You need three things at minimum for your FAA medical exam: your MedXPress confirmation number, a government-issued photo ID, and any relevant medical records. Beyond those essentials, a few additional items can prevent delays or a deferred certificate. Here’s everything to have ready before your appointment.
The Three Items Every Pilot Must Bring
Your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) cannot begin the exam without these:
- MedXPress confirmation number. Before scheduling your appointment, you must complete FAA Form 8500-8 through the MedXPress online system. Once you submit it, you’ll receive a confirmation number and instructions to print a summary sheet. That confirmation number is valid for 60 days, so don’t fill out the form too far in advance. Bring both the number and the printed summary.
- Government-issued photo ID. Your AME needs to verify your identity. Acceptable forms include a driver’s license, a state-issued ID card, a military ID, or a passport.
- Copies of relevant medical records. If you disclosed any medical conditions, surgeries, hospitalizations, or medication use on your MedXPress application, bring supporting documentation. This includes operative reports, discharge summaries, treatment records, and letters from your treating physicians.
Glasses, Contacts, and Hearing Aids
If you wear corrective lenses, bring them to the exam. Your AME will test your vision both with and without correction, and your medical certificate may carry a limitation requiring you to wear them while flying. Bring all pairs you use, including reading glasses if you’re over 40, since the exam tests both distance and near vision.
If you wear contact lenses, bring your glasses as a backup. The AME needs to document your corrected and uncorrected acuity, and some examiners prefer to test uncorrected vision without contacts in place. Having glasses on hand keeps the appointment moving.
Hearing aids work the same way. If you use them, wear them to the exam. The conversational voice test or audiometric screening will be conducted with your aids in, and a “must wear hearing amplification” limitation may be added to your certificate.
Medications and Prescription Lists
Bring a complete, current list of every medication you take, including the dosage, how often you take it, and the prescribing doctor’s name. This covers prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications you use regularly, and supplements. Your MedXPress form asks for this information, and having the list on hand lets your AME verify what you entered.
If you take a medication that the FAA has historically scrutinized (antidepressants, blood pressure medications, sleep aids, ADHD medications), bring a letter from your prescribing physician describing your diagnosis, treatment history, and current stability. This won’t guarantee approval, but it gives the AME or the FAA’s Aerospace Medical Certification Division the information they need without follow-up delays.
Special Issuance and SODA Paperwork
If you hold a Special Issuance authorization or a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA), bring your current authorization letter and any required follow-up medical reports. The FAA expects you to provide the specific medical information outlined in your authorization letter at each renewal. For example, a pilot with a cardiac condition might need to submit an annual stress test report, while a pilot with diabetes might need recent lab results and an endocrinologist’s letter.
One change worth noting: as of May 2023, if your AME issues your certificate correctly under an existing authorization and your condition hasn’t changed, the FAA no longer sends a separate “continue authorization” letter. Your original authorization letter remains your governing document. Keep it with your records and bring it to every exam.
What Happens During the Exam
Knowing what the AME will check helps you prepare practically. The exam includes a vision test (distance, near, and color vision), a hearing screening, a urine sample, blood pressure measurement, and a general physical examination covering your heart, lungs, abdomen, neurological function, and musculoskeletal system.
The urine test checks for sugar and protein, which can indicate diabetes or kidney issues. It is not a drug screen. Trace amounts of protein without a history of kidney disease won’t cause a problem, but elevated sugar may lead to a deferral until additional testing rules out a blood sugar disorder. Staying well-hydrated before the appointment makes the sample easier to provide and can help with an accurate blood pressure reading, too.
Color vision testing changed as of January 1, 2025. AMEs now use approved computer-based screening tests, and if you’ve historically passed any previously approved color vision test, you won’t need to retest. First-time applicants who cannot pass any approved test will receive a third-class certificate limited to daytime visual flight rules only.
Your Current Medical Certificate and Logbook
If you already hold a medical certificate, bring it. Your AME can reference your certification history, and if any limitations or special conditions were noted previously, having the physical certificate avoids confusion. Student pilots who don’t yet have a certificate should bring their student pilot certificate or application confirmation instead.
Bringing your logbook isn’t required, but some pilots find it useful if their AME needs to review flight time or verify prior medical history noted in earlier exams.
Quick Reference Checklist
- MedXPress confirmation number (and printed summary sheet)
- Government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or military ID)
- Medical records for anything disclosed on MedXPress
- Medication list with dosages and prescribing doctors
- Glasses, contacts, or hearing aids
- Special Issuance or SODA authorization letter (if applicable)
- Required follow-up reports (lab work, specialist letters, imaging)
- Current medical certificate (if renewing)
If You’re Using BasicMed Instead
BasicMed is a simpler alternative for pilots who meet the eligibility requirements, and the process is different. Instead of seeing an AME, you visit any state-licensed physician. Before the appointment, print FAA Form 8700-2, the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC), and complete Section 2 yourself. Your physician completes Section 3 during the physical exam. You also need to finish the FAA’s BasicMed online medical education course and save the completion certificate. Keep both the signed CMEC and the course certificate in your logbook. No MedXPress submission is needed for BasicMed.