Alaska commercial drivers get another year of paper medical certificates as states go electronic

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has provisionally renewed, for one year, an exemption that lets Alaska-licensed commercial drivers and their employers rely on a paper medical examiner's certificate for up to 60 days after it is issued, according to a notice dated Oct. 7.

Alaska is the only state that has not put the federal electronic medical-certification system in place, according to the Federal Register notice. Drivers licensed in the other 49 states and the District of Columbia lose the paper option entirely on Oct. 12. The renewal ensures Alaska drivers with valid medical certification "can continue to operate," the agency said.

The exemption covers holders of an Alaska-issued commercial driver's license or commercial learner's permit, and the motor carriers that employ them, from Oct. 12, 2026, through Oct. 12, 2027. A driver must carry a copy of a current, valid certificate issued by a certified medical examiner within the prior 60 days, and the carrier must keep the same copy on file. The exemption does not change any physical qualification standard.

The federal rule, finalized in 2015, replaces paper certificates with exam results sent electronically from a national registry to state licensing agencies. Since compliance became required in June 2025, the agency has issued waivers and then a six-month exemption covering every state, which expires Oct. 11. After that, the paper option remains only in Alaska.

States may not enforce conflicting rules on interstate trucking while the exemption is in effect, though they may adopt the same terms for intrastate trips.

The agency does not expect covered drivers' safety records to deteriorate. It will revoke the exemption if safety falls below the level kept before it was granted, according to the notice signed by Administrator Derek D. Barrs. Public comment is open through docket FMCSA-2026-0265 on Regulations.gov.