NRCME 10 YEAR RECERTIFICATION FOR MEDICAL EXAMINERS
Time for your 10-Year Recertification?
Train to be a Leader in your Field
Providers that have been certified and listed on the National Registry are required to be recertified no sooner than 9 years and no later than 10 years after the date of issuance of your Medical Examiner certification credential. Recertification requires that you again complete a qualified training program, such as ours, and again take and pass the NRCME certification examination. Once you again pass the NRCME certification examination the FMCSA will issue a new Medical Examiner certification credential which will again be valid for 10 years.
Due to the delayed launch of the 5-year periodic training, and the extended timeframe for completion, FMCSA has received numerous questions regarding how the 10-year periodic training and testing requirements will be implemented as we have some MEs that will reach their 10-year National Registry certification expiration date starting in January 2022.
Regulatory Requirement
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations under 49 CFR 390.111 – Requirements for Continued Listing on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, requires certified MEs to complete periodic training and receive a passing score on the National Registry Medical Examiner Certification Test no sooner than 9 years and no later than 10 years after the date of issuance of the ME’s certification credential by FMCSA.
NRCME Initial and 10-Year Recertification Training courses now include the 5-Year Refresher Training Content and 2022 FMCSA New Vision Standard.
How to Complete 10-year Periodic Training and Testing
MEs will complete training provided by private sector training organizations in the same manner as the initial National Registry Medical Examiner training required for certification. After successfully completing the training and uploading proof of training completion (i.e., training certificate) to your National Registry account, you will be eligible to take the 10-year certification test. The 10-year certification test will be provided by the two FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric and PSI) in the same manner as the initial National Registry Medical Examiner Certification Test.
MEs Past or Currently Due to Complete 10-year Periodic Training and Testing (MEs past the 9-year timeframe)
To ensure that all MEs in this status have a full year to complete the required recertification training and pass the certification test, FMCSA will not take action against affected MEs for noncompliance with the regulations for not completing the training and passing the certification test within the 10-year timeframe.
The 10-year periodic training and testing function in the National Registry will be available starting on January 1, 2022. All MEs will receive an email at the professional contact email address listed in their National Registry account notifying them when the 10-year periodic training and testing is due to be completed. To be sure you receive notifications regarding the 10-year periodic training and testing, please log into your National Registry account and review your profile to ensure your professional contact email address is correct.
The table below explains how much extra time you will receive to complete the training and testing based on the training and testing being available January 1, 2022, and the month in which your National Registry certification expires.
Certification Expires Extra Time to Complete Training and Testing
| Date | Expiration |
|---|---|
| January 2022 | 12 Months |
| February 2022 | 11 Months |
| March 2022 | 10 Months |
| April 2022 | 9 Months |
| May 2022 | 8 Months |
| June 2022 | 7 Months |
| July 2022 | 6 Months |
| August 2022 | 5 Months |
| September 2022 | 4 Months |
| October 2022 | 3 Months |
| November 2022 | 2 Months |
| December 2022 | 1 Month |
Based on this information, FMCSA encourages MEs to take full advantage of the extended 1-year timeframe by starting training and testing actions on January 1, 2022.
Steps for MEs to Complete 10-year Training and Testing
National Registry Certification Expires in 2022
All MEs whose National Registry certification expires in 2022, will have a full year to complete the 10-year periodic training and pass the certification test if MEs take full advantage of the extended 1-year timeframe by starting training and testing actions on January 1, 2022. To complete these requirements as outlined in 49 CFR 390.111, please complete the following steps:
- Contact the private sector training organizations to schedule training
- Complete training
- Log into your National Registry account and upload your proof of training (i.e., training certificate)
- Contact one of the 2 FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric or PSI) to schedule the certification test
- Take and pass the certification test prior to your National Registry certification expiration
- Regulatory Compliance and your National Registry Account
For all MEs whose certification expires in 2022, depending on when you complete your 10-year training and testing requirements, you may notice your National Registry user profile indicates that your certification has expired. This will not impact your ability to perform physical qualification examinations and use the National Registry system, and as indicated above, FMCSA will not take action against affected MEs for noncompliance with the regulations for not completing the training and passing the certification test within the 10-year timeframe. However, any MEs whose certification expires in 2022 that have not completed the 10-year periodic training and received a passing score on the 10-year certification test by December 31, 2022, will be removed from the National Registry for noncompliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
National Registry Certification Expires in 2024 or Later
All MEs whose National Registry certification expires in 2024 or later will be notified by FMCSA after their 9-year certification anniversary that they need to complete their 10-year periodic training and pass the certification test. Once notified, MEs should follow the steps outlined below:
- Contact the private sector training organizations to schedule training
- Complete training
- Log into your National Registry account and upload your proof of training (i.e., training certificate
- Contact one of the 2 FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric or PSI) to schedule the certification test
- Take and pass the certification test prior to your National Registry certification expiration.
- If you have questions related to this message, please contact the National Registry Helpdesk at FMCtechsup@dot.gov or 617-494-3003.
Providers that are already certified and listed on the National Registry are required to complete recertification no sooner than 9 years and no later than 10 years after the date of issuance of the Medical Examiner certification. Recertification requires that providers again complete a qualified NRCME certification training program, such as NADME’s, upload a copy of your new training certificate to your NRCME profile, and again take and pass the NRCME certification examination. Once you pass the NRCME certification examination the FMCSA will issue a new Medical Examiner certification credential certificate which will again be valid for 10 years.
