DOT and CDL Physicals in Bolingbrook, IL

Who needs a DOT physical

You need a DOT physical if you drive a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce, and you need a new one at least every 24 months. Federal rules count a vehicle as a commercial motor vehicle when it meets any one of these tests:

• It has a weight rating or actual weight of 10,001 pounds or more, alone or with a trailer
• It is designed or used to carry more than 8 people, including the driver, for pay
• It is designed or used to carry more than 15 people, including the driver, not for pay
• It hauls hazardous materials in amounts that require placards

If you drive only within Illinois

When you get, renew or upgrade an Illinois CDL or CLP, you self-certify one of four medical categories with the Secretary of State. Non-excepted interstate drivers must keep a current DOT medical certificate on file with the state. The other categories do not always mean you can skip the exam, so ask your employer if you are unsure. For intrastate medical rules, the Illinois Secretary of State CDL FAQ points drivers to the Illinois State Police.

Can I walk in for a DOT physical in Bolingbrook?

Yes. We do DOT physicals 7 days a week, and you do not need an appointment. The last walk-in is at 7:30 PM. If you would rather plan around a route or a shift, you can save your spot online. After 8 PM, the booking page shows next-day times.

The registry matters. Federal rules say a DOT physical must be done by a medical examiner listed on the FMCSA National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners, and an exam from anyone else does not count. Registry examiners report every result to FMCSA by midnight of the next calendar day. That includes exams where the driver does not qualify. You can look up any examiner on the National Registry website.

We are on S Bolingbrook Dr, about 10 minutes by car from Romeoville, 11 from Woodridge, 14 from Lemont, 15 from downtown Plainfield and 17 from Lockport. For drivers based in those towns, a walk-in DOT physical can fit before or after a shift.

What to bring to your DOT physical

Bring what the examiner needs to confirm who you are and understand your health on the day. If records are missing, the decision may have to wait.

• Your driver’s license or CDL, or another photo ID
• A list of every medication you take, with doses, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements
• Your glasses, contact lenses or hearing aids
• Recent records or a note from the provider who treats any ongoing condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea or seizures
• Form MCSA-5870, signed within the last 45 days by the provider who manages your insulin, if you use insulin
• Form MCSA-5871, signed within the last 45 days by an eye doctor, if you qualify under the alternative vision standard

What happens during a DOT physical

The exam follows the federal physical standards in 49 CFR 391.41. First you fill out the driver health history section of the Medical Examination Report Form, MCSA-5875. Answer every question fully. The examiner goes over each “yes” or “not sure” answer with you and checks that your medication list matches your health history. Then the examiner checks your vision, hearing, blood pressure and pulse, tests a urine sample, and does a hands-on physical exam.

Vision

You need at least 20/40 in each eye and in both eyes together, with or without glasses or contacts, and at least 70 degrees of side vision in each eye. You must also be able to tell red, green and amber traffic signal colors. If you need glasses or contacts to pass, you must wear them when you drive. A driver who misses the standard in one eye may still qualify under a separate vision rule that needs Form MCSA-5871 from an eye doctor.

Hearing

You must hear a forced whisper in your better ear from at least 5 feet away, with or without a hearing aid. The examiner may use a hearing test machine (audiometer) instead. If you need a hearing aid to pass, you must use it while driving.

Urine test

A urine sample is checked for specific gravity, protein, blood and sugar. Protein, blood or sugar can point to diabetes, kidney disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure, so the examiner may ask more questions or ask for records from your own doctor. This is a health screen, not a drug test.

Physical exam

The examiner checks your general health, including your heart, lungs, nervous system, and the strength and movement you need to control a vehicle safely.

Can I pass a DOT physical with high blood pressure?

