# DOT physical software that tracks every certificate length, expiry and registry upload in one record

![A medical examiner reviewing a commercial driver's qualification paperwork at a clinic desk, with the certificate and exam report side by side](https://neurobird.com/dotphysical/dotphysical-hero.webp)
*The finding and the certificate length are one decision, made twice, recorded in two places.*

> A DOT physical examiner is a clinician on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners who performs the commercial driver qualification examination. The physical standards sit in 49 CFR 391.41 and the examination and certificate process in 49 CFR 391.43. A certificate runs up to 24 months but is often issued shorter when a finding needs monitoring. Neurobird holds the finding, the certificate length, the expiry and the registry upload on one record per exam.

- URL: https://neurobird.com/dotphysical/
- Product: Neurobird DOT Physical Examiner Compliance Platform
- Niche: DOT physical examiner
- Buyer: certified medical examiners and occupational clinics
- Status: in development, open for early access
- Updated: 2026-08-25

## What Neurobird DOT Physical Examiner does

- Hold the exam finding and the certificate length together, because the second follows from the first
- Track every expiry by driver and by employer, not in a shared calendar nobody owns
- Keep the exam report and the certificate attached to the same record for audit
- Flag determinations that are pending a specialist report before the certificate clock runs out

## How it works

1. **Record the finding and what it forces** Blood pressure stage, vision or hearing result, medication review and any pending specialist report, with the certificate length that follows.
2. **Track expiry by driver and employer** Every certificate carries its own clock. Recertification is scheduled from the record, not from a shared calendar.
3. **Close the loop on upload** The exam result and the registry upload sit on the same record, so an unfinished upload is visible rather than assumed.

## From the source material

> Your employer shall keep a copy of your Medical Examiner’s Provisional Certificate in your driver’s qualification file in the same manner as the medical examiner’s certificate.

Source: puco.ohio.gov, https://puco.ohio.gov/transportation/trucking/resources/medical-exam-and-provisional-medical-certification

## Industry context

- **24 months** The maximum period a medical examiner's certificate can run under 49 CFR 391.43. Anything shorter is a clinical decision the clinic then has to remember. (source: 49 CFR 391.43, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.43)
- **391.41** The section setting physical qualification standards for commercial drivers, covering vision, hearing, blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy and medication use. (source: 49 CFR 391.41, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.41)
- **20/40** The distant visual acuity standard in each eye, with or without correction, required under the vision provisions of 49 CFR 391.41. (source: 49 CFR 391.41, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.41)
- **1 registry** Examiners must be listed on the FMCSA National Registry to perform the examination, and the registry is where results are reported. (source: FMCSA National Registry, https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- **1 handbook** FMCSA publishes a Medical Examiner Handbook as the reference for determinations that are not straightforward, which is most of the ones that generate follow up. (source: FMCSA, Medical Examiner Handbook, https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/medical-examiner-handbook)

## Pricing

- Single examiner: 79 per month
- Clinic: 189 per month
- Multi site: 389 per month

## Questions

### What is a DOT physical examiner?

A DOT physical examiner is a healthcare professional listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners who is permitted to perform the physical qualification examination required of commercial drivers. The qualification standards are set in 49 CFR 391.41 and the examination and certificate process in 49 CFR 391.43.

### How long is a DOT medical certificate valid?

Up to 24 months. The examiner can and often must issue a shorter certificate when a finding needs monitoring, which is why a clinic ends up managing certificates of several different lengths at once rather than a single annual cycle.

### What does 49 CFR 391.41 actually cover?

It sets the physical qualification standards a driver must meet, covering vision, hearing, blood pressure, diabetes, epilepsy, and the use of certain medications. It is the list the examiner works through, and the reason a determination can be conditional rather than a simple pass.

### Who is responsible if a certificate lapses?

Practically, the carrier cannot let an unqualified driver operate, but the clinic is where the expiry was known first. That is why examiners track expiry themselves instead of assuming the employer will call.

### Does this replace our EHR?

No. Clinical records stay in the EHR. What lives here is the qualification layer: finding, certificate length, expiry, registry upload and the employer the driver works for, joined so a recertification is scheduled before it is late.

## Sources

- [FMCSA, National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners](https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/)
- [49 CFR 391.41, physical qualifications for drivers](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.41)
- [49 CFR 391.43, medical examination and certificate](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/391.43)
- [FMCSA, medical programs](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/medical)
- [FMCSA, Medical Examiner Handbook](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/medical/medical-examiner-handbook)

## Contact

- office@neurobird.com
- https://neurobird.com/