Drivers Seeking to Obtain or Renew Commercial Drivers License Face New Rule on Medical Certificates

Starting today (May 21), all drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) either looking to obtain or renew a commercial drivers license (CDL) must receive their medical certificate by a Certified Medical Examiner (ME) listed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) new National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry). Prior to May 21, 2014, drivers were allowed to obtain their medical certificates, which are required in order to operate a CMV, from virtually any healthcare provider. As per FMCSA, this new change now only allows drivers to receive a medical certificate from "medical examiners that have completed training and successfully passed a test on FMCSA’s physical qualification standards [and who are then] featured on the National Registry."