet any of the descriptions above for interstate commerce. If you operate in both Interstate and Intrastate commerce, you must choose Interstate commerce.

 

Excepted and Non-Excepted Driving

Excepted Interstate (EI) or Excepted Intrastate (EA) Commerce

When you drive a CMV only for the following activities:

  • to transport school children and/or school staff between home and school, or
  • as a federal, state, or local government employee, or
  • to transport human corpses or sick or injured persons, or
  • driving a fire truck or rescue vehicle during emergencies and other related activities, or
  • primarily in the transportation of propane winter heating fuel in response to an emergency condition that requires an immediate response, such as damage to a propane gas system after a storm or flood, or
  • in response to a pipeline emergency condition that requires an immediate response, such as a pipeline leak or rupture, or
  • in custom harvesting on a farm, or
    • to transport farm machinery and supplies used in a custom harvesting operation to and from a farm, or
    • to transport custom-harvested crops to storage or market.
  • as a beekeeper in the seasonal transportation of bees, or
  • driving a vehicle that is controlled and operated by a farmer, and
    • the vehicle is used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies to and from a farm within 150 air miles of the farm, and
    • the vehicle is not a combination vehicle (power unit and towed unit), and
    • the vehicle does not carry any hazardous materials that are required to be placarded.
  • as a private motor carrier of passengers for non-business purposes, or
  • to transport migrant workers (CDL holder must be age 21 or older), or
  • you obtained your NYS CDL prior to September 9, 1999, and perform "Non-Excepted" commercial operation (except when transporting hazardous materials) in New York State only. If this applies to you, you must certify to Excepted Intrastate (EA).

 

Non-Excepted Interstate (NI) or Non-Excepted Intrastate (NA) Commerce 

If you operate a CMV for any other purposes besides these, you are engaged in Non-Excepted commerce (NI or NA). You are required to provide a current USDOT Medical Examiner's Certificate.

If you operate in both Excepted commerce and Non-Excepted commerce, you must choose Non-Excepted to be qualified to operate in both types of commerce.

Get a Medical Examiners Certificate

If you use your CDL or CLP for Non-Excepted commerce (NI or NA), you must get a USDOT physical performed by a medical examiner listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) National Registry. To find an approved medical examiner, you can either go to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiner Search or call FMCSA at (202) 366-4001 and ask to speak to a representative. Once your physical is complete, the medical examiner will give you a Medical Examiner's Certificate (Form MCSA-5876). 

When you apply for your CDL or CLP you must bring a photocopy of your Medical Certification with you. You must also send a photocopy of your new USDOT Medical Examiner's Certificate to the Medical Certification Unit before the certificate expires. Photocopied USDOT Medical Examiner's Certificate must be legible, complete and on one side of a standard 8½" x 11" sheet of paper. 

If you have a Medical Variance, you must keep it current with the FMCSA.

Submitting Your Medical Certification

Email

Put your first and last name in the subject line. In the event that you need to confirm receipt of your e-mailed medical certificate, DMV will track it using the information in the subject line.

Fax

Make a note of the fax number you are faxing from. In the event that you need to confirm receipt of your faxed medical certificate, DMV will track it using the fax number you faxed from.

Renewals and Downgrades

Once your Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file expires, you are no longer certified to drive commercial vehicles. A notice advising you of your “not certified” medical status and impending license downgrade (56 days from the date of notice) will be sent to you. When we receive your new updated medical certificate, you will be recertified. If your CDL was downgraded because of your "not certified" medical status, you will need to visit a DMV office to upgrade your license back to a CDL. You should allow at least two weeks to process your updated documents.

You can check if your Medical Certification has been accepted by using "My License Status, Renewal, and Replacement" on MyDMV. Look under "License Status" to determine your self-certification driving type, medical certification status, and medical certificate expiration date.

If you are self-certified to driving types NI & NA, you will have a medical certification status of either "Certified" or "Not Certified." If you are self-certified to EI or EA, you will have a medical certification status of "Not Required".

If your Medical Certification is sent back to you with a rejection letter it will indicate why the Medical Examiner’s Certificate is being returned to you. If information was incorrect, missing, or illegible, you must contact your physician to have the form amended or another form completed.

If your Medical Examiners Certificate was rejected because it was not completed by a doctor listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, you must have a new exam completed by a doctor on the registry.  To find a certified doctor in your area please visit the Federal website at National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners Search.

Contact

Contact us by email:

Mailing Address:

Medical Certification Unit
PO Box 2601
Albany, NY 12220-0601

Contact us by fax:

518-486-4421 or 518-486-3260