FAA Medical Certificate Classes Explained

The short answer

FAA medical certificates come in first, second, and third class. The class must match the privileges being exercised: first class for specified airline transport pilot duties, at least second class for most commercial-pilot privileges and ordinary Part 121 second-in-command duties, and at least third class for student, recreational, or private privileges when a medical certificate is required. Duration depends on the class, the operation, and age on the examination date. Personal eligibility belongs with an Aviation Medical Examiner.

The class follows the flying duty

A pilot certificate and a medical certificate answer different questions. The pilot certificate and ratings establish aeronautical privileges. The medical certificate class is one form of medical qualification for exercising particular privileges.

The FAA’s medical-certificate class guide groups the three classes this way:

• first class — airline transport pilot duties;
• second class — commercial pilot and other named duties; and
• third class — private or recreational pilot duties.

That shorthand is useful, but 14 CFR 61.23 controls. It ties the required class to the operation being conducted and contains exceptions and alternative pathways. A certificate label by itself does not answer every medical-qualification question.

What is a first-class medical certificate for?

Section 61.23(a)(1) requires a first-class medical certificate when exercising pilot-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate. It also names second-in-command service in a flag or supplemental Part 121 operation requiring three or more pilots, and required pilot flightcrew service in Part 121 after the pilot reaches the age stated in the regulation.

First class is therefore linked to particular ATP and Part 121 duties. It is not the same document as an ATP certificate, and an applicant does not need to hold an ATP certificate merely to apply for a first-class medical. The FAA’s AME guide states that point directly.

A prospective airline pilot may choose to explore first-class certification before making a large training commitment because the intended later duty requires it. That is a planning decision, not a prediction of eligibility. Discuss health history, medications, previous applications, and the intended career path with an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner before submitting an application or paying on the assumption that a first-class certificate will be issued.

What is a second-class medical certificate for?

Section 61.23(a)(2) generally requires at least a second-class medical certificate when exercising commercial-pilot privileges in an aircraft other than a balloon or glider. It also applies to ordinary second-in-command ATP privileges in Part 121, apart from the specific flag or supplemental operation identified under the first-class provision. The section separately addresses commercial balloon operations and exceptions.

“At least” matters. A valid first-class certificate can satisfy an operation that requires second class while it remains valid for that operation. The class required is a floor, not a demand that a pilot obtain a separate second-class document after receiving first class.

Holding a commercial pilot certificate does not always mean the pilot is exercising commercial privileges on a particular flight. Medical class follows the privileges and operation actually being exercised. Confirm that use with current FAA material, an AME, and the operator responsible for the flight rather than inferring it from a job title.

What is a third-class medical certificate for?

Section 61.23(a)(3) generally requires at least a third-class medical certificate when exercising private, recreational, or student pilot privileges. It also addresses flight instructors acting as pilot in command or as a required flightcrew member, practical tests in aircraft, and examiner duties, subject to the section’s stated exceptions.

The FAA’s student-pilot FAQ says third class is required when a student needs a medical certificate, although any class will suffice. That does not mean every student operation uses the same medical path. Glider, balloon, sport-pilot, and other provisions appear elsewhere in section 61.23.

Third class is not a lesser pilot certificate. It is a class of medical certificate matched to a set of operations. A private pilot can hold a first-class medical; the higher medical class does not convert private privileges into commercial or ATP privileges.

Which operations use an exception or another pathway?

Section 61.23 includes operations that do not require an FAA medical certificate and operations that can use either a medical certificate or a qualifying U.S. driver’s licence. It also incorporates the conditions used for BasicMed operations under section 61.113(i) and Part 68.

Those alternatives have their own eligibility, aircraft, operating, documentation, and medical-safety conditions. “No medical certificate required” does not mean “no medical responsibility,” and a driver’s licence is not a universal replacement for an FAA medical certificate.

This guide does not decide whether an alternative applies to an individual. Identify the certificate privileges, aircraft, passengers, location, altitude, speed, and operation, then check the complete current rule. Direct condition-specific or medication-specific questions to an AME and a treating clinician. Do not change prescribed care or stop medication to pursue a certificate.

How long is a first-class medical valid?

The duration table in section 61.23(d) is operation-specific. For the first-class ATP pilot-in-command privileges named in the table, a certificate based on an examination taken under age 40 expires for that operation at the end of the 12th month after the examination month. When the applicant was age 40 or older on the examination date, it expires for that operation at the end of the 6th month.

The same first-class certificate has different periods for lower-class operations. For a commercial-pilot operation listed in the table, it expires at the end of the 12th month after the examination month at any age. For the listed private, recreational, student, and applicable instructor operations, it runs through the 60th month when the applicant was under 40 at examination, or the 24th month when age 40 or older.

