What is BasicMed?
BasicMed (14 CFR Part 68) lets eligible pilots fly certain small-aircraft operations without holding a third-class FAA medical certificate. Instead of renewing a medical through an Aviation Medical Examiner, you keep two things current: an online medical education course and a periodic comprehensive medical examination by a state-licensed physician, documented on the FAA's checklist (Form 8700-2).
It's been around since 2017, and it got meaningfully bigger in November 2024, when the FAA expanded the aircraft it covers (more on that below).
Source: FAA — BasicMed and 14 CFR Part 68.
Who qualifiesBasicMed eligibility: who qualifies
The eligibility conditions live in 14 CFR 61.23(c). In plain terms, to operate under BasicMed you must:
- Driver's licenseHold a valid U.S. driver's license and comply with any medical requirements or restrictions on it (corrective lenses, etc.).
- Prior FAA medicalAt any point after July 14, 2006, have held a medical certificate issued under Part 67 — regular or special issuance.
- Clean last actionYour most recent medical certificate can't have been suspended or revoked, your most recent Authorization for Special Issuance can't have been withdrawn, and your most recent application for an FAA medical certificate can't have been completed and denied.
- Physician careIf you've been diagnosed with a condition that may impact your ability to fly, be under the care and treatment of a state-licensed physician.
- One-time SI, sometimesCertain cardiovascular, neurological, and mental-health conditions require a one-time special issuance under 14 CFR 68.9 before you can use BasicMed (for mental-health and neurological conditions, §68.9 also calls for certifying every two years that you remain under specialist care). Which conditions those are is defined by the FAA — read the FAA's list rather than guessing.
Source: 14 CFR 61.23(c), 14 CFR 68.9, and the FAA's BasicMed page. Whether a specific condition triggers the one-time special issuance is the FAA's call — verify against the FAA's own materials.
The ongoing requirementsBasicMed requirements: the two clocks you keep
BasicMed doesn't have an "expiration date" printed on a certificate — it has two separate recurring requirements, each with its own clock, both from 14 CFR 61.23(c):
The medical education course
You must complete a Part 68 medical education course during the 24 calendar months before acting as pilot in command (or serving as a required flightcrew member, like a safety pilot). The FAA lists two free online courses; keep your completion certificate.
14 CFR 61.23(c)(3); course details in 14 CFR 68.3.
The comprehensive medical exam (CMEC)
You must receive a comprehensive medical examination from a state-licensed physician — it does not have to be an AME — during the 48 calendar months before acting as pilot in command (or serving as a required flightcrew member). The exam follows the FAA's Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist, FAA Form 8700-2: you complete the pilot section, your physician performs the exam and completes theirs, and you both sign.
You don't mail it to the FAA — keeping it is part of the rule. 14 CFR 61.113(i)(3) requires you to have the completed checklist and your course-completion certificate available in your logbook (paper or electronic).
14 CFR 61.23(c)(3); FAA Form 8700-2; the FAA's Advisory Circular AC 68-1A.
The operating limits — bigger since November 2024
BasicMed privileges come with aircraft and operating limits, set by 14 CFR 61.113(i). Implementing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the FAA expanded these limits in November 2024 (the Act's expanded privileges applied as of November 12, 2024; the FAA's conforming final rule took effect November 18, 2024):
- Aircraft weightMaximum takeoff weight of not more than 12,500 pounds (up from 6,000).
- OccupantsAuthorized to carry not more than 7 occupants (up from 6), with no more than 6 passengers on board (up from 5).
- AltitudeNot more than 18,000 feet MSL.
- AirspeedIndicated airspeed not exceeding 250 knots.
- Where & whyNot outside the United States unless the country authorizes it, and the rule's compensation restrictions apply — see the rule text for exactly which operations qualify.
Source: 14 CFR 61.113(i); the FAA's BasicMed update announcement; the Federal Register final rule. Certain operations (and, e.g., certain transport-category rotorcraft) are excluded — check the rule text.
A hand with the busyworkHow Pilot Medical Guardian helps you prepare
This guide is free, and it stands on its own. But two drifting clocks and a form you fill out every four years are exactly the kind of thing that slips — and that's what I built Pilot Medical Guardian to catch.
It's a privacy-first iPhone and iPad app that tracks both BasicMed clocks — your medical-education course and your physician exam — against the FAA's cited intervals, shows them at a glance, and reminds you before either is due. Your records stay on your own device and iCloud; I can never see your health data.
When it's time for your exam, the app can also fill the pilot section of the CMEC (Form 8700-2) from the records you've already entered, so you hand your physician a clean, prepared form instead of retyping everything by hand. You review and sign it yourself — the app never marks the medical-history checkboxes or makes any determination for you.
And if you fly under a regular FAA medical certificate, under BasicMed, or you're moving between them, you can tell the app how you fly and it tracks the right dates for your path.
BasicMed FAQ
How often do I renew BasicMed?
BasicMed has two separate clocks. Per 14 CFR 61.23(c), you must complete the medical education course during the 24 calendar months before acting as pilot in command, and receive a comprehensive medical examination from a state-licensed physician during the 48 calendar months before acting as pilot in command. Always confirm the current rules on the FAA's BasicMed page.
Can any doctor do the BasicMed exam?
The regulation requires a comprehensive medical examination from a state-licensed physician, conducted per Part 68 using the FAA's Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (Form 8700-2). It does not have to be an Aviation Medical Examiner. Check the FAA's guidance for details.
Did BasicMed change in 2024?
Yes. Implementing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the FAA expanded BasicMed: covered aircraft may now have a maximum takeoff weight up to 12,500 pounds and be authorized to carry up to 7 occupants, with up to 6 passengers on board. The Act's expanded limits applied as of November 12, 2024, and the FAA's conforming final rule took effect November 18, 2024. See the FAA's announcement and the Federal Register rule for specifics.
Where do I keep my BasicMed paperwork?
You don't mail the CMEC to the FAA — keeping it is part of the rule. 14 CFR 61.113(i)(3) requires you to have the completed CMEC (Form 8700-2) and your course-completion certificate available in your logbook, in paper or electronic form. You retain them; you don't submit them.
Does BasicMed replace a medical certificate for airline flying?
No. BasicMed is an alternative to a third-class medical certificate for certain small-aircraft operations under 14 CFR 61.113(i), with operating limits on weight, occupants, altitude, and airspeed, and compensation restrictions. Operations requiring a first- or second-class medical certificate still require one.
This guide describes the FAA's own rules and forms in plain language. It is an information resource — not medical, legal, or FAA compliance advice, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Whether you are eligible for BasicMed, and whether you meet its requirements, is determined by the FAA's regulations and, where the rules call for it, your physician. Always rely on the official FAA sources linked above.