Medical Review Section

Commercial Drivers

Medical reporting cycles for commercial licence holders (Class A, B, C, E and F)

• Applicants for a class A, B, C, E and F licence are required to submit a medical report on application
• Drivers under the age of 46 are required to submit a medical report every five years
• Drivers aged 46 - 64 are required to submit a medical report every three years
• Drivers aged 65 and over are required to submit a medical report annually

These requirements are in keeping with the recommendations of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and are the basis of the U.S./Canadian Reciprocal Agreement for commercial drivers crossing the Canada/U.S. border.

Medical reporting for Class D licence holders

All applicants for a class D licence are required to submit a medical report on application.

Where to submit Your Medical Report

If your physician/nurse practitioner has indicated "yes" or "no" to question 1 and "no" to all questions 2 through 9 on the front of the medical report, please take your completed form to your local DriveTest Centre for processing. Please note: You may want to keep a copy for your records. If your physician/nurse practitioner has indicated "yes" to any question 2-9 on the front of the medical report, please submit your form to the Medical Review Section at the address noted on the form.

Medical, Vision and Hearing Standards for Commercial Licences

Applicants for and holders of a commercial licence are required to meet higher standards due to the fact that they drive longer hours in often poor weather conditions, they are faced with more physical demands than those driving a private vehicle and due to the size/weight of the vehicle being driven.

Effective January 1, 2011 the medical standards for commercial drivers found in Regulation 340/94, and the Minister’s authority to issue a waiver of those standards, have been eliminated.  As a result, MTO will assess all drivers directly against the national medical standards (CCMTA).  This will eliminate the two-step process for many commercial drivers and will ultimately reduce costs to those drivers who were previously in the medical waiver program.  It is important to note that the medical standards remain the same and road safety will not be compromised in any way.

Hearing standards apply to applicants for and holders of Class B, C, E and F licences. Ontario Regulation 340/94 (s. 17) requires that an applicant or holder of a Class B, C, E or F licence, whose hearing in one ear is better than in the other must be able to perceive in the better ear, with or without a hearing aid, a forced whisper at a distance of 1.5 meters or, if an audiometer is used to test the person's hearing, must not have a loss in the better ear of more than 40 decibels at 500, 1000 and 2000 hertz.

Vision standards apply to applicants for and holders of Class A, B, C, D, E and F licences.  Ontario Regulation 340/94 (s. 18(3)) requires that an applicant for or a holder must have,

• A visual acuity, as measured by Snellen Rating, that is not poorer than 20/30, with both eyes open and examined together and not poorer than 20/100 in the weaker eye, with or without the aid of corrective lenses; and
• A horizontal visual field of at least 150 continuous degrees along the horizontal meridian and at least 20 continuous degrees above and below fixation, with both eyes open and examined together

Related FAQ

• How often do I have to submit a medical report for my commercial licence?
• How will I know when my report is due to the ministry?
• Who can complete my report form?
• Where Can I submit my Medical Report?
• What happens if I do not send in my medical report by the due date?
• What if my medical report indicates that I may not meet the medical standards for a commercial licence?
• Why was the medical waiver program eliminated?

Medical Waiver Program for Commercial Drivers

Although the medical waiver program was eliminated effective January 1, 2011, some waivers will continue to be renewed.

Medical waivers that were granted in 1977/78 during the period of conversion will continue to be renewed provided there is no deterioration in the medical condition for which the original waiver was granted. 

In addition, the authority to renew Class A & D Vision Waivers that were granted during the 1996-2006 Vision Waiver Pilot Program remains unchanged.