Often, yes. A reading of 140/90 or lower meets the federal guideline. A high reading should be confirmed with at least two more measurements, and the examiner uses medical judgment. For a driver whose blood pressure is high for the first time, the FMCSA Medical Examiner’s Handbook gives examiners this guidance:

• 140 to 159 over 90 to 99 (stage 1): may be certified for 1 year
• 160 to 179 over 100 to 109 (stage 2): may get a one-time 3-month certificate to start or adjust treatment, then 1 year once blood pressure is 140/90 or lower
• 180/110 or higher (stage 3): should not be certified, even briefly, until blood pressure is 140/90 or lower and treatment is well tolerated

If you take blood pressure medicine

Keep taking it as prescribed, including on the day of your exam. After a high reading, the guidance calls for a new exam every year, or every 6 months after a stage 3 reading. If your blood pressure is above 140/90 at a later yearly exam, you may get only a one-time 3-month certificate, so keep working on it with your regular doctor.

Diabetes, sleep apnea and other health conditions

Many drivers with a health condition can still be certified when it is well controlled. Records from your treating provider let the examiner decide on the day instead of putting the exam on hold.

Insulin-treated diabetes

If you use insulin, the provider who manages it must fill out the Insulin-Treated Diabetes Mellitus Assessment Form, MCSA-5870. Your DOT physical must take place no later than 45 days after that provider signs it. Take at least the last 3 months of electronic blood sugar records to that provider visit. Without them, the certificate can last no more than 3 months. With them, the limit is 12 months, and you repeat the process at least once a year.

Sleep apnea

Federal rules do not require examiners to screen for sleep apnea, and treated moderate to severe sleep apnea does not rule out certification. The examiner looks at risk factors such as loud snoring, daytime sleepiness, a large neck size and high blood pressure. If you have several and have never been tested, the examiner may recommend a sleep study. If you use CPAP or another treatment, bring recent records from the provider who treats you.

Heart disease, stroke and seizures

Bring recent records or a note from your specialist or regular doctor if you have a heart condition, a past stroke, seizures or another ongoing illness. Federal guidance for seizures and some heart conditions includes waiting periods and stability checks, so this paperwork helps the examiner apply the right standard.

How long is a DOT medical card good for?

Up to 24 months. The examiner can issue a shorter certificate when a condition, such as high blood pressure, needs to be watched. Drivers certified under the insulin rule or the alternative vision rule can be certified for no more than 12 months at a time. You also need a new exam if an injury or illness affects your ability to do the job.

For CDL holders and CLP applicants, the result now reaches the state electronically. Under the National Registry II rule, in effect since June 23, 2025, FMCSA sends the exam result to the state driver licensing agency, which posts it to your driving record. That electronic record is the official proof of medical certification. When we checked the FMCSA NRII Learning Center in September 2026, Alaska was the only state still listed as not making the change. Illinois was not on that list.

FMCSA still recommends that examiners give drivers a paper certificate for now, so you can fix any problem with your state record. Keep it until your driving record shows the new date. Drivers who do not need a CDL still get the original paper certificate, Form MCSA-5876.

If the examiner needs more information or you do not qualify

If the examiner needs records from your doctor or more testing, the exam can be marked “determination pending.” You then have up to 45 days to provide what is needed, and the pending status is reported to FMCSA. If the examiner finds you do not meet the standards, that result is reported too, and any earlier medical certificates you hold are no longer valid. You can take a new exam once the problem is treated or controlled.

A shorter certificate is different. It still lets you drive, and you come back sooner so the examiner can recheck the condition being watched.

Blood pressure, blood sugar and other ongoing problems need steady follow-up. If you do not have a regular doctor, we also offer primary care in Bolingbrook.

A DOT physical is not a DOT drug test

The DOT physical does not include a DOT drug test. FMCSA guidance for examiners says DOT drug and alcohol testing is a separate program, not part of the physical exam. The urine sample in the physical is only a health screen.

For CDL drivers, drug and alcohol testing falls under 49 CFR Part 382, and your employer must have a negative pre-employment drug test result before you first drive for them, with a few exceptions. Ask your employer where to complete that test, or call (630) 914-5373 with questions about your visit here.

Cost, insurance and self-pay

Call (630) 914-5373 for current self-pay pricing for a DOT physical. Self-pay is available, and our self-pay page explains how it works.

We accept Aetna, Cigna, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Illinois Medicaid plans (HFS, Meridian, CountyCare, Molina and YouthCare), UnitedHealthcare and Humana. Coverage for a DOT physical depends on your plan, so call to confirm your specific plan before your visit. If your employer requires the exam, ask whether they pay for it or pay you back.