FAA – Medical Assessment

Medical regulation

61.23 : Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.

(a) Operations requiring a medical certificate. Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a person:

Must hold a first-class medical certificate:
- (i) When exercising the pilot-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate;
- (ii) When exercising the second-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 of this chapter that requires three or more pilots; or
- (iii) When serving as a required pilot flightcrew member in an operation conducted under part 121 of this chapter if the pilot has reached his or her 60th birthday.
Must hold at least a second class medical certificate when exercising:
- (i) Second-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate in part 121 of this chapter (other than operations specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section); or
- (ii) Privileges of a commercial pilot certificate; or
Must hold at least a third-class medical certificate–
- (i) When exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate;
- (ii) When exercising the privileges of a recreational pilot certificate;
- (iii) When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate;
- (iv) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate and acting as the pilot in command;
- (v) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate and serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;
- (vi) When taking a practical test in an aircraft for a recreational pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, or airline transport pilot certificate, or for a flight instructor certificate; or
- (vii) When performing the duties as an Examiner in an aircraft when administering a practical test or proficiency check for an airman certificate, rating, or authorization.

(b) Operations not requiring a medical certificate. A person is not required to hold a medical certificate-

When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate while seeking-
- (i) A sport pilot certificate with glider or balloon privileges; or
- (ii) A pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating;
When exercising the privileges of a sport pilot certificate with privileges in a glider or balloon;
When exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating in a glider or a balloon, as appropriate;
When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate with-
- (i) A sport pilot rating in a glider or balloon; or
- (ii) A glider category rating;
When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate if the person is not acting as pilot in command or serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;
When exercising the privileges of a ground instructor certificate;
When serving as an Examiner or check airman and administering a practical test or proficiency check for an airman certificate, rating, or authorization conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device;
When taking a practical test or a proficiency check for a certificate, rating, authorization or operating privilege conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device; or
When a military pilot of the U.S. Armed Forces can show evidence of an up-to-date medical examination authorizing pilot flight status issued by the U.S. Armed Forces and–
- (i) The flight does not require higher than a third-class medical certificate; and
- (ii) The flight conducted is a domestic flight operation within U.S. airspace.

(d) Duration of a medical certificate.
Use the following table to determine duration for each class of medical certificate:

Easy way to remember

Under 40

Over 40

Medical Certification – Get a Medical Certificate

67.405 : Medical examinations: Who may perform?

(a) First-class. Any aviation medical examiner who is specifically designated for the purpose may perform examinations for the first-class medical certificate.

(b) Second- and third-class. Any aviation medical examiner may perform examinations for the second-or third-class medical certificate.

An FAA Medical Certificate is more than a little piece of paper you keep in your flight bag or clip inside your pilot’s logbook — in fact, it’s best described as the other half of your FAA Pilot Certificate. Just as you cannot take to the air as a Private Pilot without a valid pilot’s license, you can’t fly without a current Medical, which confirms that you have no disqualifying health conditions that would prevent you from flying as Pilot in Command. A Medical also serves as the basis of your own self-certification of health, which all pilots are required to affirm before every flight.

To obtain a medical certificate you must be examined by an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). As the airman you should follow these steps to apply for and obtain your medical certificate:

MedXPress Registration

FAA medical examinations are now even easier with the MedXPress system. MedXPress was created in 2007 so that pilots could complete an electronic FAA Form 8500-8 prior to visiting an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). That’s right — no more forms to fill out once you arrive! Pilots are now required to complete an electronic 8500-8 prior to visiting any AME for an examination.
To login or register with MedXPress, complete the initial portion of the application.

https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/medcert.exe

Schedule an appointment with the AME of your choosing.

Check here your AME:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

At your scheduled appointment, the AME will complete your medical examination and the remainder of the FAA application form. If you meet the required medical standards, the AME will issue you a medical certificate.

What does it cost to get a medical certificate?

The FAA does not set fees for the performance of the medical exam and issuance of the medical certificate. Aviation Medical Examiners are allowed to charge the applicant appropriately, as long as it is not more than the usual fee for similar examinations for other purposes. If you are concerned about the cost of the exam, please discuss this with the doctor you are thinking about seeing. The FAA has no additional fees above what the physician charges.

What do they check ?

Certificate Class Pilot Type	First-Class Airline Transport	Second-Class Commercial	Third-Class Private
DISTANT VISION	20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without correction.	20/40 or better in each eye separately, with or without correction.
NEAR VISION	20/40 or better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction, as measured at 16 inches.
INTERMEDIATE VISION	20/40 or better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction at age 50 and over, as measured at 32 inches.	No requirement.
COLOR VISION	Ability to perceive those colors necessary for safe performance of airmen duties.
HEARING	Demonstrate hearing of an average conversational voice in a quiet room, using both ears at 6 feet, with the back turned to the examiner OR pass one of the audiometric tests below or:
PULSE	Not disqualifying per se. Used to determine cardiac system status and responsiveness.
BLOOD PRESSURE	No specified values stated in the standards. Current guideline maximum is 155/95.
AUDIOLOGY	Audiometric speech discrimination test: (Score at least 70% discrimination in one ear) or:
Pure tone audiometric test: Unaided, with thresholds no worse than: 500Hz 1,000Hz 2,000Hz 3,000Hz Better Ear 35Db 30Db 30Db 40Db Worst Ear 35Db 50Db 50Db 60Db
EAR, NOSE, THROAT	No ear disease or condition manifested by, or that may reasonably be expected to be manifested by, vertigo or a disturbance of speech or equilibrium.
ELECTRO-CARDIOGRAM	At age 35 & annually after age 40.	Not routinely required.
MENTAL	No diagnosis of psychosis, or bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorders.
SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE & SUBSTANCE ABUSE	A diagnosis or medical history of substance dependence is disqualifying unless there is established clinical evidence, satisfactory to the Federal Air Surgeon, of recovery, including sustained total abstinence from the substance(s) for not less than the preceding 2 years. A history of substance abuse within the preceding 2 years is disqualifying. Substance includes alcohol and other drugs (i.e., PCP, sedatives and hynoptics, anxiolytics, marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, hallucinogens, and other psychoactive drugs or chemicals).
DISQUALIFYING CONDITIONS Airman with these conditions may still be eligible for “Special Issuance” of a medical certificate.	Unless otherwise directed by the FAA, the Examiner must deny or defer if the applicant has a history of: (1) Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication; (2) Angina pectoris; (3) Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant; (4) Myocardial infarction; (5) Cardiac valve replacement; (6) Permanent cardiac pacemaker; (7) Heart replacement; (8) Psychosis; (9) Bipolar disorder; (10) Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts; (11) Substance dependence; (12) Substance abuse; (13) Epilepsy; (14) Disturbance of consciousness and without satisfactory explanation of cause, and (15) Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.

	And on the date of examination for your most recent medical certificate you were	And you are conducting an operation requiring	Then your medical certificate expires, for that operation, at the end of the last day of the
(1) A first-class medical certificate	(i) Under age 40	an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots	12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Age 40 or older	an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots, or for a pilot flightcrew member in part 121 operations who has reached his or her 60th birthday.	6th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iii) Any age	a commercial pilot certificate or an air traffic control tower operator certificate	12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iv) Under age 40	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(v) Age 40 or older	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(2) A second-class medical certificate	(i) Any age	an airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges (other than the operations specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section), a commercial pilot certificate, or an air traffic control tower operator certificate	12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Under age 40	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iii) Age 40 or older	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(3) A third-class medical certificate	(i) Under age 40	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Age 40 or older	a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)	24th month after the month of the date of examination