DOT physical in Georgia
The exam itself is federal — same standards, same certified examiners in every state. What's state-specific is what happens to the result: in Georgia it lands with the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS). Since 2025 you no longer carry the card there yourself, and that change is exactly where drivers get caught out — a valid card in your wallet does not stop a downgrade if the record never updated.
What changed on June 23, 2025
Since 23 June 2025, certified medical examiners report every commercial driver exam into the FMCSA National Registry by midnight of the next calendar day, and the Registry sends the result to your state licensing agency. Examiners no longer have to hand you the paper certificate (Form MCSA-5876), and you no longer file it with the state yourself.
Most guidance online still describes the old process, where you uploaded, mailed, or walked the card in. States switched on their own dates— Georgia on June 18, 2025 — so advice written before that date can still be circulating.
The two forms and what changed covers the federal side in full — which form is which, and why your motor vehicle record is now the proof of certification.
How your medical card reaches DDS
Georgia moved five days before the federal deadline. Since 18 June 2025 every medical certificate reaches DDS electronically from FMCSA via the National Registry, and DDS will not accept one by mail, fax, email, online, or in person at a Customer Service Center. To update or renew, get examined by an examiner on the National Registry and the certificate follows automatically.
You'll also self-certify your driving category (interstate or intrastate, excepted or non-excepted). Most for-hire freight driving is non-excepted interstate — the category that requires a current medical certificate on file. If you're unsure, your carrier's safety department will know which box you belong in.
Every submission channel is closed, not just some
DDS spelled out all five — mail, fax, email, online, in person — because drivers kept trying. If someone tells you to drop the card at a Customer Service Center, that advice predates 18 June 2025.
Self-certification: no new form each time, but changes are in person
You self-certify to a single type of commercial operation when you renew, and you do not need a new form every time your medical certificate updates. Changing your self-certification type is different: that requires an in-person visit to a Customer Service Center, and it may add or remove restrictions, which means a new licence is issued.
The exam is the same everywhere
Any examiner on the FMCSA National Registry can certify you, in Georgia or any other state — the card is valid nationwide for up to 24 months (shorter if a condition like high blood pressure needs monitoring). What the examiner checks doesn't change at the state line:
- The requirements — vision, hearing, blood pressure, and the conditions that need extra paperwork
- What to expect at the exam — the visit step by step
- Where to get it done — clinic types and typical prices, plus what it costs
Find a certified examiner in Georgia
Search the FMCSA National Registry by ZIP code — every listing is a certified examiner whose exam counts in Georgia and everywhere else. Call ahead for hours, walk-in policy, and price; the registry does not list them. Clinic types and typical prices are on the near-me page.
Frequently asked
- Can I email or mail my medical card to Georgia DDS?
- No. Since 18 June 2025 DDS no longer accepts medical certificates by mail, fax, email, online, or in person. Your examiner submits to FMCSA and it is transmitted to DDS electronically.
- Do I need a new self-certification form every time my medical card is renewed?
- No. A new self-certification form is not required each time an updated medical certificate is submitted. But if you want to change your self-certification type, you have to visit a DDS Customer Service Center in person.
Other states
Sources
Every procedure on this page comes from the agency's own page or the federal rule, with the day it was read. Open any of them to check a step yourself.
- Georgia DDS — CDL medical certification and self-certification — read 2026-08-22
- Georgia DDS press release — federal commercial medical certificate mandate (2025-05-30) — read 2026-08-22
- FMCSA — National Registry II implementation guidance — read 2026-08-22
Agency procedures and fees change, and states implemented the federal rule on different dates. Confirm current details with the Georgia Department of Driver Services before you rely on this.