Starting from June 23, 2025, the results of medical examinations of commercial vehicle drivers in the United States will be transmitted to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration (FMCSA) only in electronic form. 

This change, provided for by the medical examiner certification integration rule, will permanently eliminate the need to use paper-based medical certificates. 

Certified medical examiners will be required to send medical examination data directly to the FMCSA, and then the information will be transmitted to the state Driver's License Agencies (SDLA). 

This innovation is aimed at reducing errors and simplifying the certification process, eliminating the need for drivers to provide paper documents themselves. 

Photo by Craig Adderley, Pexels

Drivers will still have to carry paper copies of certificates with them until June 23, as the transition to a digital system may face technical difficulties. After this date, carriers will also no longer have to check whether the driver has been examined by a certified expert from the National Registry. 

The rule, adopted back in 2015, has been repeatedly postponed due to problems with the development of IT systems. Initially, the deadline was set for 2018, then postponed to 2021 and finally to 2025. 

FMCSA and the states have received additional time to prepare to ensure a smooth transition to the electronic system.