The requirement for drivers to have their medical cards in their possession has expired, but common sense is needed until all states get onboard.

In 2008 the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a rule requiring drivers to present proof of medical certification of their state driver’s licensing agency each time they get their medical card renewed. The states were required to enter these certifications into the Commercial Drivers License Information System (CDLIS) for law enforcement. It was supposed to come into effect 2011 but some states weren’t ready to enter the certification information into CDLIS, so FMCSA delayed the requirement until the 30th of January 2015  (even though truckers still had to present their card to the DMV).

Now that the state reporting requirement has kicked in, truckers are only required to retain their medical card for 15 days. However, due to the different states procedures, the OOIDA recommends hanging onto the medical card anyway.

OOIDA advises drivers who had trouble or do not have proof that they submitted the certification to their state driver licensing agency to check with the DMV and verify that all the information has been entered to avoid problems.