FMCSA-MED-NRII-FAQ001(2025-07-07)

Question:  If a State has not implemented National Registry II by the June 23, 2025, compliance date, what does FMCSA recommend medical examiners, drivers, and motor carriers do until the State is compliant?

Guidance:  The National Registry II final rule required States to implement procedures by June 23, 2025, to electronically receive medical certification information from FMCSA’s National Registry and post that information to the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) driver record (see 80 FR 22790, 86 FR 32643). States that have not implemented National Registry II are noncompliant with 49 CFR 384.234. Noncompliant States are unable to receive medical certification information electronically and continue to use paper Medical Examiner’s Certificates until the State implements NRII. 

FMCSA publishes the list of noncompliant States that have not yet implemented NRII on the NRII Learning Center page: https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/nriilearning-center. Medical examiners should verify the driver’s State of licensure prior to the examination against the list of States that have not implemented NRII.  

FMCSA recommends medical examiners, drivers, and motor carriers continue to follow the prior paper-based procedures summarized below to ensure drivers licensed in noncompliant States are not negatively impacted by the State’s noncompliance. Drivers licensed in noncompliant States may print this guidance and bring it to their physical qualification examination to inform the medical examiner of the driver’s need for the paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876.

Medical examiners:

• Issue a driver licensed in a noncompliant State a paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876, AND submit the examination result to the National Registry by midnight (local time) of the next calendar day. If the medical examiner does not issue the driver a paper Medical Examiner’s Certificate, the SDLA will not receive the information to update the driver record.

Drivers licensed in noncompliant States:

• Submit a paper copy of their Medical Examiner’s Certificate, MCSA-5876, to their SDLA. For questions related to the submission process, please contact the appropriate SDLA. 

Motor carriers that employ commercial learner’s permit or commercial driver’s license holders licensed in noncompliant States:

• Use a copy of the driver’s current medical examiner's certificate that was submitted to the SDLA as proof of the driver's medical certification for up to 15 days after the date it was issued and place a copy in the driver’s qualification file.

Contact Info:  FMCSA Medical Programs Division, FMCSAMedical@dot.gov.
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Note: This guidance is not legally binding in its own right and will not be relied upon by the Department as a separate basis for affirmative enforcement action or other administrative penalty.  Conformity with this guidance (as distinct from existing statutes and regulations) is voluntary only, and non-conformity will not affect rights and obligations under existing statutes and regulations.