DOT Medical Card Sleep Apnea Regulations

Drivers and operators with sleep apnea undergoing a DOT physical are still eligible to receive a DOT medical card as long as they use their CPAP machine 4 hours per night, 70% of the time. The certification period for an operator with sleep apnea is 1 year. 

If a driver is unable to provide a CPAP compliance log or he was unable to maintain use of the machine for the preceding 3 months due to a cold, travel, machine error, etc… he may be given a 3 month certification at the discretion of the medical examiner for the sole purpose of “proving” compliance for a 1 year certification there after. 

Operators who have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea but present with signs and symptoms of a possible diagnosis may be required to undergo further testing before being certified. 

Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by several short, frequent pauses in one’s breathing while sleeping. Risk factors for sleep apnea include high BMI, hypertension, increased neck circumference, age, diabetes, smoking and increased alcohol consumption.