FMCSA Narrows Paper Medical Certificate Exemption to Alaska Only
FMCSA provisionally renewed, for one year, an exemption allowing commercial learner's permit and CDL holders licensed by Alaska, and their employers, to rely on a paper copy of the medical examiner's certificate (MEC) as proof of medical certification for up to 60 days after it was issued. The agency said in the notice that Alaska is the only state that has not implemented the Medical Examiner's Certification Integration (NRII) final rule, which replaced paper MEC handling with electronic transmission to state licensing agencies. All other states and the District of Columbia have implemented NRII, so drivers and carriers there can no longer use the paper-copy grace period as of October 12, 2026.
The exemption traces back to an April 2026 FMCSA grant responding to a request from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, which sought relief for all states while NRII rollout issues were resolved. With 49 states and DC now compliant, FMCSA narrowed the renewal to Alaska drivers and carriers only. The exemption does not change physical qualification standards, only how certification is proven on paper.
What's next
- 2026-10-12: Exemption effective; non-Alaska paper-MEC relief ends.
- 2027-10-12: Alaska exemption expires.
- Comments may be filed in docket FMCSA-2026-0265; no closing date was stated in the notice.
All sources
- Notice (public inspection): Exemption Application: Qualification of Drivers; Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance — Federal Register public inspection (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), 2026-10-08
