The DOT physical form
There are two, and drivers mix them up constantly. One is the long report filled in during the exam. The other is the certificate you walk out with. Only half of the first one is your job.
The two forms
- MCSA-5875 — Medical Examination Report
- The long one. You fill in the health history section; the examiner fills in the findings and the determination. It stays with the examiner, who keeps it on file for three years. Download MCSA-5875 from FMCSA.
- MCSA-5876 — Medical Examiner’s Certificate
- The short one, issued only if you are certified. This is the “medical card”. Your employer gets a copy; keep one yourself. Get MCSA-5876 from FMCSA.
Both are published free by FMCSA and every certified examiner has them. There is nothing to buy.
What changed — current 2026 rule
If you last renewed before mid-2025, the routine you remember is gone. Under the Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration rule, effective 23 June 2025, the certified examiner transmits your results to FMCSA electronically by midnight of the next calendar day. FMCSA passes them to your state driver licensing agency.
The electronic system is still the rule, but the transition is not finished everywhere. FMCSA granted a nationwide six-month exemption effective 11 April through 11 October 2026. During that window, drivers and motor carriers may rely on a paper MCSA-5876 for up to 60 days after it is issued while the electronic record catches up.
The practical answer is simple: keep the paper certificate, follow your state licensing agency’s current submission instructions, and check your motor vehicle record after the exam. In a state that has fully implemented NRII you normally do not submit the card yourself; if the state still uses a paper step, its instructions control until implementation is complete.
The nationwide exemption expires October 11, 2026. This page was reviewed September 11, 2026; check the linked FMCSA notice if you are reading it later.
Your half of the form
The health history is the only part you complete, and it is where drivers create their own problems. Fill it in at home, not on a clipboard with the examiner waiting.
- Every medication you take, including over-the-counter and supplements — with dose
- Conditions you have been diagnosed with, even if well controlled
- Surgeries and hospital stays, with rough dates
- Whether you use a CPAP, insulin, or any assistive device
- Contact details for the doctors treating anything ongoing
Disclose, do not edit
Leaving a condition or medication off is falsification rather than an oversight, and examiners can see your exam history in the National Registry. Most conditions — controlled blood pressure, treated sleep apnea, well-managed diabetes — are certifiable. Hiding one is what turns a certifiable driver into a disqualified one.
The examiner’s half
Everything below is recorded by the examiner on the same report. Knowing what is coming makes the appointment shorter.
- Height, weight, pulse and blood pressure
- Vision — 20/40 or better in each eye with or without correction, plus field of vision and colour recognition
- Hearing — the forced whisper test at five feet, or an audiometric test
- Urinalysis, which screens for protein, blood and sugar — not a drug test
- A physical examination covering the systems listed in the federal standards
The urinalysis on this form is not a drug screen — that is a separate test with its own rules. More on that here.
Bring these to the appointment
- Photo ID and your driver license
- The completed health history section
- Glasses, contacts or hearing aids you normally drive with
- A current medication list from your pharmacy — easier than remembering doses
- Any supporting paperwork: CPAP compliance data, a recent A1c, a cardiologist’s clearance
- Your previous medical certificate if you still have it
Frequently asked
- What form is used for a DOT physical?
- Two. The MCSA-5875 Medical Examination Report is the long form filled in during the exam — you complete the health history, the examiner completes everything else. The MCSA-5876 Medical Examiner’s Certificate is the short one the examiner issues if you pass.
- Do I still have to take my medical card to the DMV?
- Usually not in a state that has fully implemented NRII: the examiner sends the result electronically. But a nationwide FMCSA exemption in effect from April 11 through October 11, 2026 lets drivers and carriers use a paper MCSA-5876 as proof for up to 60 days after it is issued. Follow your state licensing agency’s current instructions and keep the paper copy.
- Can I fill out the DOT physical form in advance?
- You can and you should — but only your half. Filling in the health history at home instead of on a clipboard in the waiting room is the single easiest way to shorten the appointment and avoid forgetting a medication.
- Where do I get the MCSA-5875 form?
- FMCSA publishes both forms free on its website, and every certified examiner has them. There is no reason to pay a third-party site for a copy.
- What happens if I leave something off the health history?
- Omitting a condition or a medication is treated as falsification, not as a mistake. It can void the certificate and follows you — examiners see your exam history in the National Registry. Disclose and let the examiner judge it; most conditions are certifiable.
- How long is the certificate valid?
- Up to 24 months. The examiner can issue a shorter certificate — commonly one year, three months, or six months — when a condition such as blood pressure needs monitoring.
Next
Official sources · reviewed September 11, 2026: MCSA-5875, MCSA-5876, and the 2026 NRII exemption notice.