Abbreviation: MCSA-5876
Medical Examiner's Certificate
A document issued by a certified medical examiner certifying that a CDL driver meets federal physical qualification standards for commercial motor vehicle operation.
Also called the DOT medical card. Valid for up to 24 months (shorter periods for certain conditions). Interstate CDL drivers must maintain a current certificate at all times.
Certificate duration and short-term certifications
Standard DOT medical certificates are valid for up to 24 months. Medical examiners can issue certificates for shorter durations — 3, 6, or 12 months — for drivers with conditions requiring monitoring, such as controlled hypertension, treated sleep apnea, or insulin-treated diabetes under the federal exemption. Drivers must track the actual expiration date on the certificate; do not assume 2 years from issue. An expired certificate is an automatic out-of-service violation during roadside inspection.
Submitting the certificate to the state
CDL holders must submit their medical certificate to their state licensing agency after each DOT physical. The state records the expiration date, and in many states the CDL expiration date is shortened to match the medical certificate if it expires first. A CDL holder whose medical certificate lapses while still employed as a CDL driver may lose CDL driving privileges automatically in some states. Check your state licensing agency for the current submission procedure and deadlines.
Last updated: June 4, 2026
When this definition matters
This term usually matters when a driver, owner-operator, or small carrier is deciding whether a federal rule applies, preparing a compliance file, or checking a state CDL step. Use this definition as a starting point, then confirm the controlling requirement in the official source listed below before making a licensing, hiring, dispatch, or recordkeeping decision.
The related terms above are included because they often appear in the same compliance workflow. Reviewing them together can prevent common mix-ups, such as treating a state licensing step as a federal carrier obligation or confusing a driver record with a separate employer record.