CDL Medical Certification and Self-Certification
What this domain tests
CDL holders must tell the OMV how they will operate and prove they meet medical standards. The exam tests the four self-certification categories, the Medical Examiner's Certificate (MEC), the National Registry, and what happens when a certificate expires.
Core rules
- Self-certify as one of four: NI (non-excepted interstate), NA (non-excepted intrastate), EI (excepted interstate), EA (excepted intrastate).
- Non-excepted drivers must submit a valid MEC. For interstate operation, the examiner must be listed on the FMCSA National Registry.
- 49 CFR 391.41 requires, among other things, 20/40 vision in each eye with or without correction, a 70-degree field, and hearing by whisper test.
- An MEC is valid for up to 24 months. If it expires and is not renewed, the OMV downgrades the CDL; the driver cannot drive a CMV requiring a CDL until the record is updated.
- School bus operation is not automatically "excepted." A public school board may fall within a government exception; a private contractor generally does not. Louisiana may impose its own school bus medical and physical requirements.
Worked example
A driver self-certifies NI and submits an MEC expiring June 30. On July 1 the OMV downgrades the CDL. The driver may not drive the school bus until a new MEC from a National Registry examiner is submitted and the self-certification is updated. Switching to EA does not avoid all medical review because the employer and state may still require it.
Traps
Assuming all school bus drivers are exempt; using an examiner who is not on the National Registry for interstate driving; letting the MEC lapse; and failing to update self-certification after a change in operation or medical condition.