The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires everyone who holds a commercial driver’s license and is employed as a commercial driver to receive a comprehensive physical exam at least once every two years. In June 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) made a few important changes to these requirements.
If you employ commercial drivers, understanding the new DOT physical requirements in 2025 is crucial to your business’s compliance. Learn how these changes impacted the process, then schedule your DOT physicals in Wichita, KS, with WorkSafe.
What Are DOT Physicals?
DOT physicals are health check-ups required by the FMCSA, which is an agency under the DOT. Their purpose is to ensure that commercial drivers are physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy enough to meet the rigorous demands of driving commercial vehicles.
Commercial driving jobs often require drivers to work long hours, stay mentally focused for extended periods, and have the physical ability to drive large vehicles safely. Commercial vehicle accidents can lead to serious damage and injuries, and the DOT wants to do its due diligence to ensure drivers are capable.
If your employees meet any of these requirements, they are likely required to complete a DOT physical every 24 months:
- Operate a vehicle designed to carry at least 15 people
- Transport hazardous materials that require their vehicles to have a placard
- Drive a vehicle across states that has a gross combination weight or rating of 10,000+ pounds
Key Changes to DOT Physical Requirements in 2025
As an employer who oversees commercial drivers, you are responsible for keeping up with changes to DOT physical requirements. Failure to adhere to DOT standards could leave you with fees and other penalties.
New DOT physical requirements in 2025 may impact your reporting process. On June 23, 2025, the FMSCA Rule went into effect, altering how DOT physical exam results are reported and attached to CDLs. This rule seeks to streamline the process of updating commercial drivers’ medical certifications, which may be good news for your business.
Now, medical examiners are required to electronically transmit drivers’ exam results directly to the FMCSA. Drivers no longer need to submit their Medical Examiner’s Certificate (MEC) to their state DMV or even provide you with a copy as their employer.
The FMCSA’s National Registry will electronically submit the exam results to the state licensing agencies that issue and manage CDL licenses. The state agencies will then post the results on the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) and the driver’s Motor Vehicle Record (MVR).
Adapting to the New DOT Physical Requirements
As of June 23, 2025, your business can stop storing or collecting Medical Examiner’s Certificates from CDL drivers, as the FMCSA will handle storing and disbursing these to the relevant agencies. You will want to update your orientation and training documents and ensure that all commercial drivers on your team understand the new submission process.
If you employ non-CDL drivers, they may still be required to submit physical MECs. This update only applies to CDL drivers.
What Are the Current DOT Physical Requirements?
The FMCSA’s reporting requirements have changed, making the process easier for employers. But what hasn’t changed are the actual health examination guidelines drivers need to meet.
A DOT physical still consists of the following components:
- Vision test to ensure drivers have a minimum visual acuity of 20/40 in both eyes, with glasses or contact lenses if necessary
- Hearing test to ensure a driver can hear a “forced whisper” from five feet away
- Blood pressure and pulse checks to look for potential cardiovascular concerns
- Urine test to look for underlying health concerns and drug use
- Sleep apnea test for drivers who report drowsiness or other sleep concerns
- A full-body physical exam to check the eyes, ears, throat, heart, chest, lungs, abdomen, and more
Ensure that your drivers undergo a DOT physical every 24 months so that the FMCSA can have updated medical information and renew their driver’s licenses.
Schedule DOT Physicals in Wichita With WorkSafe
Keeping up with new DOT physical requirements in 2025 can ensure your business’s compliance. If you’re looking for a provider who can conduct DOT physicals according to FMCSA compliance standards and submit the appropriate medical documentation under these new requirements, rely on WorkSafe.
Our Occupational health specialists conduct DOT physicals efficiently and comprehensively, then submit the results immediately. We can also help you meet workplace safety standards and better manage work injuries when they arise.
Contact us today at 316-262-8800 to learn how we can help you.