Originally published at: https://freightwaves-2026.local/news/fmcsa-extends-paper-med-card-waiver-and-whats-behind-the-endless-extensions
State licensing agencies had a decade to implement what amounts to a database connection for CDL medical certifications. Instead, FMCSA has spent 2025 issuing waiver after waiver while drivers get placed out of service and fraud vulnerabilities persist. The agency’s hands-off approach to NRII enforcement explains why states feel comfortable ignoring federal CDL standards across the board.