Your driver was put out of service over a medical card: how to fix it

Why a valid medical card still gets drivers stopped

For CDL and CLP holders, the medical certificate is now meant to travel electronically from the examiner to the state licensing agency and onto the CDLIS driver record. Under 49 CFR 391.41(a)(2), a CDL or CLP driver no longer has to carry the certificate from June 23, 2025 onward. Drivers with an FMCSA medical variance must still keep that variance paperwork on them while on duty.

That system has not worked smoothly everywhere. FMCSA's April 2026 exemption notice says five states had not implemented the rule: Alaska, California, Kentucky, Louisiana and New Hampshire. The exemption it granted covers relying on a paper copy of the certificate for up to 60 days after it was issued, with October 11, 2026 as its last day. The notice also says states, carriers and drivers should not expect additional nationwide waivers or exemptions.

For carriers, 49 CFR 391.51 requires the CDLIS motor vehicle record in the driver qualification file. A non-excepted interstate CDL holder with no medical certification status on that record is treated as not-certified. Under 49 CFR 383.73(o), the state must complete a downgrade within 60 days of a driver becoming not-certified. A paper card in the glove box does not fix the record. Non-CDL drivers are different: 49 CFR 391.41(a)(1)(i) still has them carry the certificate.

What to do, in order

1. 1

   Get the exact reason from the inspection report

   Read the roadside inspection report and note what the officer cited. Missing certificate, expired certificate, and not-certified status on the CDL record are three different problems with three different fixes. Do not move the truck or the driver until you know which one it is and what the report says about release.

2. 2

   Find the date on the driver's current certificate

   Look at the issue date on the medical examiner's certificate. The exemption only covers a certificate issued within the prior 60 days, and its last day is October 11, 2026. Confirm the name and license number on it match the CDL exactly.

3. 3

   Check what the state shows for the driver

   Ask the driver to look up their record with the state licensing agency, or pull the CDLIS motor vehicle record as 49 CFR 391.51 requires for the file. If the exam is not on the record, call the examiner's office and ask them to confirm they transmitted the results and how the name, date of birth and license number were entered.

4. 4

   Keep a paper copy on the driver and in the file until it posts

   The driver should have a copy of the current certificate on their person, and the carrier should hold a copy. That is what the exemption notice describes. Treat it as a bridge only: the exemption's last day is October 11, 2026, and a copy does not correct the state record.

5. 5

   Push the state to post the record

   If the examiner transmitted correctly and the state still shows nothing, contact the state licensing agency and ask what it needs to post the certificate. If the exam was in a state that has not implemented the rule, ask what that state accepts. Write down who you spoke to and when.

6. 6

   Re-check the record after it posts

   Do not assume the fix worked. Pull the record again a few days later and confirm the status reads certified. Place the new motor vehicle record in the driver qualification file.

7. 7

   Look for a downgrade notice

   A driver whose status stays not-certified can be downgraded by the state, which must complete it within 60 days under 49 CFR 383.73(o). If a notice arrives, the driver can submit a current certificate to the state. See our guide on a medical certificate that is not on the CDL record and the October 2026 paper exemption explainer.

8. 8

   Set a reminder for the next exam

   Put the certificate expiration date on a calendar and check the state record within two weeks of every new exam. A one-truck carrier usually finds out about a gap at a scale house, so checking early matters more than the paperwork.

What this costs

When this is not your situation: If the driver was put out of service for something other than the medical card, such as an order against the carrier, tell us. That is a different problem; see our guide on an out-of-service order.

Related problems

• My USDOT number was deactivated
• My new authority is stuck pending in Motus
• I failed my new entrant safety audit

Questions people ask at this point

Sources

• Federal Register: Qualification of Drivers; CVSA Application for Exemption (April 14, 2026)
• eCFR: 49 CFR 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers
• eCFR: 49 CFR 391.51 Driver qualification file
• eCFR: 49 CFR 383.73 State procedures
• Federal Register: Qualification of Drivers; CVSA Application for Exemption, provisional renewal for Alaska (October 8, 2026)

Last reviewed October 11, 2026. TenFour is a compliance service, not a law firm, and is not affiliated with FMCSA or any government agency. Regulations and enforcement postures change, verify anything time-sensitive against the sources above before you act on it.