In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a waiver on expired CDLs and Medical Certifications. The move by FMCSA aims at providing relief on regulations that govern commercial driver licenses and learner permits during tough times.

OnMarch 24, FMCSA issued a previous notice that also similarly covered regulatoryrequirements that affect CDL and CLP holders. The waiver will provide relief todrivers who may not be able to renew their licenses or permits. Similarly, thewaiver applies to those who won’t provide the licensing agency with updatedmedical certificates.

Dueto the Covid-19 pandemic, the notice stated that there had been challenges,including employee absenteeism, minimized operation hours, amongst others. Thechallenges primarily resulted from the guidelines meant to uphold socialdistancing. The note acknowledges that return to normalcy hasn’t been uniformthroughout the country. In addition to the challenges, drivers also havelimited access to medical examiners, making it difficult to get appointments.

The states were granted the authority to extend the validity periods for the CDLs that expire on or after March 1, 2020. Usually, the validity lasts for a maximum of eight years, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.  Like the CDLs, states have the free will to extend the periods for CLPs that expired on or after March 1, 2020. The holders will renew without the need for retaking the general and endorsement knowledge tests. CLP holders will no longer have to wait for 14 days to take the CDL skills test.

Thewaiver will allow drivers to operate without medical examination andcertification, provided that they provide proof of having a valid medicalcertification. The certification must have been 90 days or longer and expiredon or after September 1, 2020. To maintain the ‘certified’ medicalcertification status, the CDL or CLP holders will no longer be required toprovide the examiner’s proof of a valid medical certification. They would onlybe required to prove that their medical certification or medical varianceexpired on or after September 1, 2020.

Uponexpiration of the medical examiner’s certificate or medical variance, the statelicensing agency will not downgrade the CDL or CLP. All the same, the driversmust provide evidence that their medical certification or medical varianceexpired on or after September 1, 2020. FMCSA will continue with the recognitionof the Canadian and Mexican government agencies' CDLs.

The notice reiterated that the main aim of the waivers is to ensure that drivers are still able to serve the nation with the essential services without disruptions. Drivers that work on the Covid-19 related emergency services will be given relief on the aspect of hours-of-service regulations. All these efforts are driven towards seamless operations amidst the current situation.