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Pilot's guide

FAA Medical Certificate Duration Chart (1st, 2nd & 3rd Class)

It depends on your class of certificate, what you're flying, and your age at the exam. Here's the plain-language breakdown for first, second, and third class, straight from 14 CFR 61.23, with a link to the FAA source for every number.

This is a plain-language guide to the FAA's own rule (14 CFR 61.23). It is not medical or legal advice, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Which class you need, and whether a certificate covers a given flight, is governed by the FAA's regulations. I link to the FAA's official pages throughout. Always rely on those.
The short answer

FAA medical certificate duration, by class

A medical's validity is measured by what you're exercising (first-, second-, or third-class privileges) and your age on the date of the exam. These are the periods from 14 CFR 61.23(d):

Class of privileges Under 40 at exam Age 40 or older
First-classATP / airline pilot-in-command 12 calendar months 6 calendar months
Second-classcommercial pilot operations 12 calendar months 12 calendar months
Third-classprivate, recreational, or student 60 calendar months (5 years) 24 calendar months (2 years)

Source: 14 CFR 61.23(d); the FAA AME Guide's certificate validity page; and the FAA FAQ "What class of medical certificate must I hold and how long is it valid?"

Two things pilots miss

It's calendar months, and your age is fixed at the exam

Calendar months, not exact dates. A certificate is valid through the end of the last day of the applicable month after your exam. So a 12-month first-class from an exam on March 3 (or March 31) is good through March 31 of the following year. The day of the month you tested doesn't shorten it.

Your age is locked in at the exam. The under-40 vs. 40-or-older split is based on your age on the date of the examination. If you're 39 at your exam and turn 40 the next week, the longer duration still applies to the certificate you were issued.

Source: 14 CFR 61.23(d).

The part that surprises people

A higher-class medical "steps down"

Your certificate doesn't become worthless the moment your top-tier privileges lapse. Under 14 CFR 61.23(d), a first-class certificate keeps working at lower tiers for longer:

  • First-classthrough month 12 (under 40) or month 6 (40+)
  • then second-classthrough the 12th month after your exam
  • then third-classthrough month 60 (under 40) or month 24 (40+)
  • Second-classthrough the 12th month after your exam
  • then third-classthrough month 60 (under 40) or month 24 (40+)

A second-class certificate works the same way. It's good for commercial ops for 12 months, then continues at third-class-length validity for the full 60 or 24 months. So the same certificate an airline pilot renews every 6 or 12 months stays valid at the third-class tier much longer. Whether any specific operation is permitted is governed by the FAA's rules for that operation.

Source: 14 CFR 61.23(d). Whether any specific operation is permitted is governed by the FAA's rules for that operation.

Worked example

One exam date, all three rules at once

Say you take a first-class exam on July 1, 2026. Here is what that single date produces, using the rules above.

  • If you were 41 at the examfirst-class through Jan 31, 2027 (the 6th month after July)
  • then second-classthrough Jul 31, 2027 (the 12th month)
  • then third-classthrough Jul 31, 2028 (the 24th month)

Change one thing (your age on exam day) and the same July 1 exam reads differently:

  • If you were 39 at the examfirst-class through Jul 31, 2027 (the 12th month)
  • then third-classthrough Jul 31, 2031 (the 60th month)
Note the two traps. Nothing expires on July 1. Every date above lands on the last day of its month. And turning 40 on July 2 changes none of it: your age is fixed on the exam date.

Worked from 14 CFR 61.23(d). Example dates for illustration. Check your own certificate.

Which one do you need?

What class of medical do I need?

That's set by the operations you fly, not by preference. Broadly, first-class for airline pilot-in-command, second-class for commercial flying, and third-class for private, recreational, or student flying. For the exact requirement, see the FAA's guidance on class and validity.

Flying under BasicMed instead of a third-class certificate? Different clocks apply: a 24-month course and a 48-month exam, not a certificate duration. See my BasicMed guide.

Never get caught short

How Pilot Medical Guardian helps

The rules above are simple in principle and easy to get wrong in practice: the age split, the calendar-month end date, the step-down. That's arithmetic a phone should do for you.

Pilot Medical Guardian calculates your certificate's expiration from these actual 14 CFR 61.23 rules (your class, your age at the exam, the end-of-month convention) and on iPhone and iPad it reminds you before it lapses, on a schedule you choose. On Mac you can add the deadline straight to your calendar. It's a privacy-first app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac: your records stay on your own device and iCloud, and I can never see them.

Pilot Medical Guardian home screen showing the days remaining on a Class 1 medical certificate and its expiration date
The countdown on the app's home screen. Sample data.

It's an information and record-keeping tool. It shows you the rules and the dates; it doesn't make any determination for you. You stay in control.

Download on the App Store Read the MedXPress guide

Free to download. Your medical data stays on your device and your own iCloud, and this website never sees it. Here's exactly how that works.

Quick answers

FAA medical duration FAQ

How long is a third-class medical good for?

Per 14 CFR 61.23(d), a certificate is valid for third-class (private, recreational, or student pilot) privileges through the 60th month after the month of your exam if you were under 40 at the exam, or the 24th month if you were 40 or older. It expires at the end of the last day of that month.

How long is a first-class medical good for?

For first-class privileges, a certificate is valid through the 12th month after the month of your exam if you were under 40, or the 6th month if you were 40 or older. The same certificate then keeps lower-class privileges longer (see the step-down), per 14 CFR 61.23(d).

How long is a second-class medical good for?

For second-class (commercial pilot) privileges, a certificate is valid through the 12th month after the month of your exam. That one is the same at any age: your age at the exam changes the first-class and third-class durations, not second-class. It expires at the end of the last day of that month, per 14 CFR 61.23(d).

Does my age change how long my medical lasts?

Yes. The durations use your age on the date of the examination: under 40 versus 40 or older. Turning 40 after the exam doesn't shorten the certificate you already hold; the age is fixed at exam time, per 14 CFR 61.23(d).

Does my first-class medical become useless when it expires?

No. A higher-class certificate steps down: after the first-class window ends it remains valid for second-class privileges through the 12th month, and for third-class privileges through the 60th month (under 40) or 24th month (40+), per 14 CFR 61.23(d). Whether a given operation is allowed depends on the FAA's rules for that operation.

Does it expire on the exam date or the end of the month?

The end of the month. A certificate is valid through the end of the last day of the applicable month after your exam, not the exact calendar date of the exam, per 14 CFR 61.23(d).

Back to home Read the full FAQ

This guide describes the FAA's own rule (14 CFR 61.23) in plain language. It is an information resource. It is not medical, legal, or FAA compliance advice, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. The class of medical you need, and whether a certificate covers a given operation, is determined by the FAA's regulations. Always rely on the official FAA sources linked above.