CDL medical certification

You are required to self-certify to a single type of commercial driving on your driver's license application form when you:

• Apply for a CDL;
• Renew a CDL;
• Apply for a higher class of CDL;
• Apply for a new endorsement on a CDL; or
• Transfer a CDL from another state.

You may need to provide a valid medical examiner's certificate and show any medical variance documents you have when renewing your CDL or obtaining an original one.

The SOS will be unable to process any of these forms if they are incomplete or illegible, and will return them to you. 

To comply with the new medical certification requirements, you must first determine which type of commercial driving you do. Please follow these three steps.

Step 1:

Is your CDL used to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate or intrastate commerce?

Interstate commerce is when you drive:

• From one state to another state or to a foreign country;
• Between two places within a state, but the route takes the vehicle through another state or foreign country; or
• Between two places within a state, but your cargo came from or will be delivered to another state or foreign country.
   

Intrastate commerce is when you drive a commercial motor vehicle only within one state and you do not meet any of the previous descriptions for interstate commerce.

NOTE: If you operate in both intrastate commerce and interstate commerce, you must choose interstate commerce.

Step 2:

Once you have determined whether you operate in interstate commerce or intrastate commerce, you must decide whether your status is non-excepted or excepted status.

Interstate Commerce -- Excepted or Non-excepted:

If the only type of commercial driving you do is one of the following excepted activities, then you operate in excepted interstate commerce and do not need to submit a federal medical examiner's certificate.

• Transporting school children and/or school staff between home and school;
• Transporting human corpses, or sick or injured persons;
• Operating a fire truck or rescue vehicle during emergencies and other related activities;
• Primarily transporting propane winter heating fuel when responding to an emergency condition requiring immediate response such as damage to a propane gas system after a storm or flooding;
• Responding to a pipeline emergency condition requiring immediate response such as a pipeline leak or rupture;
• Working in custom harvesting on a farm or to transport farm machinery and supplies used in the custom harvesting operation to and from a farm or to transport custom harvested crops to storage or market;
• Working as a beekeeper in the seasonal transportation of bees;
• Operating a vehicle controlled and operated by a farmer, but not a combination vehicle (power unit and towed unit), that is used to transport agricultural products, farm machinery or farm supplies, but not placardable hazardous materials, to and from a farm and within 150 air miles of the farm;
• Driving as a private motor carrier of passengers for nonbusiness purposes; or
• Transporting migrant workers.

If your commercial driving does not include any of the activities listed previously, then you operate in non-excepted interstate commerce and are required to provide a current medical examiner's certificate (49 CFR 391.45), commonly referred to as a medical certificate or DOT card.

Most commercial drivers operating in interstate commerce are non-excepted interstate commerce drivers.

If you operate in both excepted interstate commerce and non-excepted interstate commerce, you must choose non-excepted interstate commerce.

Intrastate Commerce -- Excepted or Non-excepted:

You operate in excepted intrastate commerce when you drive a commercial motor vehicle only in intrastate commerce activities that your state of licensure has determined do not require you to meet the state's medical certification requirements.

You operate in non-excepted intrastate commerce when you drive a commercial motor vehicle only in intrastate commerce and are required to meet your state of licensure's medical certification requirements.

If you operate in both excepted intrastate commerce and non-excepted intrastate commerce, you must choose non-excepted intrastate commerce.

Step 3:

Provide the Secretary of State's Office with your self-certification of your operating status. If you self-certify to non-excepted interstate you must provide the Secretary of State's Office with an original or a copy of your current medical examiner's certificate.

To complete the federal medical certification requirements, bring your documents to any Michigan Secretary of State, fax them to 517-636-4359 or submit them online at Michigan.gov/CDL.

Medical examiner's certificates that are valid only with a waiver exemption or skills performance evaluation certificates must be submitted in person at any Secretary of State office. Find out more about the Secretary of State office locations by scheduling an office visit.  

