In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has suspended the automatic downgrade of commercial driver licenses (CDL) by providing CDL holders with an extension for the medical certificates required for CDLs if a driver is unable to provide a current medical certificate due to COVID-19. This action comes in light of guidelines issued last month by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and following the closure of DPS driver license (DL) offices across the state due to COVID-19.
FMCSA has waived compliance for medical certificates until June 30. While DPS will still be processing any medical certificates received, this federal guidance has allowed DPS to discontinue the downgrade of CDLs for those individuals with expired medical certificates. This extension helps ensure that commercial drivers are able to continue working throughout the current national emergency due to COVID-19.
Any driver with an updated certificate can submit it to DPS via email at CDLMedCert@dps.texas.gov or by fax at (512) 424-2002. For those commercial drivers following the extension guidelines, it’s important to note that you will have 60 days from the date DPS provides public notice that normal issuance procedures have resumed to submit a current medical certificate. When DPS resumes normal DL operations and offices are reopened, CDL holders will be able to renew their licenses without penalty.