This is sometimes described informally as a first-class medical “reverting” or “downgrading.” The document is not reissued as a different certificate. The table is determining how long it remains valid for the operation being conducted.

How long is a second-class medical valid?

For the commercial and ordinary ATP second-in-command operations listed in section 61.23(d)(2), a second-class medical expires for that operation at the end of the 12th month after the examination month, regardless of age.

For the lower-class operations listed in the table, that second-class certificate remains valid through the 60th month when the applicant was under 40 at examination, or the 24th month when age 40 or older. Again, age is measured on the date of the medical examination, and the applicable operation determines which table row is used.

A training spreadsheet should record the examination date, age on that date, medical class issued, any limitation, and the privileges to be exercised. Recording only a single “expiry date” can conceal that the same certificate has different operational periods.

How long is a third-class medical valid?

For the private, recreational, student, and applicable instructor operations listed in section 61.23(d)(3), a third-class medical expires at the end of the 60th month after the examination month when the applicant was under age 40 at examination. If the applicant was age 40 or older, it expires at the end of the 24th month.

These are the standard regulatory periods for the named operations. A certificate may carry a limitation, and an authorisation or individual FAA action can affect what applies. Use the actual certificate and current FAA records. An article cannot determine an individual’s valid-through date from age and class alone.

A practical duration example

Suppose a pilot was under 40 on the examination date and received first class. For a first-class ATP pilot-in-command operation in the table, the relevant period is 12 months after the examination month. For a listed commercial operation, the same certificate is considered under the 12-month row. For a listed private operation, the table extends to the 60th month.

Now change only one fact: the pilot was 40 or older on the examination date. The first-class ATP period becomes 6 months, the listed commercial period remains 12 months, and the listed private period becomes 24 months.

This example explains the table; it is not a validity determination. It does not account for certificate limitations, special issuance, different operations, suspension or revocation, or facts that require FAA review.

How do you choose the class to apply for?

Work backward from the highest privilege that will actually be exercised during the planning horizon.

• A student or private path ordinarily starts by identifying whether third-class certification or a lawful alternative applies.
• A commercial path identifies the operations that require at least second class.
• An ATP career path identifies when first-class privileges will be needed.

The FAA AME guide says an applicant may apply for any class if the applicant meets that class’s standards. A person does not need the matching pilot certificate first. Applying for a higher class, however, is not a harmless career experiment for someone with unanswered medical-history questions. The application is an official record, and the result can matter to later pathways.

Before submitting MedXPress, review the current FAA material and speak with an AME about process questions. For personal medical advice and ongoing care, speak with the treating clinician. The AME applies aeromedical rules; this publication does not assess symptoms, diagnoses, medication, prognosis, or likelihood of issuance.

What is the application sequence?

The FAA’s current medical-certificate application guide starts with MedXPress, followed by an appointment with an AME. It says the applicant must complete the AME examination within 60 days of submitting the application and should keep a copy for future reference.

The guide also tells applicants with current or past conditions or medications to review the current AME Guide and gather required records. For some conditions, the FAA may require a current, detailed Clinical Progress Note from a clinician visit no more than 90 days before the AME examination. An after-visit summary may not contain what the FAA requests.

Do not guess which records apply. An AME can explain the certification process, while the treating clinician supplies and interprets medical care. Bring complete and accurate information. Do not omit a condition, visit, medication, prior application, or requested document because a school suggested it would simplify the appointment.

The AME may issue when the required documentation is present and the examination meets the applicable Part 67 standards. Some applications must be deferred to the FAA for review. Neither a training provider nor this article can forecast which outcome applies to a person.

What should a career-plan worksheet record?

Keep medical certification separate from pilot training and employment assumptions. Record:

• the intended pilot privilege and operation;
• the medical class or alternative pathway identified in the current rule;
• the examination and application dates;
• age on the examination date for duration-table use;
• the operational duration row relied on;
• certificate limitations and FAA correspondence; and
• the date the requirement will be checked again.

The guide to becoming a pilot can hold the broader training sequence, while the private pilot certificate guide covers that certificate’s aeronautical requirements. Neither replaces AME guidance.

Employer and airline medical policies may exceed the regulatory certificate floor or require additional occupational review. Verify those policies on a current employer page or in written hiring material. Never treat a first-class medical as a job offer, and never treat a recruiter’s optimism as a medical determination.

Sources

• eCFR — 14 CFR 61.23, Medical Certificate Requirement and Duration
• FAA — Classes of Medical Certificates
• FAA — Get a Medical Certificate and What to Expect
• FAA — Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners
• FAA — Student Pilot Medical Class FAQ