Texas CDL Self-Certification Affidavit (CDL-7): Categories, Filing, Penalties

Texas does not have a single “CDL-7” form. The Texas CDL self-certification form you file depends on the kind of commercial driving you do: CDL-4 for interstate drivers, CDL-5 for intrastate drivers, and CDL-10 for drivers claiming a federal physical exemption.¹ Every CDL holder in Texas has to file one of these with the Department of Public Safety declaring the category of commercial driving they perform or plan to perform. Skip it or let it lapse, and DPS will downgrade your license to a Class C.

Pick Your Operating Category First

The form you need flows from one decision: which of the four federally defined categories in 49 CFR 383.71(b)(1) describes your driving.²

Non-Excepted Interstate (NI). You drive across state lines, or you haul cargo that originated outside Texas even if you personally stay in state. Most long-haul and regional freight drivers fall here. A current Medical Examiner’s Certificate is required.
Excepted Interstate (EI). You drive in interstate commerce but only in activities specifically exempted from federal medical qualification rules, such as transporting school children between home and school, working as a federal, state, or local government employee, transporting human corpses or sick and injured persons, or operating fire trucks and rescue vehicles during emergencies. No medical certificate required.³
Non-Excepted Intrastate (NA). You never leave Texas, your cargo always originates and stays in Texas, and your driving does not qualify for a state exemption. Medical certificate required.
Excepted Intrastate (EA). You drive only within Texas doing work the state has specifically exempted from medical certification. No medical certificate required.

Interstate versus intrastate is not just about whether you cross a state line. If you pick up a load in Dallas that originally shipped from Oklahoma, that trip is interstate commerce.⁴ Check the bill of lading for where the shipment started and where it’s going.⁵

Picking the wrong category is not a harmless paperwork error. Certifying as excepted while hauling freight that is actually non-excepted means you are driving without proper medical qualification, which can lead to out-of-service orders and violations against you and your carrier.

Which Form Matches Your Category

CDL-4 — Interstate Driver Certification. Use this for NI or EI.
CDL-5 — Intrastate Driver Certification. Use this for NA or EA. Filing it places a restriction on your CDL limiting you to intrastate operation.⁵
CDL-10 — Certification of Physical Exemption. Use this if you operate under a specific federal physical exemption under 49 CFR Part 391 or 390.

All three forms are on the DPS website.¹ You certify to one section only on whichever form you use. The CDL-5 states explicitly that you “may not certify to more than one section.”⁵ Read every section before marking anything. Changing your category after processing means filing a new form.

Filling Out the Form

Each form asks for the same core information: your full legal name as it appears on your current license, your date of birth, your Texas driver license number, and your signature. Write everything in ink. The forms state that all entries must be in ink, and pencil submissions get rejected.⁵

Read the category descriptions printed on the form before checking a box. Each form walks through the criteria. The CDL-5, for example, lists what qualifies as intrastate commerce and what does not. After selecting your category, sign and date. Your signature is a legal declaration that the information is accurate. Incomplete or unsigned forms are returned without processing, which delays certification and puts your driving privileges at risk.

If you certify as non-excepted (NI or NA), you also need a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file with DPS.

Medical Examiner’s Certificate for Non-Excepted Drivers

Drivers in the NI or NA categories need a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate, Form MCSA-5876, to keep their CDL active.¹ The certificate is valid for up to two years, though a medical examiner can issue one for a shorter period if a health condition warrants closer monitoring.⁶

The physical must be performed by a provider listed on the FMCSA’s National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. Verify your examiner at nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov before scheduling.⁷ A certificate from someone not on the registry will not be accepted.

Electronic Submission Through NRII

Starting June 23, 2025, certified medical examiners must transmit exam results electronically to DPS through the National Registry II (NRII) system by midnight of the next calendar day after the exam. As of April 10, 2026, Texas will no longer accept paper medical certificates.¹ Your medical examiner handles the certificate submission; you no longer mail or fax a copy of your MEC to DPS yourself. You still need to file your self-certification form separately.

How to Submit Your Self-Certification Form

Send the completed CDL-4, CDL-5, or CDL-10 to DPS through any of these channels:⁸

Email: CDLMedCert@dps.texas.gov, with the completed form attached as a PDF.
Fax: 512-424-2002.
Mail: Texas Department of Public Safety, Enforcement & Compliance Service / Attention: CDL Section-Med Cert, P.O. Box 4087, Austin, TX 78773.

Email tends to be fastest. If you fax, keep the transmission confirmation. If you mail, consider certified mail so you have proof of the submission date.

Allow up to 10 business days for DPS to update your record.¹ You can check progress with the License Eligibility tool on the DPS website. Keep a copy of your submission and your medical certificate in the cab during that window. If you’re inspected before the system updates, having the paperwork on hand can prevent an unnecessary violation.

What a Lapse Costs You

If your medical certificate expires or DPS has no valid self-certification on file, the department will downgrade your CDL to a Class C license. The downgrade strips all commercial driving privileges, endorsements, and restrictions from your record.¹ It happens automatically. There is no warning letter and no grace period.

Recovering your CDL without retesting is possible, but only if your record is otherwise eligible (not suspended, revoked, disqualified, or canceled), your license has not been expired more than two years, the downgrade happened within the last 12 months, and you have a valid medical certificate on file through NRII. Expect to pay up to $97 for the upgrade transaction.⁹

If you voluntarily surrendered your CDL or completed another license transaction after the downgrade, you have to retake the knowledge and skills exams.⁹ That means the written test and the driving test from scratch, with weeks between scheduling and completing. Set a calendar reminder 60 days before your medical certificate expires and get your renewal physical done early.

Mistakes That Delay Processing

Most rejected or delayed self-certification submissions come down to a short list of avoidable errors. Filing the wrong form is the most common. Drivers who cross state lines even occasionally should be filing CDL-4, not CDL-5. If you file CDL-5 and DPS places an intrastate-only restriction on your license, you’ll need to submit a new CDL-4 and wait through processing again to remove it.

Other recurring problems: writing your name differently than it appears on your license (even a missing middle initial can flag a mismatch), leaving the signature or date blank, certifying to more than one section, and using pencil. Each of these gets the form returned. With a 10-business-day processing window, a single rejected submission can cost three weeks or more of commercial driving eligibility if you’re cutting it close to an expiration date.

For non-excepted drivers, the medical certificate side has its own pitfalls. Confirm your examiner is on the National Registry before you sit for the physical. After April 10, 2026, your examiner also has to submit results electronically. If they’re not set up for NRII transmission, those results won’t reach DPS no matter how valid the physical was.¹

1
Department of Public Safety. Commercial Driver License (CDL) Medical Certification Requirement
2
eCFR. 49 CFR 383.71
3
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Determine Which of the 4 Categories of Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Operation I Should Self-Certify To
4
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Is the Difference Between Interstate Commerce and Intrastate Commerce
5
Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Commercial Driver License Application Intrastate Driver Certification CDL-5
6
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Effect of the Length of Medical Certification on Safety
7
FMCSA National Registry. Welcome to the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners
8
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. State-by-State Instructions for Submitting Medical Certificates
9
Texas Department of Public Safety. Commercial Driver License (CDL) Frequently Asked Question