CDL medical certifications will be accepted only through National Registry from May 19

HONOLULU –Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders in Hawai‘i are informed through this notice that beginning May 19, 2025, all CDL Medical Certificates must be submitted directly to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) National Registry database. Medical certifications for “Non-excepted” driving operations cannot be submitted through the Motor Vehicle Safety Office or county CDL offices on and after May 19. All inquiries regarding handling of this process may be sent to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT) Driver Records email at [email protected].

CDL Medical Certification through the FMCSA National Registry is mandated in the National Registry II Final Rule. All jurisdictions in the United States will only accept medical certifications updated via the National Registry database. Text of the final rule can be found at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/federal-register-documents/2021-13177

In Hawai‘i, only CDL drivers that are self-certified as “Non-excepted Interstate” and “Non-excepted Intrastate” require medical certifications transmitted via the medical examiner. Information about the categories of self-certification is available at the following website: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/how-do-i-determine-which-4-categories-commercial-motor-vehicle-cmv-operation-i-should-self.

The National Registry II standards do not apply to commercial drivers holding a type 3 or type 4 driver’s license. These drivers only need a physical copy of their medical certification, which must be kept on their person when driving commercially.

For CDL holders in Hawai‘i:

• Your medical examiner, certified via the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, will transmit the medical certification information to FMCSA’s National Registry database. FMCSA will then transmit the medical certification data to the state of Hawai‘i Driver License Information System.

 

• Effective May 19, 2025, no submission of medical certification information aside from the above process will be accepted.

 

• If you are a CDL holder anticipating updating your medical certification prior to May 19, continue sending your information to the appropriate County Commercial Driver Licensing Office or the Motor Vehicle Safety Office to avoid any issues with proper updating of your CDL medical certification status.

For additional information, please visit the HDOT Motor Vehicle Safety Office website at: https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/library/motor-vehicle-safety-office/

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