Marco legal
- primary:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Physical Qualifications and Examinations 49 CFR 391.41 et seq.
- examination form:
- Medical Examination Report Form MCSA-5875
- medical examiners certificate:
- MCSA-5876 Form (Medical Examiner's Certificate, the 'DOT card')
- examiner requirement:
- Must be a Certified Medical Examiner (CME) listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. CME requires NRCME training + exam every 10 years.
- scope:
- All operators of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce per 49 CFR 390.5: GVWR/GCWR >=10,001 lb, OR designed to transport >=9 passengers (incl driver), OR designed/used to transport >=16 passengers (not for compensation), OR HMR-placarded hazardous materials.
- intrastate variability:
- Each state may have intrastate medical waiver programs that differ from federal. ~38 states have some form of intrastate variance.
- certification duration:
- Maximum 24 months. Shorter if specific conditions (1 year for controlled diabetes, hypertension, etc.; 3 months for Stage 2 HTN; can be days to weeks for evolving conditions).
- primary reference:
- FMCSA Medical Examiner Handbook (https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/medical/driver-medical-requirements/medical-examiner-handbook)
- url main:
- https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/section/391.41