MS Dept. of Public Safety reminds CDL drivers to check their medical cards

The federal waiver for medical certificates expired in February 2022.

In March 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) issued a waiver allowing Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders to continue holding CDL privileges with expired medical certificates as a result of the ongoing COVID pandemic.

This federal waiver applied to “all Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) holders, CDL holders, and non-CDL drivers whose licenses were issued for less than the maximum period… and was valid on February 29, 2020, and expired on or after March 1, 2020, and whose medical certification or medical variance expired on or after December 1, 2021,” according to FMCSA.

Similar waivers were issued over the last two years, with the last being coming in February 2022, when the final waiver expired. After which, drivers were given a 45-day grace period to comply.

As of March 31, 2022, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety reports that approximately 5,600 Mississippi drivers were affected by the April 15, 2022, federal waiver expiration.

CDL drivers wishing to regain compliance must update their medical card and pay a $100 reinstatement fee. Both transactions should be completed in person at any Driver Service Bureau location.

For more details regarding the federal waiver, CDL drivers should visit the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov or one of the Mississippi Driver Service Bureaus, the locations of which can be found here.