Paper medical cards refuse to die as FMCSA seeks comments
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comments regarding an exemption request that would allow truckers to continue using paper copies of their medical certification.
This past June, the agency announced it would be implementing the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration Rule. Commonly known as NRII, and originally published in April 2015, the final rule requires medical examiners to electronically submit results from medical certification exams to the FMCSA and state licensing agencies. Additionally, the new electronic system would also eliminate the need for truckers to carry a paper copy of their certification.
Since being published, provisions of the final rule have been delayed twice – once in June 2018 and again in April 2021 – postponing the compliance date to June 23, 2025. Despite ample time since the rule was published, some states still struggled to meet the summer deadline last year.
Those delays prompted FMCSA to issue a waiver in July allowing drivers to continue using a paper copy for up to 15 days after the exam date. The next month, the agency modified the waiver to allow the use of a paper copy of the medical certification for up to 60 days after the exam.
The waiver has since been extended twice – once in October and again last month – as eight states have yet to fully implement the new regulations. Those states are Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma. The current waiver is set to expire on April 10.
In December, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance petitioned the agency to issue guidance to commercial motor vehicle enforcement officials stating that paper copies of exams are permitted to demonstrate medical certification.
Currently, the FMCSA website provides guidance for medical examiners, drivers, and motor carriers on the matter and states that they should “continue to follow the prior paper-based procedures… to ensure drivers licensed in noncompliant States are not negatively impacted by the State’s noncompliance.” The agency, however, does not provide guidance to enforcement officials.
In its letter, the group requested that FMCSA instruct enforcement officials to allow truckers to use a paper copy of their medical certification until “all issues” surrounding the implementation of NRII were resolved, and all states were fully compliant.
In response, the agency said it was unable to issue the guidance requested by CVSA “because it would conflict with the regulations currently in effect, which are binding on regulated entities.” As a result, FMCSA has treated the group’s request as an application for exemption and has opened a 30-day public comment period.
If granted, the waiver would be effective for one year and permit drivers to use a paper copy of their medical card for up to 60 days from the date the certificate was issued.
To submit a comment, go to Regulations.gov and enter Docket number FMCSA-2026-0265. Comments must be submitted by March 9. LL