Certificates & Medical
The paperwork side of legal flight: what you must carry, how long your certificate lasts, what medical class you need for what privilege, and the BasicMed alternative. The CPL standard is knowing the validity periods cold and being able to recognize an expired-medical scenario instantly during the oral. All sections below link to the live 14 CFR Part 61 on eCFR — verify any answer here against the source.
14 CFR § 61.3 — Documents in your possession
To act as PIC or required crewmember, you must have on your person or in the aircraft:
- Pilot certificate appropriate to the operation
- Current medical certificate (or BasicMed where applicable — not for commercial-for-hire ops)
- Government-issued photo ID
- Student pilot certificate (if applicable, including endorsements)
An FAA inspector or NTSB representative may demand to inspect any of these on request — see § 61.3(l).
14 CFR § 61.19 — Certificate duration
- Pilot certificate (issued after April 1, 2016): No specific expiration date — does not expire. (Older paper certificates without the new format had to be reissued by 31 March 2010.)
- Flight instructor certificate: Expires 24 calendar months from the month of issue, renewal, or reinstatement. Renewal options are listed in § 61.197.
- Authorized instructor (FOI/Sport Instructor) endorsements: follow the same 24-month cycle.
14 CFR § 61.23 — Medical certificate requirements
- Second-class medical: Required to exercise commercial privileges. Valid 12 calendar months from the month of examination (any age).
- Third-class medical: Sufficient for private pilot privileges. Valid 60 calendar months under age 40, 24 calendar months at age 40 and above.
- You must hold at least a third-class medical when taking the practical test for a commercial certificate (the second-class is required to subsequently exercise commercial privileges, not to test).
- If your second-class lapses but the higher-class window has continuing third-class privileges, you may continue to fly under PPL privileges only — no compensation/hire.
The medical exam is administered by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) — find one via the FAA AME locator. Apply through MedXPress.
Medical certificate duration — quick table
Validity in calendar months, by class and by privilege exercised. Certificate is valid through the last day of the month it expires.
| Class | Privilege | Age | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | ATP | ≥ 40 | 6 months |
| First | ATP | < 40 | 12 months |
| First | CPL | any | 12 months |
| First | PPL | ≥ 40 | 24 months |
| First | PPL | < 40 | 60 months |
| Second | CPL | any | 12 months |
| Second | PPL | ≥ 40 | 24 months |
| Second | PPL | < 40 | 60 months |
| Third | PPL | ≥ 40 | 24 months |
| Third | PPL | < 40 | 60 months |
Key principle: a higher-class medical satisfies the requirements of a lower class for the duration the lower class would have been valid. Example: a second-class medical issued at age 35 is valid as second-class for 12 months, then continues as third-class for the remainder of 60 months.
BasicMed alternative
Per § 61.113(i) and 14 CFR Part 68, BasicMed allows a private pilot to fly without a current FAA medical certificate, with limits:
- Aircraft up to 6 occupants, max takeoff weight up to 6,000 lbs
- Up to 5 passengers, not for compensation or hire
- Operations within US, ≤ 18,000 ft MSL, ≤ 250 KIAS, day or night, IFR-allowed (with rating)
- Required: at-least-one prior FAA medical (since July 14, 2006), state-licensed physician exam every 48 months, online medical course every 24 months
BasicMed cannot be used for commercial operations. Once you exercise CPL privileges, you need at least a second-class. Full info at faa.gov/basic_med.