Temporary paper-certificate flexibility ends October 11
FMCSA’s six-month National Registry II transition exemption is scheduled to end October 11, 2026. Since April 11, the exemption has allowed interstate CDL holders, CLP holders and motor carriers to rely on a paper copy of the Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, as proof of medical certification for up to 60 days after the certificate was issued. FMCSA said in April that it did not anticipate granting another nationwide NRII waiver or exemption after this one.
NRII moves medical results into electronic records
Under National Registry II, certified medical examiners report examination results by midnight local time on the next calendar day after the examination. FMCSA’s National Registry then electronically transmits results for CDL holders and CLP applicants to State Driver’s Licensing Agencies, which post the information to the driver’s CDLIS motor vehicle record. The transmitted data can include a qualified, unqualified or voided result as well as restrictions or supporting credentials such as corrective lenses, a hearing aid, a medical exemption or a skill performance evaluation certificate.
Drivers should not discard the paper certificate
FMCSA continues to recommend that certified medical examiners issue drivers a paper MCSA-5876 in addition to submitting examination results electronically until further notice. That recommendation is not the same as extending the expiring 60-day exemption. Drivers should retain the paper document as a backup, but should not assume that carrying it will correct a missing or inaccurate electronic record after the exemption period.
Verify the record before the deadline
A driver who recently completed a DOT physical should confirm that the medical status appears correctly through the appropriate state licensing process or motor vehicle record. If the record is missing or wrong, contact the certified medical examiner and the State Driver’s Licensing Agency promptly, keeping the examination date, examiner information, certificate and any case or confirmation numbers. Do not wait until a roadside inspection or dispatch assignment to discover that the electronic status was not updated.
Driver and fleet takeaway
Drivers approaching medical-certificate expiration should schedule the examination early, use a certified examiner listed in the National Registry, keep the signed paper certificate and verify the electronic record before October 11. Fleet compliance teams should audit medical expiration dates, confirm each affected driver’s current licensing and medical status through official records, and establish an escalation process for mismatches. A paper copy can help document what occurred, but dispatch decisions should follow the official record and current FMCSA and state guidance rather than an assumption that the temporary nationwide exemption will continue.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — Temporary NRII Exemption
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