FMCSA expands waiver to allow truckers to use paper medical certificates for 60 days
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced new relief for commercial vehicle drivers and motor carriers amid the transition to a new process for electronic transmission of medical certification data.
Paper MEC Waiver Extended As Some States Are Slow To Adopt New Rule
On August 21, 2025, FMCSA announced that interstate commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders, commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders, and motor carriers may use a paper copy of the medical examiner’s certificate (MEC) as proof of medical certification for up to 60 days after the date the MEC was issued.
This is an extension of a waiver issued on July 14, 2025, allowing drivers and carriers to use a paper medical examiner’s certificate for 15 days after the certificate was issued.
The 60 day waiver remains in effect until October 12, 2025.
“This action supports drivers and carriers as State Driver’s Licensing Agencies and certified medical examiners continue to transition to the secure electronic transmission of medical certification data required under the National Registry II (NRII) final rule,” FMCSA said.
According to FMCSA, only 38 states and the District of Columbia have implemented NRII as of August 21, meaning that “twelve States have not yet implemented NRII and are continuing to rely on the paper MEC.”
“FMCSA determined that modifying the initial waiver is in the public interest to prevent undue hardship on drivers with valid medical certification and their employers due to potential processing delays outside of their control during this transition period,” officials said.
FMCSA is also encouraging all medical examiners to all continue to issuing paper MECs.
What Is The NRII Rule?
FMCSA’s NRII rule went into effect on June 23, 2025. Officials say that the rule is intended to improve highway safety by reducing the risk of fraud and by providing roadside inspectors and law enforcement officers with the most current medical certification information.
The rule requires medical examiners to electronically submit the results of a CDL or CLP applicant’s physical exam directly to the FMCSA’s National Registry by midnight of the calendar day following the exam.
After the FMCSA receives the exam information, the results are submitted directly to State Driver’s Licensing Agencies (SDLA). The rule eliminates the requirement for CDL and CLP holders to submit their own Medical Examiner Certificates (MEC) to SDLAs. After receipt, SDLAs will post the exam results on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) driver motor vehicle record (MVR).