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Advocacy Pilots Medical BasicMed BasicMed Course Completed Before Doctor Visit

BasicMed Course Completed Before Doctor Visit

Steps to Take Return to Course to Submit CMEC Information

IMPORTANT! You are not current to fly under BasicMed until you follow the steps outlined below.

Remember a Driver’s License is Required

to fly under BasicMed.

  1. Any current and valid driver’s license issued by a State, territory, or possession of the United States can be used to meet the driver’s license requirement in BasicMed. If your driver's license has been suspended, revoked, or denied for health or legal reasons you do not meet the minimum requirements to fly under BasicMed.
  2. Any restrictions on the driver’s license also apply to exercising pilot privileges under BasicMed. A typical example would be the requirement to use glasses or corrective lenses while driving, so that restriction would apply while flying, too.

You have a 90-day window between having taken the course, seeing your state-licensed physician for the BasicMed-specific exam, and submitting the CMEC information digitally from the within the course to become current to fly under BasicMed. After 90 days, your course progress will be cleared and you will be required to retake the course.

Remember, course renewal is based on 24 calendar months from the last day you completed the course and passed the quiz. This renewal date is independent from when you submit your CMEC information. For example, if you submit the CMEC information 89 days after you completed the course, you’d have a 21-month course renewal window. This is why it is advised that you complete the CMEC specific exam before taking the course and completing them both in the same month.

If you need to resubmit your CMEC information for any reason, you must retake the course and pass the quiz again. If you have already completed the course in the last 90 days, you will have to contact AOPA to have your course reset to allow you to retake it. You will need to complete the course and pass the quiz again to submit your CMEC information to the FAA digitally. There is not an option to mail anything into the FAA or AOPA for this step.

Any new health events since your last BasicMed application?

Remember that you need to self-certify with each renewal. You can use the AOPA BasicMed Eligibility Tool to help confirm your eligibility. Remember that ANY new medical events that pertain to certain cardiac, neurological, or mental health conditions will require a new special issuance from the FAA, even if you already have a special issuance for a different condition or event.

Step 1: Get the BasicMed FAA CMEC Form

Review if you're eligible for BasicMed and download the BasicMed FAA Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC). Complete the self-assessment portion of the form before you visit your state-licensed physician.

Download CMEC Form

Step 2: See Your Doctor

Take your Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (from Step 1) and get a BasicMed-specific physical exam by a state-licensed doctor. Have your doctor fill out the rest of the exam checklist. You will need this to complete Step 3 and you will need it again for your 24-month renewal.

Step 3: Submit Your CMEC Information to the FAA

After completing the medical exam with your state-licensed physician, log back into the course. You should see your account profile page. It may feature a warning message in red.

  1. Click the "File with FAA and Download Certificate" button to access the FAA submission form.
  2. Fill out the pilot information portion of the form. Ensure it matches the information on your pilot certificate and the FAA Airmen Registry.
  3. Fill out the state-licensed physician’s medical exam information from your most recent CMEC form.
  4. Review and accept the required assertion statements about your health and the required national driver license register authorization. These are not optional.
  5. Optional, you can click the "send me reminders" box for future reminds on your renewals.
  6. Click the "submit to FAA and download certificate" button. AOPA will securely submit your completed course information to the FAA on your behalf. You do not mail anything to the FAA or AOPA.

Return to the Course

CRITICAL Renewal Timeline Clarification: the date you need to retake the online course to meet your 24-month renewal requirement is based on the date you completed the course and passed the quiz, not the date you submitted your CMEC information to earn your completion course. Make sure you set your renewal reminders based on the date as indicated on your completion certificate.

Step 4: Save Documents in Your Logbook

Once you’ve completed the course, download your course completion certificate and keep it with your completed CMEC in your logbook or electronically. You need to have it available upon request from FAA.

IMPORTANT: If you do not have your most recent CMEC and completion certificate, even between renewals, YOU ARE NOT LEGAL TO FLY under BasicMed. You need them available upon FAA request.

Step 5: Mark your Calendars

Mark your calendars 24 months from your course completion date, and 48 months from your CMEC completion date, to remind yourself that you will need to renew and/or requalify at those points in time.

Remember that both your CMEC and BasicMed course must remain current. If there is a lapse in either, you are not legal to fly and must ground yourself until they are current again. We recommend completing both your CMEC and course completion in the same month for easier renewals.

Make sure you have a current valid driver's license, valid flight review, and you are ready to fly!

Have questions?

Call AOPA's Pilot Information Center at (888) 462-3976), Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST, or email [email protected].

Need more information about BasicMed and what it means for you?
Visit AOPA's BasicMed resources.