WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy is announcing the implementation of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration (NRII) rule effective immediately.
“This new digitalized system will make life easier for lawful truck drivers and harder for bad actors who want to commit fraud,” Duffy said “It will also enhance safety on our roads and ensure law enforcement has access to the real time data they need to do their jobs. America First means safety first.”
According to Duffy, the new process will replace outdated paper documents that are “ripe for fraud, a hassle for truck drivers to maintain and harder for law enforcement to assess.”
“Safety is at the core of all we do at FMCSA,” said Jesse Elison, FMCSA chief counsel. “By integrating electronic medical certification records directly into state-managed systems, NRII helps ensure only qualified drivers are on our roads while giving our state and enforcement partners the real-time information needed to do their jobs more effectively. Implementation of this rule embodies FMCSA’s commitment to commonsense, efficient, and effective solutions that enhance safety and accountability.”
Background
The Medical Examiner’s Certification Integration (NRII) rule modernizes how driver medical certification information is shared, replacing the outdated paper-based process with a secure, electronic transmission. This move enhances data accuracy, improves enforcement efficiency, and significantly reduces the risk of fraud.
Initially published in 2015, the NRII rule mandates that certified medical examiners use specific forms to document physical qualification examinations and issue medical certificates to qualified commercial motor vehicle drivers. A significant aspect of the NRII rule is the requirement for medical examiners to electronically submit examination results to FMCSA’s National Registry by midnight (local time) of the next calendar day following the examination.
The final phase of the NRII rule, which includes the electronic transmission of medical certification information from the National Registry to State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) went into effect June 23.
As of today, 37 states are fully compliant with the new rule, and the remaining states are expected to meet all requirements in the coming months.
Key Points for NRII
- Electronic transmission of driver medical certification information uploaded by certified medical examiners into FMCSA’s National Registry and from the National Registry to SDLAs for posting on the motor vehicle records.
- Elimination of paper records, which reduces errors and opportunities for document fraud.
- Real-time access to medical certification status for roadside inspectors and law enforcement officials.
- Increased accountability, as only certified medical examiners can report the results of physical qualification exams through the National Registry system.
- The NRII rule supports FMCSA’s broader mission to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses by leveraging technology and data to strengthen oversight and transparency in the commercial motor vehicle industry.
For more information about the NRII rule, including a fact sheet, visit the FMCSA NRII Learning Center.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
Im still keeping my original forms with me. Even though they have been electronically submitted to my state and federal agencies, I will keep them in case there’s a system malfunction