Feds extend paper medical certificate exemption for Alaska commercial drivers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration filed a notice dated Oct. 7 provisionally renewing, 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.

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. It runs 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. A 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 electronic transmission of exam results from a national registry to state licensing agencies. Compliance was required as of June 23, 2025. The agency then issued waivers allowing paper copies, first for 15 days and later for 60 days. In April, at the request of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, it granted a six-month exemption covering every state. That exemption took effect April 11, 2026, and expires Oct. 11. The relief now narrows to Alaska alone.

States may not enforce conflicting rules on interstate trucking while the exemption is in effect. 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. Questions go to Christine A. Hydock, chief of the agency's Medical Programs Division, at [email protected].