FMCSA Extends Use of Both Paper and Digital Medical Exam Records for Commercial Drivers

Medical examiners will continue to issue medical examination certification (MECs) forms on paper to commercial drivers and their employers to comply with a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration waiver that will remain in effect until Oct. 12, 2025. The waiver allows license holders to use paper forms as evidence of their physical ability to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle for up to 15 days after a certificate is issued.  

The waiver for commercial driver medical forms was granted to give some state driver’s licensing agencies more time to implement required electronic medical record transmission systems and users a grace period before an electronic copy may need to be provided as evidence of certification. 

Background 

In 2015, the FMCSA adopted a Medical Examination Certification Integration rule to “modernize how driver medical certification is shared” by replacing an outdated paper-based process with a secure, electronic transmission system. The rule requires medical examiners to use specific forms to document physical qualification exams and issue medical certificates to qualified commercial drivers. Under rule changes that were implemented on June 23, 2025: 

• Medical examiners are no longer required to issue the original paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC), Form MCSA-5876, to driver applicants and license holders.  
• Drivers are no longer required to submit a paper copy of the MEC to their state driver’s licensing agency.  
• The FMCSA is directed to electronically transmit medical exam results from the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners to state licensing bodies.  
• State driver’s licensing agencies are required to post a driver’s information on a commercial driver’s license information system platform with their driver motor vehicle record. 

What This Means for Employers 

The FMCSA has advised certified medical examiners to submit physical qualification examination results electronically and on paper while the transition from paper to electronic recordkeeping is under way. The waiver gives drivers a chance to retain commercial driver medical forms as paper records in case there are delays in access to electronic versions. The agency determined that the waiver was warranted to protect employees and employers from potential delays that are outside of their control during the transition period.  

Certified medical examiners who are employed by WorkCare or provide services to our clients via our national clinic network comply with these requirements. Our team advises organizations that are subject to Department of Transportation requirements to check for digital updates in commercial drivers’ motor vehicle records within the 15-day window to access electronic files.