NRCME 10-Year Recertification

Updated as of 7/15/22:

10-Year Recertification Training Requirements

Providers who have obtained certification and are included in the National Registry must undergo 10-year recertification no sooner than 9 years after receiving their Medical Examiner certification credential. The recertification process involves completing a qualified training program such as ours, and successfully passing the NRCME certification examination once again. Upon passing the examination, the FMCSA will grant a new Medical Examiner certification credential that will remain valid for another 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 2023.

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.

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.

Medical providers who do not pass their NRCME national exam no longer have to wait 30 days to reschedule. This applies to both initial certification and 10-year recertification. As soon as the FMCSA receives the failing notice from the testing company, they will update the provider's FMCSA account, a process that may take up to 7 days. Once the update is complete, the provider can promptly reschedule their next exam. For more information, please contact the FMCSA directly at FMCTECHSUP@dot.gov or by phone at (617) 494-3003.

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, 2023. 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, 2023, and the month in which your National Registry certification expires.

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, 2023.

Steps for MEs to Complete 10-year Training and Testing

National Registry Certification Expires in 2023

All MEs whose National Registry certification expires in 2023, 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, 2023. To complete these requirements as outlined in 49 CFR 390.111, please complete the following steps:

1. Contact the private sector training organizations to schedule training
2. Complete training
3. Log into your National Registry account and upload your proof of training (i.e., training certificate)
4. Contact one of the 2 FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric or PSI) to schedule the certification test
5. 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 2023, 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 2023 that have not completed the 10-year periodic training and received a passing score on the 10-year certification test by December 31, 2023, 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:

1. Contact the private sector training organizations to schedule training
2. Complete training
3. Log into your National Registry account and upload your proof of training (i.e., training certificate)
4. Contact one of the 2 FMCSA-approved testing organizations (Prometric or PSI) to schedule the certification test
5. 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.

Blog entry discussing Hypertension on the exam:
https://www.nrcmetraininginstitute.com/blogs/news/high-blood-pressure-regulation-reference-guidance

Blog entry discussing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy on the exam:
https://www.nrcmetraininginstitute.com/blogs/news/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy-fmcsa-recommendations-2014-to-current

Blog entries of interest:
About the NRCME Exam
Testing Options: PSI or Prometric?
NRCME Exam Testing in Hawaii
Scheduling Your Recertification Exam
A Tale of Recertification

Enroll in the NRCME Training Institute today or purchase our $99 NRCME Exam Reference Materials. Call us at (941) 600-8411 for more program information and for any current single provider enrollment discounts.