DOT physical in Michigan

Filing your medical card with SOS

Michigan CDL holders self-certify and file the medical examiner’s certificate with the Secretary of State — online, by mail or fax to the SOS CDL unit, or at an office visit. Michigan is one of the states where the licensing agency is the Secretary of State, so ignore instructions that mention a “DMV.”

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.

The Secretary of State is your DMV

All CDL medical certification paperwork goes to the Michigan Department of State (SOS). If your certification lapses, SOS mails a notice and then removes the commercial privilege until a current certificate is on file.

Winter conditions, same standards

The physical itself follows the federal standards regardless of state — vision, hearing, blood pressure, and the urine screen. See the requirements guide for the certification-length table tied to blood pressure.

The exam is the same everywhere

Any examiner on the FMCSA National Registry can certify you, in Michigan 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