A number of modifications to the way CDL and CLP (Commercial Learner’s Permit) holders handle medical certification and skills testing were suggested and put into effect by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2024 and 2025. These changes create concerns regarding timing, compliance, and state-by-state transitions, but they also have the potential to cut red tape if they are implemented.

Digitalization of Medical Certification and the Phase-Out of Paper

As of June 23, 2025, one of the most significant changes will be that certified medical examiners will have to electronically report the results of DOT medical exams to FMCSA’s National Registry, which will then forward them to State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs). In participating states, CDL/CLP holders will no longer have to physically provide paper medical cards to their state DMV.

FMCSA has changed a waiver to facilitate the transition: holders of CDLs and CLPs may continue to use paper copies of the medical certificate for up to 60 days following issuance, allowing states to catch up with electronic systems.

This rule is already in effect in states like Texas, where medical examiners are required to transmit results by midnight on the calendar day after the exam and the state will only accept medical certificates submitted electronically through the National Registry after June 23.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the shift. On the plus side, it promises improved coordination between examiners, FMCSA, and state DMVs, as well as fewer administrative burdens and lost or delayed certificates.

However, in mixed-state operations, some states may lag, resulting in duplicate systems or delayed updates, therefore drivers and carriers must be proactive.

CDL Testing Flexibility: Suggested Changes

To make it easier to enter the field, FMCSA is also suggesting modifications to the fundamental CDL/CLP testing guidelines. The following are some of the suggested changes (released in an NPRM):

• Increasing the number of states in which you can take the CDL skills test outside of your home state
  
  

• Removing the 14-day waiting period that must pass between receiving a CLP and being eligible to take the skills test
  
  

• Allowing CLP holders who have successfully completed the skills test to drive without a certified CDL holder accompanying them
  
  

• Increasing third-party knowledge tester supervision, training, and record checks
  
  

• Under some circumstances, removing the need for a “passenger (P)” endorsement when transporting an empty passenger-designed vehicle (driveaway/towaway operations)

According to FMCSA, formalizing these “flexibilities” would lower barriers without sacrificing safety because many of them are similar to waivers already given during the COVID-19 era.

The agency is currently soliciting public feedback on the revisions and is still reviewing those proposals.

The stakes are significant since these reforms have the potential to modernize CDL issuing, ease the process of hiring new drivers, and lower friction. However, both drivers and the licensing organizations must be alert and flexible for the implementation to go smoothly.