Federal guidelines mandate that all commercial drivers pass the DOT health exam. The goal of this exam is to check whether an applicant is fit enough to drive safely now and in the foreseable future.

Successfully passing the exam means you have 24 months before you need to do it again, unless you have some health issue which could become worse in the in the near term, in which case you’ll have to take the exam sooner.

Health Requirements

Below are the basic requirements for passing the DOT physical exam.

  • With or without vision corrections, each eye, as well as both eyes combined, need to have 20/40 vision.
  • Ability to distinguish color is necessary.
  • Needs to be able to perceive a forced whisper at a distance of at least 5 feet.
  • Maximum allowable blood pressure is 160/100. Use of prescription medication to achieve this threshold is permitted.
  • An applicant can have diabetes which is controlled through diet or medication. Diabetes controlled through insulin injections is not permitted.
  • Your blood sugar level must be at most 200.
  • Use of schedule 1 drugs is forbidden.
Last updated on Friday, March 6 2020.