Commercial drivers operating in certain types of commerce are required to obtain a "certified" medical status and maintain the status to avoid losing their commercial driver license.
There are four commerce types, two of which require a certified medical status.
| Interstate Non-Excepted | Required |
| Interstate Excepted | Not required |
| Intrastate Non-Excepted | Required |
| Intrastate Excepted | Not required |
To self-certify or change your self-certification, submit a CDL-Med-1 Medical Certification form by emailing it to CDLmedical@ncdot.gov or mailing it to:
N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles
CDL Medical Certification Unit
3126 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27697-3126
For DOT medical examiner's certificates that are only valid with a vision, diabetes or a skills performance evaluation variance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association will provide a copy of that variance to NCDMV.
Medical Certification Requirements
Effective June 28, 2025, North Carolina will no longer accept Medical Examiner Certificates (MECs) directly from commercial drivers. In compliance with federal regulations, all Medical Examiner Certificates must be submitted by their medical examiner provider electronically through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NRII) portal. For more information on how to locate a medical examiner who is on the registry, refer to the FMCSA National Registry.
The paper format of Form MCSA-5876 will no longer be accepted as proof of medical certification. For drivers who completed their medical exam before June 28, 2025, you may want to confirm with your examiner that your MEC was successfully transmitted to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NR II) portal.
For DOT medical examiner's certificates that are only valid with a skills performance evaluation variance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association will provide a copy of that variance to NCDMV.
After June 28, 2025, to ensure your medical certification is successfully transmitted and to avoid interruption of your commercial driving privileges, follow these steps:
- Schedule your DOT medical exam with a certified medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry.
- Verify that your medical examiner will submit your MEC electronically through the NRCME portal before leaving your appointment.
- Confirm with your examiner that your MEC was successfully transmitted to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners (NR II) portal after your exam.
- Ask for a copy of your MEC for your personal records—while you can no longer submit it to NCDMV, it may be needed if questions arise. (Note: Motor Carriers and Medical Examiners are no longer required to issue the original/paper MEC to CLP applicants and CDL holders.)
Determining Commerce Type
Detailed information for determining whether a driver is required to have a certified medical status can be found in Section 1.3 of the Commercial Driver Manual.
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