CDL medical certification update: The waiver, misinformation, and more
The deadline for Phase 2 of the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Medical Certification Integration (called NRII) was June 23, 2025. Now, 38 states automatically get medical exam updates from the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRCME)/the Registry. This means CDL and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) drivers licensed by states that have transitioned no longer must submit their medical cards, and carriers do not need to check if their examiner is on the NRCME.
Temporary Waiver
Because of delays in updating driver records, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a waiver effective July 14 through October 12, 2025. This lets CDL/CLP drivers use a paper copy of their medical card for up to 15 days after their exam and allows:
- CDL and CLP drivers to show proof of medical certification while driving, and
- Carriers to keep the medical card in the driver’s file until the motor vehicle record (MVR) updates.
NRII state updates
As of July 28, 2025:
- 38 states have switched to NRII.
- 12 states have not.
States with transition target dates include:
- Florida – September 2025
- Iowa – October 19, 2025
- Kentucky – June 2026
- New York – February 2026
- Wyoming – Late 2025
Alaska, California, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Vermont don’t have transition target dates yet.
What to do if the MVR is not updated
If the medical exam information does not show up on the driving record within a couple of days:
- Ask the examiner to check for error messages in their Registry account and resubmit the information. Make sure they have the driver’s correct name, birth date, state, and license number.
- Contact the driver’s state driver licensing agency (SDLA) CDL Help Desk to confirm the update. Ask the SDLA to pull the information from the Registry if necessary.
- As a last resort, contact Registry support:
- Email: fmctechsup@dot.gov
- Phone: 617-494-3003
- Drivers should not operate a commercial motor vehicle if their MVR shows the driver as “not certified” and it is more than 15 days after the medical exam date. Enforcement could site the driver and place them out of service.
Some misinformation is going around. Here are the facts:
- Drivers do not need a new exam just because the certification information did not transfer—unless the exam was falsified or the examiner was not on the Registry.
- Changing the driving tier (like Interstate or Intrastate excepted or non-excepted) is the driver’s job, not the SDLA.
- Some examiners are charging extra to send the information to the state. This should not be due to the new process alone. They have been entering exam information in the Registry since 2015.
Key to remember: Monitor driver medical certification issues closely and take corrective action immediately to avoid CDL driver out of service violations.