article
March 07, 2022

Expiration of a certification waiver for bus drivers

Source:  New York State DMV
Bus Driver

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) waived until March 1, 2022, the requirement under 49 CFR 391.45 that CDL holders, CLP holders, and non-CDL drivers have a medical examination and certification, provided they had proof of a valid medical certification and any required medical variance (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5T such as an exemption letter or a skill performance evaluation certificate) issued for a period of 90 days or longer and expired on or after September 1st, 2021. Drivers whose medical examiners certificate (MEC) expired on or after September 1st, 2021 had until February 28, 2022 to submit an updated medical certificate to the DMV.

Please note, effective March 1, 2022, drivers in this category who do not have an MEC on file were placed in a “Not Certified” status and will be notified by mail that their license will be downgraded to a non-CDL class in 55 days.

Commercial drivers that receive a downgrade letter and have an updated, valid medical certificate must submit their certificate to the Medical Certification Unit by fax: (518) 486-4421 or (518) 486-3260 or by Email: dmv.sm.cdlmedcertunit@dmv.ny.gov as soon as possible to avoid having their CDL license downgraded.  Once a CDL has been downgraded, drivers must visit their local DMV office to upgrade their license and pay the appropriate amendment fees.   Drivers should also monitor their license status using MyDMV to ensure that their submitted medical certificate has been received and added to their driving record.

The FMCSA waiver can be found here: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/emergency/waiver-response-covid-19-national-emergency-states-cdl-holders-clp-holders-and-4

Read more: Bus drivers face stricter requirements