Beginning on January 30, 2015, the paper copy of the medical examiner's certificate is valid for fifteen (15) days after it is issued. The driver should continue to carry the certificate with him or her until the expiration of the 15-day period. 49 C.F.R. § 391.41(2). Thereafter, the driving record contained on the CDLIS becomes the only method of validating the medical certification

If you will no longer operate a commercial motor vehicle for non-excepted interstate purposes, you should report the change in the type of commercial operation with the Secretary of State's Office. The change must be reported before the current medical certification expires.

If a new medical certification is not received, the Secretary of State's Office will downgrade your driver's license and you will lose your privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle.

 

You may either visit a branch office or update it online. If you are changing from intrastate to interstate or interstate to intrastate, a new license will need to be processed to add or remove the "K" CDL intrastate only restriction accordingly. If processing online, a new license will be processed and you will pay the appropriate fees before your certification type is updated.

You must obtain a new medical certificate and, if required, medical variance, and submit them to the Secretary of State's Office before the earliest expiration date is reached. You also are responsible for applying to FMCSA for a renewal of your variance. 

The Secretary of State's Office will notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a commercial motor vehicle in non-excepted interstate commerce. The Secretary of State's Office will then remove all your CDL privileges from your license. 

The National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (National Registry) is a Federal program that establishes requirements for healthcare professionals that perform physical qualification examinations for truck and bus drivers. To become a certified medical examiner (ME) and be listed on the National Registry, healthcare professionals must complete training and testing on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) physical qualifications standards and guidelines. The National Registry web site is accessible to carriers, drivers, enforcement officials, and the general public.

All healthcare professionals whose scope of practice authorizes them to perform physical examinations, as defined by the state in which they practice, and who intend to perform physical examinations and issue medical certificates for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers to meet the requirements of Section 391.41 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) must be certified and listed on FMCSA's National Registry by May 21, 2014.

Please refer to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners handout for more information.

You can view your medical certificate information using online services.

Go to Online Services

There is no cost to update your CDL medical certificate information. However, if you previously certified to interstate driving, and you correct your CDL driving type to intrastate only (Michigan-only driving) when your medical certificate is updated, you must apply for a corrected CDL showing the “K” restriction for intrastate driving. The cost is $18 to have the license corrected. A new photo license will be mailed to you.

If you have an FMCSA medical variance, such as an FMCSA waiver letter or skills performance evaluation, you must schedule a visit to a Secretary of State office. FMCSA medical variance documents won’t be accepted if sent by mail or fax, and they can’t be updated online.

You can certify to a different type of driving using online services. Note: If you previously certified to interstate driving, and you need to change your driving type to intrastate only (Michigan-only driving), you can update your information online or at a Secretary of State office but you must also apply for a corrected license, which will show the “K” restriction for intrastate driving. The cost is $18 to have the license corrected. A new photo license will be mailed to you.

Human traffickers often use truck stops, bus stations, rest areas, and transit centers for coordinating and moving victims. Signs of human trafficking may include:

• Citizens band (CB) radio chatter about a “commercial company,” "sale," or flashing lights in response
• A suspicious vehicle parked in an unusual location or often seen dropping off or picking up individuals from other trucks or vehicles
• Signs of physical and emotional trauma, such as extreme submissiveness, fear or distress, nervousness, or injuries such as bruising and branding
• An individual appearing disoriented and confused. Traffickers often deny their victims food, water, and medical care as a means of controlling and dominating them
• The same individual appearing at multiple locations

If something looks suspicious, trust your instincts, and contact local authorities by a call or text (calls may be made anonymously). If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. Never attempt to confront a trafficker or victim.

When reporting a suspected human trafficking situation, describe specifically what you observed, including:

• Who or what you saw (such as physical identifiers or nicknames overheard)
• When you saw it (date and time)
• Where it occurred (where you noticed the suspicious activity and any movement, if applicable)
• Why it’s suspicious