Can Someone With Diabetes Get A CDL License?
If you have diabetes and you’re thinking about getting a CDL to become a truck driver, the answer is not always a simple yes or no.
The real issue is whether you can meet the medical rules for commercial driving. FMCSA’s current rules definitely allow drivers with diabetes to qualify, but the exact path can vary based on your situation.
Two people can both have diabetes and still have very different outcomes depending on how the condition is treated.
That’s why many future drivers start by learning the basics by speaking with an CDL advisor about the training side of the CDL process.
Can You Get A CDL With Type 1 Diabetes?
Yes, in many cases. You can absolutly get a CDL with Type 1 diabetes if you can meet the federal medical certification standard.
FMCSA’s current diabetes rule doen’t ban all insulin-treated drivers from commercial driving.
Instead, it allows them to qualify if they meet the requirements in 49 CFR 391.46. This will include
- Stable insulin use
- Properly controlled insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (ITDM)
- Reequired treating-clinician documentation
Since most people with Type 1 diabetes use insulin, the practical issue is whether the condition is managed well enough to satisfy the medical examiner.
This may include showing your glucose records, bringing the completed MCSA-5870 form, and avoiding disqualifying complications such as certain advanced diabetic eye conditions.
Can You Have a CDL With Type 2 Diabetes?
Yes, many people with Type 2 diabetes may also qualify for a CDL. The process depends on how the condition is treated.
- If Type 2 diabetes is treated with insulin, the driver is usually evaluated under the same insulin-treated rule as any other insulin-treated driver.
- If Type 2 diabetes is not treated with insulin, the medical examiner usually reviews the condition under the general physical qualification standards instead.
FMCSA also has an optional form for non-insulin-treated diabetes, Form MCSA-5872. The agency says this form may be used by medical examiners as an optional tool to help decide whether the driver meets the physical standards. That means some drivers with non-insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes may still have a fairly straightforward path if the condition is stable.
DOT Physical Requirements for Drivers With Diabetes
The biggest hurdle for most drivers with diabetes is the DOT physical.
If you want a CDL license, you must be medically qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle. You’re being trusted with 80,000 lbs of metal hurdling down the highway, for your safety and the safety of everyone else on the road, it’s crucial that you’re healthy enough to drive a tractor trailer or other truck!
For insulin-treated diabetes, the FMCSA says the driver can be physically qualified only if the driver is on a stable insulin regimen and has properly controlled diabetes. The treating clinician must complete Form MCSA-5870, and the driver must give that form to the certified medical examiner within 45 days.
FMCSA also requires electronic blood glucose self-monitoring records. In general, the driver must provide at least the previous 3 months of records. If the driver does not yet have those records, the FMCSA says the driver can’t be certified for more than 3 months.
If the driver does have the required records and otherwise qualifies, the medical examiner may issue a certificate for up to 12 months.
Every 12 months you’ll need to keep seeing the medical examiner to get the certification re-issued.
Need Help Figuring Out Your Next Step?
Because the process can depend on how your diabetes is treated and documented, many students find it helpful to speak with someone before moving forward.
Contact Driving Academy to learn what your next step may be.
FAQs About Having a CDL With Diabetes
Yes, in many cases you can. The key question is whether you can meet FMCSA’s medical qualification standards.
Possibly, yes. FMCSA allows some insulin-treated drivers to qualify if they have a stable insulin regimen, proper control, the required clinician form, and the required glucose records.
FMCSA uses the Insulin-Treated Diabetes Mellitus Assessment Form, MCSA-5870. The treating clinician completes it, and the driver must give it to the certified medical examiner within 45 days.
If you do not use insulin, the medical examiner usually reviews you under the general physical qualification standards. FMCSA’s MCSA-5872 form may be used, but it is optional.
If the driver qualifies, the medical examiner may issue a certificate for up to 12 months. If the required 3 months of glucose records are not available, FMCSA limits certification to no more than 3 months.
FMCSA says severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy or proliferative diabetic retinopathy permanently disqualifies an insulin-treated driver.
