Medical Card

New Medical Certification Requirements

Please Note: Failure to comply will result in the CDL license being downgraded immediately to a regular operators' license.

  • As of May 21, 2014, all Department of Transportation medical exams must be performed by "Certified" medical examiners. A complete list of Certified Medical Examiners can be found on the National Registry website.
  • FMSCA requires both CDL drivers and Certified Medical Doctors to use the New Medical Examiners Certificate and New Medical Examiners Report. We will accept previous medical cards for Self-Certification. All Certified Doctors have been informed.
  • All CDL holders will be required to show their Medical Examiner's Certificate for all transactions of non-excepted drivers.
  • Starting March 22, 2022, A new vision standard became effective replacing the vision waiver/exemption which is the Vision Evaluation Report.

About the Vision Evaluation Report, Form MCSA–5871:

The Qualification of Drivers; Vision Standard final rule (87 FR 3390, Jan. 21, 2022) requires that at least annually, an individual who does not satisfy, with the worse eye, either the distant visual acuity standard with corrective lenses or the field of vision standard or both, must be medically examined and certified by a Medical Examiner as physically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle.  The Medical Examiner must receive a completed Vision Evaluation Report, Form MCSA–5871, that is signed and dated by an ophthalmologist or optometrist before each required physical qualification examination.  The examination conducted by the Medical Examiner must begin not more than 45 days after an ophthalmologist or optometrist signs and dates the Vision Evaluation Report, Form MCSA–5871

Medical Examination

Frequently Asked Questions

401-462-2122

Yes, you will be downgraded until such time that you provide the new medical certificate to the CDL Office at the Cranston DMV.  This can be done by either scheduling an in-person reservation or by using the online service for medical certificates on the DMV Website

A medical certificate is required to take a knowledge/written test for a CDL license.

Upon completion of entering all the medical certificates received through our online service, an email will be sent to inform you that it was processed successfully.  If for some reason we were not able to process the medical certificate submitted, an email will be sent to explain why it was not successfully processed.

If you did not submit the proper format or if a mistake was made on your email address, you will not receive confirmation.  Please be sure that your email address is correct before submitting.  Please allow up to 48 hours for processing of those medical certificates submitted Monday through Friday ( 8:30 to 3:30 excluding holidays) and up to 72 hours for after-hours, holidays, and weekends.

Unless you are changing your self-certification, there is no need to submit a medical certificate.

A medical certificate is valid for the period that the DOT physician has certified.  A medical certificate cannot exceed 2 years but certainly can be less.

Yes.The email address is DMV.CDL@dmv.ri.gov or it may be faxed to 401-462-5805.

Yes, you may submit a medical certificate from any state as long as the physician completing the certificate is on the National Registry.

Yes, as long as you are not changing the way you self-certify.

All in-person transaction require an appointment/reservation.