Frequently Asked Questions

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• What must I do to comply with the requirements for making my medical certification part of my commercial driver license driving record?

  You must self-certify to a single type of commercial operation on your driver license application form when you:

  • Apply for a commercial driver license

  • Renew a commercial driver license

  • Apply for a higher class of commercial driver license

  • Apply for a new endorsement on a commercial driver license

  • Transfer a commercial driver license from another State

  Based on the self-certification, you may need to provide the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles with a current U.S. Department of Transportation medical examiner's certificate and show any variance/waiver or skills performance evaluation you may have to obtain or keep your commercial driver license.

• What is a variance/waiver? What is an SPE?
  ​A variance/waiver may be granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for certain commercial driver license operators with vision or diabetes issues.
  
  A skills performance evaluation, or SPE, may be required for commercial driver license operators who have a loss of limb before a variance/waiver may be granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
  
  A waiver may be granted by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicle's Medical Review Program for certain operators who cannot meet the federal medical certification requirements.
• After I provide NCDMV with my unexpired DOT medical examiner's certificate, do I still have to carry an original or copy of my medical examiner's certificate?
  Yes. Until the program is fully implemented you will still have to carry an original or copy of the DOT medical examiner's certificate and provide a copy to your employer for your driver qualification file.
• What should I do when my medical certificate and/or variance is about to expire?
  ​You must have a new medical examination and obtain a new DOT medical examiner's certificate. You must then provide NCDMV the new DOT medical examiner's certificate. You are also responsible for applying for a renewal of your variance/waiver if required.
• What happens if my medical examiner's certificate or variance expires before I provide NCDMV with a new one?
  ​NCDMV will notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a commercial motor vehicle in non-excepted interstate/non-excepted intrastate commerce. You will have 30 days to respond, or your entire North Carolina driving privileges will be canceled.
• How can I get back my commercial driver license privileges?
  If the federal Department of Transportation medical examiner's certificate has expired, you must obtain a new one and provide it to NCDMV. If the variance has expired, you must renew it with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. NCDMV may require retesting and additional fees to restore your commercial driver license privileges.

Last updated Jul. 1, 2019