Your DOT medical certificate has an expiration date. Miss it, and your CDL gets downgraded, not suspended, not flagged for review, downgraded. Your employer finds out on the next MVR pull, and you're off the road until it's resolved.
This blog covers what Michigan commercial drivers need to know before their next physical: the exam itself, the conditions that affect certification, the 2025 reporting change that quietly shifted how Michigan handles your paperwork, and how to walk in prepared.
Any CDL or CLP holder operating a commercial motor vehicle must pass a DOT physical every 24 months. This covers interstate and intrastate truck drivers, bus operators, delivery drivers operating vehicles over 26,001 lbs GVWR, and drivers in DOT-regulated industries like construction and utilities.
MI Express Urgent & Primary Care performs DOT physicals at our Canton and Ann Arbor locations, serving drivers across Wayne, Washtenaw, and surrounding counties.
The exam covers:
Most routine exams take about 30 to 45 minutes. Bring a photo ID, a list of current medications, glasses or contacts if you wear them, and any relevant specialist records.
Having a health condition doesn't automatically disqualify you. Most manageable conditions affect certification length, not eligibility.
Blood pressure thresholds:
Diabetes: Well-managed cases generally pass. Insulin-dependent drivers can apply for an FMCSA exemption.
Sleep apnea: Diagnosis alone doesn't disqualify. Untreated OSA does. CPAP-compliant drivers with documented compliance are eligible.
Automatic disqualifiers: Active epilepsy, cannabis use (including medical marijuana under federal law), untreated severe sleep apnea, and insulin-dependent diabetes without a valid FMCSA exemption.
Many manageable health conditions are not automatic disqualifiers.
Automatic disqualifiers include active epilepsy, cannabis use (including medical marijuana, which remains federally restricted), untreated severe sleep apnea, and insulin-dependent diabetes without an FMCSA exemption. Exemption pathways exist for several of these, so one flagged item does not always mean the end of the road.
Michigan adopted the FMCSA's Medical Examiner's Certification Integration Rule early, effective June 14, 2025, ahead of the national compliance date. What changed:
The exam itself has not changed, only the paperwork has been automated. That makes choosing a certified examiner more important than ever: if your MVR does not reflect "Medically Qualified" status, your CDL can be downgraded within 60 days.
The 2025 reporting changes make choosing a registered, experienced examiner more important than ever. Don't wait until your certificate is about to expire, get ahead of it.
MI Express Urgent Care offers DOT physicals at our Canton and Ann Arbor locations, seven days a week, walk-ins welcome.
Most routine exams run 30 to 45 minutes from check-in to results.
Active epilepsy, cannabis use, untreated severe sleep apnea, and insulin-dependent diabetes without an FMCSA exemption are the most common automatic disqualifiers. Several have exemption pathways, so talk to your examiner before assuming the worst.
At MI Express, the self-pay DOT physical fee is $135. Insurance doesn't typically apply to this type of exam, since it's a certification requirement rather than treatment for an illness.
Every 24 months for most drivers, though some conditions require annual or more frequent recertification based on your exam results.
Yes. MI Express Urgent Care in Canton and Ann Arbor accepts walk-ins for DOT physicals, no referral or appointment required.
