Update: FMCSA extends deadline for commercial drivers’ medical certificate requirements

In late December, we posted about the new requirements that all commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders self-certify their current med cards and to provide a copy to their State Driver’s Licensing Agency by January 30, 2014. We outlined what this new requirement would mean for those commercial drivers and what changes, if any, were required by individuals. We now have an update that the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA) has extended the deadline to allow states more time to comply with the new system of digital medical examiner’s certificates for drivers. Because not all states are in compliance, the deadline has been extended for a year, until January 30, 2015, in order to prevent drivers from being ticketed if they do not have a paper copy of their medical examiner’s certificates. Once all states are in compliance, CDL and medical certificates will be merged in an online database — the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) — that will contain all records. At that point, drivers will no longer be required to carry this documentation. States are receiving assistance from FMCSA as they work to perform upgrades to their systems and compile the required documents. To learn more about the extension and its implications for drivers and states, check out the FMCSA’s frequently asked questions page.]]>