DOT physicals in Yuba City For CDL holders and commercial drivers.

The federal medical exam commercial drivers need to get or keep a CDL. It checks your vision, hearing, blood pressure and overall health against Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards, so you can stay focused on the road ahead.

Call (530) 441-2225 Request an appointment

A driver in a flannel shirt has his blood pressure taken in an exam room, a semi truck parked by the orchards outside the window

Your examiner: Dr. Kalay, a Certified Medical Examiner, working to FMCSA guidelines.
Certificate: Valid for up to 24 months. Your exam sets the term.
Close to home: For drivers from Marysville, Live Oak, Gridley, Colusa and across Sutter County.

Who needs a DOT physical?

Federal medical rules cover drivers of qualifying commercial vehicles. What counts depends on the vehicle and how it’s used, not your job title, and the rules for driving only within California can differ. If you’re unsure, ask your employer or carrier before you book.

A smiling clinician checks a driver’s blood pressure beside an eye chart, a semi truck parked outside the window

You likely need one if

01You’re getting your CDL, or your current medical certificate is close to expiring.
02You drive a vehicle or combination with a gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more.
03You drive a bus or van built for 16 or more passengers, or for 9 to 15, including the driver, when it’s paid work.
04You haul hazardous materials in amounts that require placards.

What can delay or affect certification

Vision worse than 20/40 in either eye, or hearing that can’t pick up a forced whisper at five feet, even with glasses or hearing aids.
High blood pressure: it can shorten your certificate, and very high readings pause it until they’re under control.
Untreated sleep apnea, or diabetes that isn’t well controlled.
Seizure disorders and some heart or lung conditions, which need careful evaluation.
Missing specialist records, which can hold up a certificate until they arrive.

A diagnosis alone isn’t an automatic no: what matters is how it’s managed. Certification is decided at the exam itself, so no one can promise a result in advance.

What to bring to your exam.

Clear records let Dr. Kalay review your history accurately. A missing specialist note can hold up your certificate until it arrives, so gather what applies to you before the appointment.

Tick each item off as you pack.

DOT physical checklist

Yuba Sutter Chiropractic · (530) 441-2225

Every driver

Photo IDYour driver’s license or another government-issued photo ID.
Your medication listEvery medication, its dose and who prescribed it. Include over-the-counter medicines you take regularly.
Glasses, contacts or hearing aidsWhatever you use behind the wheel, so the exam reflects your corrected vision and hearing. Check that hearing aids are working.
Your last medical certificateYour most recent Medical Examiner’s Certificate, if you have one.

If it applies to you

Insulin-treated diabetesForm MCSA-5870, completed by the clinician who treats your diabetes.
Sleep apneaA recent CPAP compliance report from your equipment provider or sleep specialist. The machine itself can stay home.
A heart condition or recent surgerySpecialist notes and recent test results that show how it’s being managed. The same goes for any other ongoing care.
Medication that can cause drowsinessYou may need a letter from the prescribing physician confirming you can safely drive a commercial vehicle while taking it.
A limb impairmentYour Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) certificate and its paperwork, if you hold one.

The day before

Take your medications as usual; don’t skip a dose to change a reading. Drink water normally, keep meals ordinary rather than salty, and pass on energy drinks. Wear loose, comfortable clothes, and leave time to settle in before the exam.

What the exam covers.

It’s a medical exam, not just a signature. Dr. Kalay works through your history and the checks the FMCSA’s physical qualification standards call for, and explains anything that needs a closer look.

First
Your health history.
You complete the driver health history on Form MCSA-5875, then go over it and your medications with Dr. Kalay. List every diagnosis, even one that’s well controlled.
Next
The four core checks.
Vision, including side vision and red, green and amber signals. Hearing, by forced whisper or an audiometry test. Blood pressure and pulse. And a urine sample that screens for protein, blood and sugar.
Then
A hands-on exam.
Heart and lungs, a hernia check, and a look at reflexes, balance and coordination: anything that could affect how you handle a vehicle.
Before you leave
Your certificate.
If you meet the standards, you get your Medical Examiner’s Certificate, and the result is reported to the FMCSA National Registry, which passes it to your state. If something needs follow-up, Dr. Kalay explains what and why.

Up to 24 months between exams, when you meet the standards

Dr. Kalay sets the term from your exam and history. A condition that needs closer monitoring, high blood pressure being a common one, can mean a shorter certificate, such as 12, 6 or 3 months.

The expiration date is printed on your certificate. Book your renewal ahead of it: once it lapses, you can’t drive in a role that requires certification.

Questions about DOT physicals

Reviewed by

Dr. Gurj Kalay, DC

Doctor of Chiropractic and Certified Medical Examiner, working to FMCSA guidelines

About Dr. Kalay

General information, not medical or legal advice. Certification is decided at your exam.

Can a chiropractor perform a DOT physical?

Yes. Any examiner who meets the federal requirements and is listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners can, and Dr. Kalay is a Certified Medical Examiner. Your regular doctor can send records, but can’t issue the certificate unless they’re on the registry too.

Is a DOT physical the same as a drug test?

No. The urine sample screens for health markers like protein, blood and sugar, and it isn’t a drug test. Drug and alcohol testing is a separate requirement, which may apply through an employer’s or carrier’s testing program.

Can I pass with high blood pressure?

Possibly. A reading below 140/90 may qualify for a certificate of up to two years. A reading from 140/90 to 159/99 typically means a one-year certificate, and higher readings can mean a short temporary one. At 180/110 or above, it’s disqualifying until it’s controlled. Keep taking your medication as prescribed and bring an up-to-date list.

What happens if I don’t pass?

You may not get a certificate at that visit, or you may get a shorter or temporary one, depending on the finding. Ask what it was and what records or follow-up would help. Some concerns can be reassessed after treatment or better management. Until you’re certified again, don’t drive in a role that requires it.

Is medical marijuana allowed for CDL drivers?

No. Federal rules treat marijuana as a Schedule I substance and make no exception for state law, so using it is disqualifying for commercial drivers, even with a California medical card.

Are there exemptions if I don’t meet a standard?

For some drivers, yes. FMCSA exemption programs may offer a route for certain vision, hearing, diabetes or seizure-related conditions, and drivers with some limb impairments can be assessed through a Skill Performance Evaluation. Each has its own requirements and approval isn’t automatic, so start well before your certificate expires.

Keep your medical card current. Book your DOT physical in Yuba City.

Call or book online, and bring what’s on the checklist above. If your certificate is close to its expiration date, plan ahead rather than waiting until the last week.

New patient? Send the new patient form and the team will contact you to set up your first visit.

New patient special